46 MEMOIR OF GESNER. 



house. We find him thus modestly speaking of 

 these figures in one of his prefaces : " AV^ith regard 

 to the Icones, I acknowledge that they are not all 

 very well drawn ; this, however, is not my fault ; but 

 this is not the occasion to speak on that matter. 

 Most of them are very fair and tolerable, especially 

 those of quadrupeds, which may be esteemed the 

 best. None of them are fictitious, as some suspect ; 

 or if any of them be, they were not approved by 

 me, but pointed out and censured, such as the rein- 

 deer of Olaus and a few others among quadrupeds, 

 some among the water animals, certain salaman- 

 ders, &c. If I have not delineated such as these 

 myself (that is to say, superintended the engraving) 

 from the life, I have mentioned the authors from 

 whom I received them, or the books from which 

 they ai'e copied," &c. 



The latter remark leads us to say a few words 

 respecting the numerous monsters scattered through- 

 out Gesner s work, which at first sight, and on 

 superficial observation, are apt to make us distrust 

 his authority altogether as a veracious author, and 

 indeed tend to throw an air of ridicule over the 

 wdiole. A careful perusal of his text, however, will 

 soon convince us that no author of early date has 

 been more solicitous to guard his readers against 

 mistaking what is imaginary for what is real, — for 

 placing that which has been merely supposed to 

 exist, on the same level with what has fallen under 

 the evidence of the senses. The most remarkable 

 of these ideal figures are, a marine lion, covered with 



