THE HAND AS AN UNRULY MEMBER. 421 
better view of the “calf” of the leg; but as for admit- 
ting between the hand, — 
ee hia 
In whose comparison all white 
iiie ing mor wy bg sinters to ‘whose sof seizure 
Hard as the palm of ploughman Wey 
any equality whatever with the foot, which is so ugly that 
here, as well as at the antipodes, the bootmaker’s skill 
and our own endurance are taxed to their utmost to force 
it into proper shape; this is too much, and not to be 
allowed. 
And here it may be added that the foot presents, in 
this respect, a contrast with the hand, not only physical, 
but, as it were, metaphysical; for it is plain, honest, and 
inoffensive, and, though much abused, shows no dispo- 
sition to become an unruly member. In ancient times, 
indeed, warriors did cut off the great toes as well as the — 
thumbs of their captives, but the toes are the only part of 
the body thrown into disuse by modern civilization, while 
the fingers are cherished and exalted to the highest de- 
gree. The foot is the hand’s poor relation, and, though 
not ambitious to share its high offices which nevertheless 
it has often shown itself pabi of discharging to an as- 
tonishing degree, yet claims, and justly too, its right in 
the family name. 
But no; the haughty hand heeds not the humble foot, 
and at length, with the single warning, that, in case any 
remote cousinship is proved between them, the thumb has 
sworn to admit into his society only the great toe, which, 
like himself, has but two joints, and in the ape (Fig. 10) 
does bear him some slight resemblance, distressed hu- 
manity resigns the whole affair to the comparative anato- 
mist. And now, after a hundred years of controversy, 
