Natural Hijiory of the Ancients. 223 



and has been the fource of many of the fabulous 

 tales of later ages. Some fifh are friendly, he tells, 

 others hateful to each other : " The Mullet and the 

 fea-Pike hate one another, and be ever at deadly 

 war ; likewife the Congre and the Lamprey ; in- 

 fomuch as they gnaw off one another's taile. The 

 Lobfter is fo afraid of the Polype, or Pourcuttell, 

 that if he fpie him neere, he evermore dieth for 

 very woe. The Lobfters are ready to fcratch and 

 teare the Congre ; the Congres, again, do as much 

 for the Polype. On the other fide there be 

 examples of friendmip among fifties befides thofe 

 of whofe fociety and fellowfhip I have already 

 written, and namely between the great whale 

 Balasna and the little Mufculus. For whereas the 

 whale aforefaid hath no ufe of his eies (by reafon 

 of the heavy weight of his eie-browes that cover 

 them), the other fwimmeth before him, ferveth 

 him inftead of eies and lights, to fhow when he is 

 neere the fhelves and fhallows, wherein he may be 

 foon grounded, fo big and huge he is." This 

 ftory has greatly taken the fancy of many old 

 Englifh writers, and it is evidently capable of 

 being largely moralized. For example : " The 

 ancients give for an Hierogliph of a wife Senate 

 and able Counfell a little fifti going before the 

 great whale, difcovering fhallows and other 

 dangers, and fhewing the way by the motion of 

 itfelf. This living, the whale is fafe, but being 

 dead, he knoweth not what to do." 1 



1 " Sion's Plea againft the Prelacy." See, too, S. Goflbn's 

 "Schoole of Abufe " (ed. Arber), p. 55. The above citations 



