HOMER A SPORTSMAN. 215 



All that he relates is in perfect accordance with the 

 details given by Jules Grerard in his interesting volumes. 

 There are certain things which no one would ever 

 think of, and consequently could not introduce in a 

 description unless they had been witnessed. 



Grerard describes thus a lion making his appearance 

 when molested. " C'est un grand vieux lion arrive 

 dans la nuit. Attendez un peu, il vient de quitter son 

 repair e. II marche, les yeux a demi fermes, il n'est 

 pas encore bien eveille." And Homer : — " Suddenly 

 there meet him in the forest men who are hunting, and 

 he grows irritated ; he draws do\vn his ^\Tinkled brows, 

 and covers thus his eyes." 



This appearance Homer must have seen in the lion, 

 for unless actually beheld no one, poet or other, would 

 ever think of introducing such cii'cumstance, it being 

 quite beyond the pale of invention. Indeed, had it not 

 been mentioned by one who, like Grerard, is thoroughly 

 familiar with the habits and ways of the lion, every 

 reader would suppose it merely an exercise of the ima- 

 gination which the poet had allowed himself for the sake 

 of effect. In another passage, Grerard also mentions 

 this peculiarity of the animal when disturbed, or when 

 roused from sleep : " II m'examinait avec beaucoup 

 d'interet, tantot en clignant les 3^eux, ce qui donnait a 

 sa physiognomic un air des plus benins, tantot en les 

 ouvrant de toute leur grandeur." 



P 4 



