BOOK VIII.] History of Nature. 29 



Actress Cytheris, was beyond the monstrous Spectacles of 

 even those calamitous times. It is reported that Hanno, 

 one of the noblest of the Carthaginians, was the first Man 

 that ventured to manage a Lion with his Hand, and to shew 

 him as being rendered Submissive. But he was condemned 

 on account of this very Circumstance, for it appeared to them 

 that a Man of such artful Ingenuity would be able to per- 

 suade to anything ; and that it was dangerous to trust their 

 Liberty to him, to whom even Fierceness itself had so re- 

 markably yielded. But there are also casual Examples of 

 their Clemency. Mentor, the Syracusan, met with a Lion 

 in Syria, which after an humble manner rolled himself in 

 the Way before him ; and being astonished with Fear, when 

 he sought to escape in every way the Wild Beast placed him- 

 self across his Path, and licked his Footsteps in a flattering 

 manner. Mentor then observed that the Lion had a Swelling 

 and Wound in his Foot, whereupon he gently plucked out 

 the Splinters of Wood, and so eased the Beast of his Pain. 1 

 This Fact is for a Memorial represented in a Picture at Syra- 

 cuse. In a similar Manner Elpis, a Samian by Nation, being 

 conveyed to Africa in a Ship, and having discovered near the 

 Shore a Lion having a threatening Gape, he fled quickly to a 

 Tree, and called upon Father Liber; for then is the principal 

 Time for Prayer, when we see no other Hope. But the Lion 

 stopped him not in his Flight, although it was in his Power; 

 and laying himself down close to the Tree, with that open 

 Mouth with which he had terrified the Man, he sought his 

 Compassion. Now the Beast having lately fed greedily, had 

 gotten a Bone stuck fast within his Teeth, which put him to 

 great Pain ; also, he was almost famished ; and he looked 

 up pitifully, shewing how he was punished with those very 

 Weapons of his, and, as if with dumb Prayers, besought his 

 Help. Eipis, on the other Hand, not being very forward to 

 commit himself to the Wild Beast, stayed the longer, while 

 he considered rather this miraculous Accident than other- 



1 The reader will here be reminded of the well-known story of An- 

 drocles, or Androdus, and the lion, told by Aulus Gellius and JElian. 

 Wern. Club. 



