Asses aiid Apes. 125 



Wordsworth, like the other poets, here recognises the 

 melancholy of the donkey's voice, but (like the others), 

 afraid of making the animal natural, takes no notice of the 

 unrivalled ludicrousness of the sounds it produces. When 

 it frightened John Gilpin's horse, the ass " did sing most 

 loud and clear," but this is the nearest approach to appre- 

 ciation of this great jest of Nature that I know of in verse 



Not that even its voice is altogether ridiculous. " The 

 braying of Silenus his ass " {ititempestivos edidit ore sonos) 

 " conduced much to the profligation of the giants." 



*' So, when at Bathos earth's big offspring strove 

 To scale the skies, and wage a war wiih Jove, 

 Soon as the ass of old Silenus brayed. 

 The trembling rebels in confusion fled." ^ 



And though the *^ audor damoris" may be subsequently 

 sacrificed, it is not from any depreciation of his resonant 

 services, but rather in recognition of them. It finds honour- 

 able mention in Holy Writ, and in the Ass-mass of the 

 monks, commemorative of the flight into Egj'pt — 



" Asinus egregius, 

 Asinus dominorum. 



Super dromedarios 

 Velox Madianeos," 



there was a hee-haw refrain, the choir on one side taking 

 the hee, and on the other the haw. Moreover, in the myths 

 of many countries, and the fairy tales of nearly all, the 

 donkey's voice plays sometimes a serious and important 

 part 



•' Ah I those dreadful yells, what soul can hear 

 That owTis a carcase and not quake for fear ? 

 Demons produce them doubtless, brazen-clawed 

 And fanged with brass, the demons are abroad." - 



^ Garth, "The Dispensary." - Cow{.er, "Xeedless Alarms." 



