THE RHINOCEROS. 331 



was dogged, to find out wliere lie and tis brother housed in the 

 city, or flying fame carried an account of the voyage to Court, I 

 know not ; but it is certain that, the very next morning, a bruit 

 went from thence all over the town, and (as factious reports used 

 to run) in a very short time, viz. that his lordship rode upon the 

 rhinoceros ; than which a more infantine exploit could not have 

 been fastened upon him. And most people were struck with 

 amazement at it; and divers ran here and there to find out 

 whether it was true or no. And soon after dinner some lords and 

 others came to his lordship to know the truth from himself; for 

 the setters of the lie affirmed it positively, as of their own know- 

 ledge. That did not give his lordship much disturbance, for he 

 expected no better from his adversaries. But that his friends, in- 

 telligent persons, who must know him to be far from guilty of any 

 childish levity, should believe it, was what roiled him extremely ; 

 and much more, when they had the face to come to him to know if 

 it were true. I never saw him in such a rage, and to lay about 

 him with affronts (which he keenly bestowed upon the minor 

 courtiers that came on that errand) as then ; for he sent them 

 away with fleas in their ear. And he was angry with his own 

 brother. Sir Dudley North, because he did not contradict the lie 

 in sudden and direct terms, but laughed, as taking the question 

 put to him for a banter, till, by iterations, he was brought to it. 

 For some lords came, and because they seemed to attribute some- 

 what to the avowed positiveness of the reporters, he rather chose 

 to send for his brother to attest, than to impose his bare denial. 

 And so it passed ; and the noble earl, with Jeffries, and others of 

 that crew, made merry, and never blushed at the lie of their own 

 making ; but valued themselves upon it, as a very good jest." 



The rhinoceros has been used for riding purposes, however, for 

 Bishop Heber, in his "Indian Journal," describing the sights of 

 Lucknow, writes : " There is a menagerie, with a great number 

 of scarce and curious animals, but in far worse order than that at 

 Barrackpoor ; and on the other side of the river Goomty, in a well- 

 wooded park, is a large collection of different varieties of cows, 

 camels, and deer, and five or six very large rhinoceroses, the first 

 animals of the kind I ever saw, and of which I found prints and 



