126 LESSONS FOll THK LITERATI. 



but his office or his talents do not qualify him to be of any essential 

 service under present circumstances. In the annals of monomania 

 we find not unfrequently, by the mere fact of the patients being 

 placed in peculiar situations or positions, that they fancy themselves 

 teapots, genii, or Czars of Muscovy, as the case may be. Lord 

 Auckland is accommodated with a large house and certain appur- 

 tenances in the neighbourhood of Whitehall, by which, reports say, he 

 is induced to suppose that he is First Lord of the Admiralty. After 

 this we shall not be surprised to hear of the woolsack being appointed 

 Speaker of the House of Lords. 



LESSONS FOR THE LITERATI. 



THE ELEPHANT AND OTHElt ANIMALS. 



FROM THE SPANISH OF YRIARTE. 



IN those famed regions, where, in days now far gone. 

 The beasts could speak intelligible jargon ; 

 The sapient elephant saw within the nation, 

 Follies and faults which called for reformation ; 

 He, longing much the censor's lash to wield, 



Convoked, with this intent, a great convention, 

 Bow'd with his huge trunk, a la Chesterfield, 



And then in speech well studied, claim'd attention. 

 For nearly half an hour he stood declaiming, 

 A thousand vices and bad habits naming ; 

 Amongst the rest he touch' d, in due gradation, 



Upon disgraceful idleness, and then vi- 

 Tuperated foolish affectation 



And haughty ignorance and malicious envy. 

 Some of the audience seem'd much edified, 

 List'ning with ears and mouth extended wide ; 

 The faithful dove and the ingenious bee 

 The lamb the pointer, famed for loyalty, 

 The docile horse the ant, of frugal care, 

 The linnet, and the butterfly, were there : 

 But no small portion of his hearers then did 

 Feel with his strictures mortally offended. 

 The tiger and the cruel wolf growl'd on him, 

 And what abuse the serpent cast upon him ! 

 The wasp, the gnat, the hornet, and the drone, 

 Murmur d against him in a lower tone. 

 Th' ill-omen'd locust would no longer stay, 

 He with the caterpillar stalk'd away ; 

 The weasel, framing an excuse, slunk after; 



The fox remain'd to play the hypocrite ; 



The monkey on the censor tried his wit, 

 Mock'd him, and turn'd his preaching into laughter. 

 The elephant this shameful treatment viewed 

 With much sangfroid, and thus did he conclude: 



