168 COMMON BRITISH ANIMALS 



The hare is the subject of many fables and folk 

 tales in various parts of the world. Some speak of 

 her as " the gentle hare/^ others regard her as gay, 

 lively, grave or pernicious. In Greek and Roman 

 tales it is '^ the timid one/^ and many superstitions 

 are recorded relating to it and its strange medicinal 

 properties. 



We are told by William Borlase in his ^Antiquities 

 of Cornwall/ p. 135, how Boadicea, Queen of the 

 Britons, when she had harangued her soldiers to 

 spirit them up against the Romans, opened her 

 bosom and let go a hare, which she had there con- 

 cealed, that the augurs might thence proceed to 

 divine. The frighted animal made such turnings 

 and windings in her course, as according to the rules 

 of judging prognosticated happy success. The 

 joyful multitude made loud huzzas ; Boadicea seized 

 the opportunity, approved their valour, led them 

 straight to their enemies, and gained the victory." 



The ancient Britons used hares only for divination. 

 They were never eaten. The Druids, like the Jews, 

 considered them unclean animals. 



The very ancient superstition that a hare crossing 

 your path is a sign of bad luck is frequently alluded 

 to in literature. In the old play of the "Dumb 

 Knight" by Lewis Machin (1680), written in con- 

 junction with Gervase Markham, act iv, scene i, 

 Alphonso says : 



" Sure I met no spayf ooted baker ; 

 No hare did cross me, nor no bearded witch. 

 Nor other ominous sign." 



Also in Ellison's '' Trip to Benwell," Ix : 



