THE SPHINXES. 161 



being committed to confinement w'ith Cordelia, 

 towards whom he had previously confessed the in- 

 justice of his conduct. The old monarch, " four- 

 score and upwards," addresses his daughter in a man- 

 ner at once so natural and so pathetic, that the pas- 

 sage can scarcely be read without emotion : — 



" "Come, let 's away to prison. 



AVe two alone will sing' like birds i' the cage : 

 When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down 

 And ask of thee forgiveness : So we'll live, 

 And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh 

 At gilded .butterflies, and hear poor rogues 

 Talk of court news ; and we'll talk with them too, 

 Who loses, and who wins ; who 's in, who 's out ; 

 And take upon us the mystery of things, 

 As if we were God's spies." 



Lear, Xct\. So. III. 



The second great division of Lepidopterous insects 

 is that comprising the Sphinxes. Tliis name is applied 

 in consequence of the attitude assumed by the cater- 

 pillar, the head being held erect, so as to give the 

 figure, at a little distance, a resemblance to that 

 of the Egyptian sphinx. Of course you Avill not 

 find the term in Shakspeare, as it is one used only by 

 Entomologists, as a convenient designation to denote 

 a particular division of the objects of their research. 

 Unlike the butterflies, the spliinxes do not in general 

 delight in the bright and warm sunsliine of noon ; 

 they prefer the cooler hours of the morning and 

 evening. At such times, some species may be seen 



M 



