330 WILD ANIMALS. 



copied generally in works on natural history of subsequent date, 

 notwitlistanding the absurd way it was represented — among other 

 monstrosities it was depicted as having a small horn projecting 

 from the top of the shoulders, and appears to be absolutely clad 

 in a loose kind of apparently forged mail armour. 



In 1684 one of these beasts was brought to England, and was 

 advertised in the London Gazette of October 12th in that year as 

 the first rhinoceros that had ever been brought to Great Britain. 

 Evelyn says in his diary, under date the 22nd of October : " I went 

 with Sir William Godolphin to see the rhinoceros, or unicorn, 

 being the first that I suppose was ever brought into England. 

 He belonged to some East India merchants, and was sold (as 

 I remember) for above 2000L" 



Roger North ^ relates an anecdote about this animal and the 

 Lord Keeper, Guilford, which is given in the racy language 

 peculiar to this author : — 



" To show that his lordship's (the Lord Keeper Guilford's) 

 Court enemies, the Earl of Sunderland in particular, were hard put 

 to it to find, or invent, something to report tending to the diminu- 

 tion of his character, I shall give an account of the most impudent 

 buffoon lie raised upon him, and with brazen afl&rmations of truth 

 to it, dispersed from the Court one morning, that ever came into 

 fools' heads ; and Satan himself would not have^ owned it for his 

 legitimate issue. It fell out thus : a merchant of Sir Dudley 

 North's acquaintance had brought over an enormous rhinoceros, 

 to be sold to showmen for profit. It is a noble beast, wonderfully 

 armed by nature for offence ; but more for defence, being covered 

 with impenetrable shields, which no weapon would make any im- 

 pression upon; and a rarity so great, that few men, in our 

 country, have in their whole lives opportunity to see so singular 

 an animal. This merchant told Sir Dudley North that if he, 

 with a friend or two, had a mind to see it, they might take the 

 opportunity at his house, before it was sold. Hereupon Sir 

 Dudley North proposed to his brother, the Lord Keeper, to go with 

 him upon this expedition ; which he did, and came away exceed- 

 ingly satisfied with the curiosity he had seen. But whether he 



« North's " Lives," 1744. 



