be a progression or advancement made in motion, without inflexion of parts. Now all progression or animal locomotion being (as Aristotle teaches) performed tractu et pulsu, that is by drawing on or impelling forward some part which was before in station, or at quiet, where there are no joint or flexures, neither can there be the actions. And this is true, not only in quadrupeds, volatiles, and fishes, which have distinct and prominent organs of motion,-legs, wings, and fins, but in such also as perform their progression by the trunk,as serpents, worms and leeches; whereof, though some want bones, and all, extended articulations, yet have they arthritical analogies, and, by the motion of fibrous and musculous parts, are able to make progression. Which to conceive in bodies flexible, and without all protrusion of parts, were to expect a race from Hercules' pillars or hope to behold the effects of Orpheus' harp, when trees found joints, and danced after his music.

*

8

Again, while men conceive they never lie down, and enjoy not the position of rest ordained unto all pedestrious animals,

joynts, though by some it be delivered in generall termes; yet was not their Minerva so dull, to except all; but did intend the suffragineous or knee joynts onely: without which there may be a progression in man; as upon stilts; by the sole motion of the hippe in quadrupedes, as in full gallop." But though he proceeds to quote Cæsar as affirming such to be the case with the elk (alces), he adduces no facts whatever in contravention of Browne's representations and arguments; although, on the other hand, he has some good instances of animals to which station is rest, as many birds, and ordinarily horses also. Thus this commentator, in his defence of the ancients against our author, actually admits that they made the very statement which we have just seen to be that of Ctesias, the original promulgator of the story.—Br.

४

Again, while men conceive they never lie down.] The argument contained in this and the following paragraph, is deserving of the same praise as has been awarded to the preceding direct argument on the necessity of the elephant having joints; that necessity being now shown, in an indirect manner, from the general necessity of change and alternation of posture in animals. But our author, from the deficiency of his knowledge both of the natural history and the anatomy of the elephant, happens not to have been aware that station, to it, is rest (except when greatly fatigued, or in great weakness from disease), as we have seen, when citing Robinson's animadversions, to be the case also with some other animals. From the construction of all the joints in the legs of this animal, and especially from that of the knee-joint,

hereby they imagine (what reason cannot conceive), that an animal of the vastest dimension and longest duration, should live in a continual motion, without that alternity and vicissitude of rest whereby all others continue; and yet must thus much come to pass, if we opinion they lie not down and enjoy no decumbence at all. For station is properly no rest, but one kind of motion, relating unto that which physicians (from Galen) do name extensive or tonical; that is, an extension of the muscles and organs of motion, maintaining the body at length, or in its proper figure.

Wherein although it seem to be unmoved, it is not without all motion; for in this position the muscles are sensibly extended, and labour to support the body; which, permitted unto its proper gravity, would suddenly subside and fall unto the earth; as it happeneth in sleep, diseases, and death. From which occult action and invisible motion of the muscles, in station (as Galen declareth), proceed more offensive lassi

the elephant, when standing still, rests, as it were, upon four pillars, with scarcely any need of muscular exertion, and of none but what slight mental excitement can supply. Thus the elephant, which died some years since in the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, at Paris, was observed never to lie down, even in his last illness, until immediately before his death; and that which was so long exhibited at Exeter 'Change, London, and killed there in 1826, received 152 balls in almost every anterior part of his body, before he fell.

The following relation, however, is still more illustrative of the fact, that the elephant rests while standing; expecially when under any excitement. Mr. Corse (now Mr. Corse Scott), under whose direction the elephant hunters of Tiperah, in Bengal, where placed for several years, states, that it is always a good sign when an elephant lies down to sleep within a few months after he is taken; as it shows him to be of a good temper, not suspicious, but reconciled to his fate. "Elephants," he observes, "particularly goondahs (which are large male animals that have strayed from the woods and from the herds), have been known to stand twelve months at their pickets without lying down to sleep; though they sometimes take a short nap standing." Obs. on the Manners, Habits, and Nat. Hist. of the Elephant-Phil. Trans. 1799,

P. 44.

From the observation of some remarkable case of this description, in a country where the rarity of the animal precluded the correction of the inference deduced from it, in addition perhaps to the "cylindrical composure of the legs," to which it is attributed by our author, the story of the want of knee-joints in the elephant, in all probability, must have originated.-Br.

