LION-HUNTING AND LIONS 299 



of the miserable slaughter of her young whelps, and 

 showing him by signs that he should look up into the 

 tree where the bear was, which when the man saw, he 

 conjectured that the bear had done some grievous injury 

 unto them. He therefore took his axe, and hewed down 

 the tree by the roots, which being so cut, the bear 

 tumbled down headlong, which the two furious beasts 

 seeing, they tore her all to pieces. And afterwards the 

 lion conducted the man unto the place and work where 

 he first met him, and there left him, without doing the 

 least violence or harm unto him.' 



Topsel, and the ancient authors from whom he quotes, 

 w T ho only knew lions by hearsay, had a much higher 

 opinion of the tribe than Livingstone and modern travel- 

 lers, who have made their personal acquaintance. He 

 says nothing of their dread of man or ever-present dread 

 of pitfalls! To Topsel, the lion is just a mass of noble 

 qualities, and an example to all men in the matter of 

 family affection. But, then, people often seem different, 

 to those who know them best, from what they do to 

 strangers ! 



' Neither do the old lions love their young ones in vain 

 and without recompense,' he ends up, as the moral of the 

 last story, ' for in their old age they requite it again ; then 

 do the young ones both defend them from the annoyance 

 of enemies and also maintain and feed them by their own 

 labour ; for they take them forth to hunting, and when, as 

 their decrepid and withered estate is not able to follow 

 the game, the younger pursueth and taketh it for him ; 

 having obtained it, roareth mightily like the voice of 

 some warning piece, to signify unto his elder that he 

 should come on to dinner, and if he delay, he goeth to 

 seek him where he left him, or else carry the prey unto 

 him. At the sight thereof, in gratulation of natural 

 kindness, and also for the joy of good success, the old one 

 first licketh and kisseth the younger, and afterward enjoy 

 the booty in common between them.' 



