•276 '^HE LIOK. 



tise him (as they sometimes do) without a cause. H<^ 

 seems to bear all with the utmost composure ; and 

 ive very rarely have instances of his revenging these 

 unprovoked sallies of impertinent curiosity. How- 

 ever, when his anger is at last excited, the conse- 

 quences arc terrible, Labat telU us of a gentleman 

 who kept a Lion in his chamber, and employed a 

 servant to attend it. who, as usual, mixed his blows 

 with caresses. This ill-judged association continued 

 for some time : till one morning the gentleman was 

 awakened by a noise in his room^ which he could not 

 at first account for ; but drawing the curtains, he be- 

 held a horrid spectacle — the Lion growling over the 

 man's head, which he had separated from the body^ 

 and was tossing round the floor. The master imme- 

 diately ran into the next room, called to the people 

 ivithout, and had the animal secured from doing far* 

 ther mischief*. This single account, however, is not 

 sufficient to weigh against the many instances we 

 every day witness, of this creature's gentleness and 

 submission. He is often bred up with domestic ani- 

 mals, and is seen to play innocently and familiarly 

 among them ; and if it ever happens that his natu- 

 ral ferocity returns, it is seldom exerted against his 

 benefactors. — The following pleasing anecdotes af- 

 ford very sufficient proofs of the Lion's gratitude and 

 affection. 



In the reign of king James the First, Mr. Henry 

 Archer, a watchmaker in Morocco, had two whelps 

 given him, which had been stolen not long before 



* Labat"s AtVique Occidentalc, ii. p. 11. 



