Fallacy as to Joints. 



17 



With the Provengal song writers, the helplessness of 

 the fallen elephant was a favourite simile, and amongst 

 others Richard de Barbezieux, in the latter half of the 

 twelfth century, sung,^ 



" Atressi cum I'olifans 

 Que quan chai no s' pot levar." 



As elephants were but rarely seen in Europe prior to 

 the seventeenth century, there were but few opportunities 

 of correcting the popular fallacy by ocular demonstration. 

 Hence Shakspeare still believed that, 



" The elephant hath joints ; but none for courtesy ; 

 His legs are for necessity, not flexure : "^ • 



and Donne sang of 



" Nature's great' masterpiece, an elephant ; 

 The only harmless great thing : 



but roars with his brother, 



many and large (elephants) come there 



in search, 

 thinking to make him get up, 

 but for the help of them all 

 he may not get up. 

 Then they all roar one roar, 

 like the blast of a horn or the sound of 



bell ; 

 for their great roaring 

 a young one cometh running, 

 stoops immediately to him, 

 puts his snout under him, 

 and asks the help of them all ; 

 this elephant they raise on his legs : 

 and thus fails this hunter's trick, 

 in the manner that I have told you." 



' One of the most venerable authori- 

 ties by whom the fallacy was trans- 

 mitted to modern times was Philip de 

 Thaun, who wrote, about the year 

 II2I, A. D. his Livre des Creatieres, 

 dedicated to Adelaide of Louvaine, 

 (Jueen of Henry I. of England. In 



the copy of it printed by the Historica. 

 Society of Science in 1841, and edited 

 by Mr. Wright, the following passage 

 occurs : — 



" Et Ysidres nus dit ki le elefant descrit, 



Es jambes par nature nen ad que une 



jointure, 

 II ne pot pas gesir quant il se vol 



dormir, 

 Ke si cuchet estaitpar sei nen leverait ; 

 Pur geo li stot apuier, el lui del cucher, 

 U a arbre u a mur, idunc dort aseur. 

 E le gent de la terre, ki li volent con 



quere, 

 Li mur enfunderunt, u le arbre encise- 



runt ; 

 Quant li elefant vendrat, ki s'i apuierat, 

 La arbre u le mur carrat, e il tribu- 



cherat ; 

 Issi faiterement le parnent cele gent." 

 P. 100. 



" Troibis and Cressida, act ii. sc. 3 

 A. D. i6og. 



