Asses and Apes. 127 



Nor while mirthful itself has it failed to conduce to mirth 

 in others, for, besides Philemon's disastrous cachination, 

 we know that Chrisippus also fatally over-laughed himself 

 on seeing an ass eat apples off a silver dish, and that 

 Agelastus (Crassus of that ilk) only laughed once in all his 

 life, and that was on seeing an ass eat thistles. 



Butler, I may note, confounds these two catastrophes for 

 the sake of his rhyme — 



" Or he that laughed until he choked his whistle 

 To rally on an ass that ate a thistle." 



The poets, however, have recognised only one aspect 

 of the animal, namely, the familiar " cuddy," and, of its 

 classical and historical honours, only two or three. " The 

 blameless animal " of Balaam finds due reference ; but, so 

 it seems to me, in order to point a personality or a jest. 

 Thus Crashawe — 



" The ass of old had power to chide its wilful lord, 

 And hast not thou the power to speak one word? 

 Not less a marvel, sure, this silence is in thee. 

 Than that the ass of old to speak had liberty." * 



^ Crashawe has the same idea again ; applied, however, to the ass 

 that carried the infant Saviour into Egypt. He says to it — 



" Hath only anger an omnipotence 



In eloquence ? 

 Within the lips of love and joy doth dwell 



No miracle ? 

 Why else had Balaam's ass a tongue to chide 



His master's pride. 

 And thou (Heaven-burthened beast) hast ne'er a word 



To praise thy Lord ? 

 That he should find a tongue in vocal thunder 



Was a great wonder ; ;, 



But oh ! methinks 'tis a far greater one 



That thou find'st none." 



