Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 95 



Thefe latter lines allude to the Lucretian epithet 

 for the elephant, anguimanus 1 



The recent excitement about the elephant 

 Jumbo, which the Zoological Society fold to 

 Barnum, called forth many interefting notices of 

 the elephant in the Middle Ages in the public 

 prints. From thefe the following facts may be 

 culled. In the year 1229 an elephant was fent 

 by the Soldan of Babylon as a rare prefent to the 

 Emperor Frederick II. But it was not untili 1255 

 that the firft elephant was feen for the lapfe of 

 1 200 years in Britain. This was prefented by the 

 King of France, as we learn from the chronicles 

 of John of Oxenedes and others. It was houfed in 

 the Tower, and lived on till the forty-firft year of 

 Henry III., A.D. 1257, when it feems to have 

 died, aged only twelve years. The charges of 

 itfelf and keeper may be feen in the " Chancellor's 

 Roll." Juft as Jumbo has immortalized his 

 keeper, Scott, fo this royal elephant-keeper ftill 

 lives as John Gouch. The fherifF of Kent was 

 commanded together with him " to provide for 

 bringing the King's elephant from Whitfand to 

 Dover." 2 



It feems that white elephants have an actual 

 exiftence apart from proverbs and eflays. Mr. 



1 Compare Lucretius, ii. 538 : 



" Elephantos India quorum 

 Millibus e multeis vallo munitur eburno 

 Ut penitus nequeat penetrari." 



They were known alfo to Lucretius as " boves Lucas " (v. 1 301). 



2 Notes and Queries, 6th S., v. 385. 



