2 74 ^'^^ Poets Beasts. 



The allusion is of course to the Egyptian practice of leading 

 out the sacred bull at a stated period and drowning it, the 

 people going into mourning until a successor with the 

 proper marks upon it was found by the priests. It was 

 essential that the animal should be black, with a white spot 

 on the forehead, and a white crescent on the right flank ; 

 the image of an eagle on the spine, a knot under the tongue 

 that resembled the scarabaeus beetle, and the hairs of 

 the tail double. In Roman sacrifice the white oxen of 

 Umbria that pastured by the Clituranus were for their size 

 and beauty specially preferred ; otherwise the poets' prefer- 

 ence for this colour has no countenance from the past. The 

 fact of the devoted animals being gaily garlanded and orna- 

 mented, and their consequent appearance of a superior 

 stateliness as they approached the place of doom, has given 

 the poets many occasions for apt simile. 



" Like as the sacred oxe that carelesse stands 

 With gilden homes and flow'ry girlonds ciown'd, 

 Proud of his dying honor and deare bandes, 

 Whiles th' altars fume with frankincense arouml, 

 All suddeinly with mortall stroke astound, 

 Doth groveling fall, and with his streaming gore 

 Distaines the pillours and the holy grovvnd, 

 And the faire flowres that decked him afore." 



Those honours, such as they were, of gilded horns and 

 rose-wreathed neck, of fillet and votive garland, are things 

 of the past — 



" Nor is Osiris seen 



In Meniphian grove or green, 



Trampling the unshovvcrod grass with lowings loud." 



At any rate, tliey only survive in the form of Christmas beef. 

 We no longer strew the victim's Iiead wiili roasted barley 

 and salt; we pin a bkic rosette on instead. When the 



