THE fox: shopkeeper and attorney. 
285 
sanias has cited a fact in support of this accusation, the history of 
the Messenian Aristomenes who escaped from the dungeon where 
he had been cast by the Lacedemonians, by means of a subterra- 
nean passage which the foxes had dug in order to devour the 
corpses of persons left to die. 
Hunger is a bad counselor, but I know of no authentic modern 
fact which justifies this imputation. As to the jackal, it is quite 
another thing. In Algiers, the jackal has disinterred more bodies 
than the hyena. 
The dog, returned to savage life, equally addicts himself to this 
unhandsome behavior. The dog, w^e must not forget, is the very 
near relation of the jackal. The jackal does not dissemble his 
amorous preference for the dog, and breeds with him as well as 
the she wolf ; yet there is an invincible and mortal antipathy 
between the fox and the dog ; never have devotion and the gro- 
cery clasped hands. 
The love of humanity has lodged under my cranium two fixed 
ideas, whose application I intend to pursue till the extermination of 
the fox and that of the shopkeeper. 
The fabulists have abused the analogy of the fox, dressing up 
with his skin the flatterer, the parasite, the gourmand, the vender 
of charms, the cheat, the pleader, the political orator. 
They have worn out the costume by their frequent loans of it to 
the attorneys or counselors at law. You know the sublime answer 
of one of these sworn interpreters of the code, retired from chican- 
ery, where he had left an illustrious name, with an honorable for- 
tune acquired by ten years of practice. As he was one day con- 
gratulated on his rare talent in embroiling causes, and in eternising 
lawsuits, Would to God,’’ replied he, ‘‘ that I had my career to 
recommence, how differently I would act!” 
And how so ?” exclaimed the interlocutor, astonished and anx- 
ious to be instructed. 
Why zounds, then 1 by becoming an honest man : there are so 
few competitors.” 
I need not say that this answer remounts to past times. 
And now that you know the reason of my hatred and my con- 
tempt for the favorite beast of the English hunters, listen to 
