NOTES 207 



East. An Egyptian Debat on very much the same subject 

 was recently discovered by M. Maspero, who dates it circa 

 1250 B.C. It is found in the Upanishads, whence it came 

 to the Mahabharata, thence possibly into the Zend Yacna. 

 A Buddhistic version exists in the Chinese Avadanas. 

 The Jews had early knowledge of a similar fable, which is 

 told in a Rabbinic Commentary on Psalm xxxix. There 

 can be no doubt that St. Paul had a similar fable in his 

 mind when writing the characteristic passage, 1 Cor. xii. 

 12-26. This combines the Indian idea of the contests of 

 the Members with the Roman notion of the organic nature 

 of the body politic. Thus this fable forms part of the 

 sacred literature of the Egyptians, of Chinese, of Buddhists, 

 Brahmins and Magians, of Jews and Christians ; and we 

 might almost add, of Romans and Englishmen. There were 

 also medieval mysteries on the subject. Prato has a mono- 

 graph on the fable in Archivio per Tradizione Popolari^ iv. 

 25-40, the substance of which I have given in my History , 

 pp. 82-99. 



XXX.— HART IN OX-STALL (Ro. iii. 19). 

 Phaedrus, ii. 8. 



XXXI.— FOX AND GRAPES (Ro. iv. 1). 



Occurs both in Phaedrus (iv. 3) and Babrius, 19. Has 

 been found by Dr. Leitner in Darbistan as " The Fox 

 and the Pomegranates." Our expression, " The grapes are 

 sour," comes from this. 



XXXII.— THE PEACOCK AND JUNO (Ro.iv.4). 

 Phaedrus, iii. 18. Cf. Avian, 8. 



