134 The Poets Beasts. 



well as asses, and so are certain nations, notably Frenchmen 

 — " monkeys in action, parroquets in talk " — and so again 

 also certain classes of men and women, such as courtiers, 

 lovers, and {horresco referens) critics — 



" The critics hence may think themselves decreed 

 To jerk their wits and rail at all they read, 

 Foes to the tribe from which they trace their clan, 

 As monkeys draw their pedigree from man." 



— Fenton's Epistle. 



Nor does the alderman escape this time either, for, 

 though he is freely written down an ass, Somerville says — 



" A genius can't be forced, nor can 

 You make an ape an alderman," 



Asses and apes in fact go together with much of the same 

 arbitrary association as the bat and the owl among the poets* 

 "birds." Anything or anybody that the poet takes a fancy 

 to dislike for the moment is either ape or ass, or both. To 

 such curious extremes is this sometimes carried that Ambi- 

 tion is both monkey and donkey. Says Herbert, " the 

 higher the ape goes the more he shows his tail ; " ^ and 

 again Young — 



*' What Nature has denied fools will pursue, 

 As apes are ever walking upon two." 



^ Herbert forgets apes have no tails at all. This loss of the caudal 

 ornament is accounted for by Spenser as follows : The ape and fox 

 having stolen the sleeping lion's crown and usurped his palace, mis- 

 govern so infamously that higli Jove is incensed, wakes up the slum- 

 bering monarch, and tells him what has happened. The lion returns 

 roaring to his palace, bursts in and captures tlie usurpers : — 



" The ape's long taile (which then he had) he quight 

 Cut off, and both eares pared of their height ; 

 Since which all apes but half their eares have left, 

 And of their lailes are utterly bereft." 



