620 Fabulous Animals. 
tail are anomalies. This animal holds a high rank in 
heraldry, and is one of the supporters of the royal arms 
of England. 
The Unicorn is often mentioned in the Scriptures, and 
by many commentators is supposed to he the rhinoceros. 
From the book of Job we learn that it was not only an 
animal of considerable strength, but also of a very fierce 
and intractable disposition — " Will the Unicorn be will- 
ing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind 
the Unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he har- 
row the valleys for thee? Wilt thou trust him, because 
his strength is great ? or wilt thou leave thy labour to 
him ? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home 
thy seed, and gather it into thy barn ? " Ch. xxxix. ver. 
9 — 11. In the book of Psalms, xcii. ver. 10. " My horn 
shalt thou exalt like the horn of a Unicorn." 
THE PEGASUS. 
Another liberty has been taken with the horse. My- 
thology has added wings to its elegant figure, and called 
it Pegasus. This animal, it is said, sprang from the blood 
of Medusa, when Perseus had cut off her head ; and im- 
mediately afterwards flew upwards towards heaven, but 
stopped short, and alighted on Mount Helicon, where he 
struck the ground with his foot, and instantly the fountain 
Hippocrene burst from the ground. During his residence 
on Mount Helicon, Pegasus became a great favourite with 
the Muses, who resided occasionally on that lofty moun- 
tain; and still, when any one attempts extravagant flights 
of poetry, he is said to have mounted on his Pegasus, as 
it was difficult to approach the Muses when raised so 
high. On the contrary, the Castalian fountain on Mount 
Parnassus was more accessible, and inspired poetry of 
a gentler nature. But to return to Pegasus ; he was 
at length tamed by Neptune, or Minerva, and lent by 
the latter to Bellerophon, to enable him to conquer the 
horrid monster called the Chimera, which was always 
shifting its place, and vomiting forth flames and smoke. 
After the victory was achieved, Bellerophon attempted 
