178 PEOSE HAilEUTICS. 



styled a thoroughly ' crack' fish. It is told of one Ma- 

 rianus, a noted parasite and buffoon; at Leo the Tenth's 

 table, that he never could or would keep his hands off a 

 cooked specimen of the orata, having always ready the 

 line of a Greek glutton to justify the theft, — ■xp{ia-o<ppw 

 e'f ^E(f)e<70v Tov iriova fj,rj irapaXeiire. 



Lacepede, in his usual pleasing but perhaps hyper-eu- 

 logistic strain, speaks of the orata in these florid terms. 

 'Plusieurs poissons presentent un vetement plus ma- 

 gnifique que la dorade, aucun n'a reju de parure plus 

 elegante. EUe ne reflechit pas I'eclat eblouissant de Tor 

 et du pourpre, mais eUe briUe de la douce clarte de 1' ar- 

 gent et de I'azur. Les Grecs, qid ont admire avec com- 

 plaisance ce charmant assortiment, et qui cherchaient 

 dans la nature la regie de leur gout, le type de leurs 

 arts, et meme I'origine de leur mode, I'ont choisi sans 

 doute plus d'une fois pour le modele des nuances desti- 

 nees k parer la jeune epouse au moment ou s'allumait 

 pour elle Je flambeau de I'hymenee. lis avaient du 

 moins consacre la dorade h Venus ; elle etait le symbole 

 de cette puissance admirable et vivifiante, q\ii cree et qui 

 coordonne, qui anime et qui embellit, qui inflamme et 

 qui enchante.' After which we may quote with effect a 

 Greek Une declaratory of the same sentiments ; ypvao- 

 (ppvi o? KaXXtcTTO? ev dXKoi,<; "crTaTai I'xjdv'i. 



The ancients captured this fish in a peculiar way, 

 which, as it is not yet abandoned in some places, de- 

 serves notice. The plan had recourse to, was that of 

 planting a tamarisk hedge in the sand, at low-water 

 mark, along the shore : as the tide rose and covered 

 the hedge, the oratas, being surface-swimmers, were 

 carried over the bar; but on the turn of the tide, so 

 soon as the tops of the tamarisk were seen out of the 

 water by the fish, they would instantly subside in the 

 greatest alarm to the bottom, and there remain with 

 their noses nestling in the sand, till the water became 



