460 
The Animal-Lore of ShaJcspeares Time . 
Ben Jonson writes:— 
“ The shrieks of luckless owls 
We hear, and croaking night-crows in the air! 
Green bellied snakes, and fire-drakes in the sky.” 
(The Sad Shepherd , ii. 2.) 
In Henry VIII. (v. 4, 41) this name is given to a man 
with an overflorid complexion :— 
“ There is a fellow somewhat near the door, he should be a brazier 
by his face, for, o’ my conscience, twenty of the dog-days now reign 
in’s nose; all that stand about him are under the line, they need no 
other penance : That fire-drake did I hit three times on the head.” 
The Griffin, or Gryphon, was a compound animal 
G-r'ffin w h° se delineation reflects some credit on its 
inventor. It was supposed to combine the 
qualities of the king of beasts and the king of birds. Its 
head, fore legs, and wings were those of an eagle, while 
the rest of the body resembled that of a lion. It 
denoted watchfulness and courage, and was often borne as 
a charge, or more frequently as a supporter. The 
griffin’s wings, unlike those of the dragon, were plumed. 
In his prologue to Sappho and Phseon, Lyly writes: 
■“ The gryffin never spreadeth her wings in the sunne, 
wffien she hath any sicke feathers.” 
Du Bartas has transmitted some legendary lore con¬ 
cerning the griffin’s love of gold. To a list of ravenous 
birds (p. 45) he adds :— 
“ The Indian griffin with the glistring eyes, 
Beak eagle-like, back sable, sanguin brest, 
White (swan-like) wings, fierce talons alw^aies prest [ready] 
For bloody battails ; for, with these he tears 
Boars, lions, horses, tigres, bulls and bears: 
With these our grandams fruitful panch he puls, 
Whence many an ingot of pure gold he culls, 
To floor his proud nest, builded strong and steep 
On a high rock, better his thefts to keep : 
