BOOK VIII.] History of Nature. 9 



vain. 1 Through Modesty they never associate in Love except 

 in secret : the Male at five Years of Age, and the Female at 

 ten Years old. And this they do every third Year, 2 and they 

 continue therein five Days in the Year (as they say) and not 

 more, for upon the sixth Day they Wash themselves over in 

 the River ; and before this they do not return to the Herd. 

 They know no adulterous change ; neither are there any 

 Battles among them about their Females, as among other 

 Animals to their great injury. And this is not for want of 

 strong Affection ; for it is reported of an Elephant that he 

 was enamoured of a certain Woman in Egypt who sold Gar- 

 lands of Flowers. And lest any one should think that she 

 was an ordinary maiden that was beloved, she was greatly 

 admired by Aristophanes, the excellent Grammarian. There 

 was another so full of Love to a Youth in the Army of Ptolo- 

 mceus, that if he did not see him every Day he would abstain 

 from his Meat. Juba likewise reporteth of an Elephant that 

 loved a Woman who sold Perfumes. All these shewed their 

 Love by the tokens of Joy at the sight of the object of their 

 regard, by their rude Blandishments, and by preserving the 

 Gifts which the People gave them, and laying them in their 

 Bosoms. Nor is Love so much to be wondered at where the 

 Memory is so good. For the same Juba saith, that an Ele- 

 phant acknowledged a Man in his old Age, and after many 

 Years, who in his youth had been his Governor. He 

 affirmeth also that they have a certain Divine Instinct of 

 Justice : for when King Bacchus had appointed to be re- 

 venged on thirty Elephants, which he had caused to be 

 bound to Stakes, and had set the same number to run upon 

 them, appointing also Men to urge them to rush forward ; 

 yet they were riot able to cause them to become the Ministers 

 of another's Cruelty. 



1 The greatest sign of victory in old time was for the vanquished to 

 offer a plant to the conqueror, which signified that he surrendered all the 

 interests he had in earth, and even the rite of burial. See Lib. viii. c. 5. 

 -Wern. Club. 



3 Some copies read two years. Wern. Club. 



