FEUS. 



and the reversed prickles on his tongue 

 are of extraordinary strength and exten- 

 sion. After a full repast, he returns to 

 his den and enjoys a state of slumber and 

 repose, till the calls of hunger rouse him 

 to fresh activity, and impel him to recom- 

 mence the work of blood. The lion, in 

 the exertion of his full energies, must 

 present one of the most impressive im- 

 ages that can be conceived. The gene- 

 ral majesty of his countenance, surround- 

 ed by his full mane intensely erected, 

 and lighted up by the glaring indignation 

 of his eye, connected with the thunder of 

 his voice, and all the apparatus of de- 

 struction in his mouth and paws, has, in 

 every age, caused him to be considered 

 as furnisliing admirable materials for sub- 

 lime and terrific imagery. 



At the Cape of Good Hope, it is by no 

 means uncommon to hunt the lion, and in 

 an open and spacious plain, in which he 

 finds it impossible to escape his pursuers 

 by flight, he checks his progress, and 

 fronts his adversaries, awaiting their at- 

 tack. Several of the dogs which first 

 dare to assault him generally fall under 

 his stroke, but in a few moments he is 

 overwhelmed by numbers, and literally 

 torn to pieces. The negroes of the Cape 

 are reported to eat his flesh ; and his 

 skin, which was formerly deemed a man- 

 tle for a hero, is now more frequently 

 employed for the bed of a Hottentot. 



It is imagined that lions are inexpres- 

 sibly less numerous in Africa now than 

 formerly, and it is stated by Shaw, that 

 all Libya could at this time scarcely sup- 

 ply that number, which was sometimes 

 exported to Rome even in a single year. 

 In proportion as population has extend- 

 ed, and national intercourse has advanc- 

 ed, their range has necessarily become 

 more limited, and their acquaintance with 

 man seems to have considerably checked 

 that daring, which was supposed by ma- 

 ny incapable of being daunted. The lion's 

 valour diminishes in proportion as he re- 

 sides near the habitations of men, whose 

 ingenuity and resources he seems well 

 aware must always secure them a supe- 

 riority in the conflict with other animals, 

 and whose appearance therefore, he shuns 

 as that of his most formidable adversary. 

 In the neighbourhood of the small towns 

 of Africa, even women and children have 

 not unfrequently driven lions from their 

 lurking places. When taken young, they 

 can be taught to sustain coufinement with- 

 out difficulty, and will not only manifest 

 tranquillity and contentment, but occa- 

 sionally engage in sports and gambols 



with smaller animals, among which 

 have been led to associate. They are sus- 

 ceptible of attachment and gratitude, will 

 caress their keepers, display a magnani- 

 mous forbearance with respect to the of- 

 fensive freedom and petulant insults of 

 weaker creatures, and after having once, 

 as it were, pledged themselves for the 

 security of am, which, by an' act of wan- 

 tonness, may have been thrown as victims 

 into their den, will endure extreme hun- 

 ger before they can permit themselves 

 to destroy them. The natural excitabili- 

 ty of these auimals, however, is so great, 

 that all the discipline of education is fre- 

 quently insufficient effectually to repress 

 their passions within secure limits, and in 

 some unlucky coincidence of circum- 

 stances, those familiarities with them, 

 which had been permitted without the 

 slightest resistance or reluctance, have 

 proved fatal to the persons who engaged 

 in them. Though the lion frequently at- 

 tacks his prey in open chase, he general- 

 ly adopts the system of ambuscade, and 

 will lurk on his belly in some thicket, 

 frequently near the water, awaiting the 

 approach of any animal which its evil 

 destiny may impel near it, on which he 

 will spring with a sudden bound, rarely 

 failing of success, and sometimes reach- 

 ing to the distance of twenty -feet. When 

 this leap is unsuccessful, the object is per- 

 mitted to escape without pursuit, and he 

 retraces his steps slowly to the thicket, as 

 it were abashed by his failure, and anti- 

 cipating the consequences of greater a- 

 droitness in his ensuing effort. 



Lions have in various countries been 

 employed as emblems of state, and insig- 

 nia of sovereignty. In Persia, two larg'e 

 lions with fetters of gold are stationed, on 

 days of peculiar ceremony and splendour, 

 on each side of the hall of audience ; and 

 in Rome, Anthony was drawn through 

 the streets by lions harnessed to his cha- 

 riot. To furnish entertainment for the in- 

 habitants of that splendid and luxurious 

 city, lions were conveyed in vast num- 

 bers from the interior of Africa, to exhi- 

 bit at the public festivals, at which they 

 fought with each other, with other ani- 

 mals, and even at length with men. This 

 diversion was first exhibited by Quintus 

 Scsevola, but was afterwards carried to 

 far greater extent. Sylla displayed in the 

 Arena a huAlrecl lions, during his pre- 

 torship. Julius Cxsar, to conciliate the 

 people, entertained them with no fewer 

 than four hundred : and 1'ompey import- 

 ed, at vast expence, and with the most, 

 elaborate research, the immense number 



