166 C A T. 
and has been known to fp.are .the weaker animals, as 
if beneath his attention : there are many inftance$ 
of its gratitude •, relations fo flrange, that the 
reader is referred to them in the notes * to the au¬ 
thorities themfelves. Lions are capable of being 
tamOd : the monarch of Perfta , full of favage ftate, 
has, on days of audience**, two great ones chain¬ 
ed on each fide of the pafTage to the room of date, 
led there by keepers, in chains of gold* As they' 
have been fo far fubdued, why may we not credit 
the ftory of their being harnefled for the triumphal 
car of the conqueror Mawfciij f 
The lion preys on all kinds of: animals : as his 
feent is bad, his peculiar and tremendous roar ftrikes 
terror into every be.aft of the defers, and lets them 
in motion, in open view * he then feledls his objedl, 
and takes it not fo .much by purfuit, as by a vail 
bound, ftriking it with his talons, and tearing it to 
pieces : in inhabited countries he invades the folds, 
leaps over the fences with his prey ; and fuch is his 
ftrength, that he can carry oft a middling ox with 
the utmoft eafef: in many places it takes its prey 
by furprize, lurking in the thickets, and fpringing 
on it: oft-times mankind falls a vibtim to his hun¬ 
ger, but then it is rather thro 9 neceffity than choice* 
The Arabs have a notion of his fparing the tender 
fex, but Doblor Shaw, informs us J that they make 
no diftindtion in thefe days : the fame writer ac- 
* A. Gdlius. JEllan. Pliny , 
Belts travels , X. 102% 
t La Caille, 294. 
t 'travels, 244. 
quamts 
