Some Beasts of Reproach. loi 



much mutual misunderstanding between the poets and their 

 pigs. Indeed, if only on the ground of the pig's eatable- 

 ness throughout, I should have expected some occasional 

 scintillations of gratitude from men and women with such 

 far-reaching and subtle sympathies as poets claim. 



For there is no finicking reservation of himself about the 

 pig ; he keeps back, nothing, excepts no part of his person 

 from the general consumption. He puts himself up to be 

 eaten " without reserve," generously closing the door against 

 possibilities of subsequent misunderstanding. He goes the 

 whole hog with himself. The inventory of his effects is 

 complete, and without any fraudulent withholding of items ; 

 he puts himself into your hands bag and baggage, ^\'hen 

 you have finished eating him, there is no gleaning after you — 



" It would be well, my friend, if you and I 

 Had, like that pig, attained the perfectness 

 Made reachable by nature." — Sottthey. 



The hog, then, is unanimous, and from this fact have 

 risen two singular phenomena so opposed in character that 

 it is a wonder they should have sprung from the same 

 source. The first is the Moslems' consumption of the entire 

 animal ; the second, the Jews' entire abstinence from it. 



Mahomet, as is well known, enjoined upon all the Faithful 

 that they should not eat pork ; for, said he — 



" There is a part in every swine. 

 No friend or follower of mine 

 May taste, whate'er his inclination. 

 On pain of excommunication." — Cozt'per. 



But the prophet did not actually specify the sinful part, 

 but left the point at large, to the great perplexity of Islam, 

 and no httle discontent, inasmuch as 



" For one piece they thought it hard 

 From the whole hog to be debarred." 



