402 



ANIMALS OF THE 



This alteration in the lion's disposition suffi- 

 ciently shows that he might easily be tamed, and 

 admit of a certain degree of education. " In 

 fact, nothing is more common than for the keep- 

 ers of wild beasts to play with this animal, to 

 pull out his tongue, and even to chastise him 

 without a cause. He seems to bear it all with the 

 utmost composure ; and we very rarely have in- 

 stances of his revenging these unprovoked sallies 

 of impertinent cruelty. However, when his an- 

 ger is at last excited, the consequences are terri- 

 ble. Labat tells us of a gentleman who kept a 

 lion in his chamber, and employed a servant to 

 attend it, who, as is usual, mixed his blows with 

 caresses. This ill-judged association continued 

 for some time, till one morning the gentleman 

 was awakened by a noise in his room, which, at 

 first, he could not tell the cause of; but drawing 

 the curtains, he perceived a horrid spectacle 

 the lion growling over the man's head, which he 

 had separated from the body, and tossing it 

 round the floor. He immediately, therefore, 

 flew into the next room, called to the people 

 without, and had the animal secured from doing 

 further mischief." However, this single account 

 is not sufficient to weigh against the many in- 

 stances we every day see of this creature's gen- 

 tleness and submission. He is often bred up 

 with other domestic animals, and is seen to play 

 innocently and familiarly among them ; and, if it 

 ever happens that his natural ferocity returns, it 

 is seldom exerted against his benefactors. As 

 his passions are strong, and his appetites vehe- 



