242 ON THE FOSSIL BOXES OF PACHYDERM ATOUS QUADRUPEDS. 



It was also near the Rhone, hut farther on in Dauphine, that during 

 the reign of Louis XIII. the far-famed Teutobochus was discovered. 

 This skeleton has given rise to more disputes than any other of the 

 fossil remains, and formed the subject of a long contest between Ha-" 

 bicot and Riolan. The numberless pamphlets which it called forth 

 are filled with acrimonious invective, but contain little that may serve 

 to throw a light on the subject. The rivalship existing between the 

 physicians and surgeons stimulated the combatants much more than 

 the interests of science or the love of truth. And yet Riolan has de- 

 monstrated with considerable ability, considering that he had never 

 seen the skeleton of an elephant, that those bones must have belonged 

 to that animal*. 



As far as we can judge at the present day, the following is the real 

 state of the case. 



It appears that on the 11th of January, 1613, some bones were 

 found near the castle of Chaumont, or of Langon, between the towns 

 of Montricant and Saint Antoine, a part of which were broken by the 

 workmen. A surgeon of Beaurepaire, named Mazurier, exhibited for 

 money such as remained entire, at Paris and other places ; and in 

 order the more effectually to stimulate the curiosity of the public, he 

 distributed a little brochure, in which he asserted that they had been 

 found in a sepulchre thirty feet long, on the slab of which was written, 

 " Teutobochus Rex." This was knovvu to be the name of the king of 

 the Cimbri, who contended with Marius, and hence lie took the hint to 

 add, that some fifty medals, bearing the image of that consul, with the 

 initials of his name, had been found in the same placef. But our sur- 

 geon was charged with having procured a Jesuit of Tournon to draw 

 up this document, who had forged the story of the sepulchre and the 

 inscription : his pretended medals were inscribed with Gothic letters, 

 and had nothing Roman about them. It does not appear that he ever 

 offered anything in justification of this imposture. 



With regard to the bones he exhibited, they consisted of the follow- 

 ing pieces : — 



1st. Two portions of the lower jaw ; one of which weighed six 

 pounds, and the other, which was larger, twelve pounds, with one tooth 

 entire and three broken. Each tooth had four roots, and was as large 

 as the foot of a young hull, seemingly petrified, and in colour resembled 

 gunpowder. 



* See the following pamphlets, which I quote in the order they were published. — 

 A True History of the Giant Teutobochus, &c., 15 pages, by Mazurier. Gigan- 

 tosteology, by N. Habicot, 1613. Discovery of the Imposture of the Human Bones, 

 supposed to be those of a Giant, 1614, (by the same). Monomachia, or Reply of a 

 Surgeon to the calumnious Inventions of the Gigantomachia of Riolan, 1614 ; (author 

 unknown). A Discourse on the Size of the Giants, by Guillemeau, 1615. Reply 

 to the Apologetic Discourse touching the truth of the existence of Giants, by 

 N; Habicot. Judgment of the Shades of Heraclitus and Democritus, on the Reply of 

 Habicot to the Discourse attributed to Guillemeau. Gigautology, or a History of the 

 greatness of the Giants, by Riolan, 1618 ; (he herewith reprints his Gigantomachia, 

 and his Imposture Discovered). Antigigantology, or a Counter-discourse on the great- 

 ness of the Giants ; by Habicot, 1618. Fraternal Correction of the Life of Habicot, 

 by Riolan, 1618. 

 r f Gassendi — Lift of Ptircsc, book iii., and in his Works, vol. v. page 2S0. 