tudes than from ambulation. And therefore the tyranny of some have tormented men with long and enforced station; and though Ixion and Sisyphus, which always moved, do seem to have the hardest measure, yet was, not Tityus favoured, that lay extended upon Caucasus, and Tantalus suffered somewhat more than thirst, that stood perpetually in hell. Thus Mercurialis, in his Gymnastics, justly makes standing one kind of exercise: and Galen, when we lie down, commends unto us middle figures, that is, not to lie directly, or at length, but somewhat inflected, that the muscles may be at rest; for such as he termeth hypobolemaioi, or figures of excess, either shrinking up or stretching , are wearisome positions, and such as perturb the quiet of those parts. Now various parts do variously discover these indolent and quiet positions, some in right lines, as the wrists; some at right angles, as the cubit; others at oblique angles, as the fingers and knees: all resting satisfied in postures of moderation, and none enduring the extremity of flexure or extension.2

Moreover, men herein do strangely forget the obvious relations of history, affirming they have no joints, whereas they daily read of several actions which are not performable without them. They forget what is delivered by Xiphilinus, and also by Suetonius, in the lives of Nero and Galba, that elephants have been instructed to walk on ropes, in public shows, before the people: which is not 'easily performed by man, and requireth not only a broad foot, but a pliable flexure of joints, and commandable disposure of all parts of progression. They pass by that memorable place in Curtius, concerning the elephant of King Porus; Indus qui elephantem regebat, descendere eum ratus, more solito procumbere jussit

9 From which, &c.] N.B. et cave! The mischeef which ometh by standing long (as at studyes) appears in old age, by the sw、g of the legs, and (ofttimes) the gout.-Wr.

Would not Darwin have said that this swelling was no other than the appetency of the leg towards an attainment of the columnar formation of the elephantine leg-an appetency excited by the stat cipline of its studious owner, the dean?

cubit.] The fore-arm.

"V dis

2 Now various parts, &c.] This sentence was first added in the 2nd

edit.

L

in genua, cæteri quoque (ita enim instituti erant) demisere corpora in terram. They remember not the expression of Osorius,* when he speaks of the elephant presented to Leo X.; Pontificem ter genibus flexis, et demisso corporis habitu venerabundus salutavit. But above all, they call not to mind that memorable show of Germanicus, wherein twelve elephants danced unto the sound of music, and after laid them down in "the tricliniums, or places of festival recumbency.

They forget the etymology of the knee, approved by some grammarians. They disturb the position of the young ones in the womb; which upon extension of legs is not easily conceivable, and contrary unto the general contrivance of nature. NU do they consider the impossible exclusion thereof, upon extension and rigour of the legs.3

4

Lastly, they forget or consult not experience, whereof not + Γόνυ from γωνία.

* De rebus gestis Emanuelis.

a 3 They forget, &c.] This paragraph was first added in the 2nd edit. 4 they forget or consult not experience, &c.] This will be the proper place to make a remark or two on the modern history and prevalence of this tale, that the legs of the elephant are devoid of joints. In the volume on the elephant, published in the Menageries of the Library of Entertaining Knowledge, are some quotations on the subject from early English works, for which the compiler of that volume is indebted to Steevens's notes on Shakspeare, though he does not acknowledge it. In a curious specimen of our early natural history, The Dialogues of Creatures Moralyzed, is mention, Steevens informs us, of "the olefawnte that bowyth not the kneys." In the play of All Fools, 1605, occurs this pas sage: "I hope you are no elephant-you have joints." Shakspeare, in his Troilus and Cresside, 1609, makes Ulysses say (act ii. sc. 3), "The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy: his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure." In All's Lost by Lust, 1633, a woman is said to be "stubborn as an elephant's leg-no bending in her." It will not follow from these expressions, that the authors of all the works in which they appear were actually believers in this story; nor could it be proved from them that it was generally believed at the times when they wrote; for, with respect to the three plays, the allusion may be regarded as founded o1 on the known prevalence, at some period, of the belief in question. Still, even these evince, at least, the former existence of the notion, as well as its extensive prevalence and popular currency. But the mention of it in The Dialogues of Creatures Moralyzed, shows it to have been a generally received opinion in this country at the date of their ication, early in the sixteenth century. Browne mentions it as al opinion (the first edition of the Vulgar Errors being published 646, and the last in 1686), though he states it to be "at present well suppressed" in England by an elephant shown, "not many

VOL. I.

Y

many years past we have had the advantage in England, by an elephant shown in many parts thereof, not only in the posture of standing, but kneeling and lying down. Whereby, although the opinion at present be well suppressed, yet, from some strings of tradition, and fruitful recurrence of error, it is not improbable it may revive in the next generation again; this being not the first that hath been seen in England: for, besides some others, as Polydore Virgil relateth, Lewis the French king sent one to Henry III., and Emanuel of Portugal another to Leo X. into Italy, where, notwithstanding, the error is still alive and epidemical, as with us.

The hint and ground of this opinion might be, the gross and somewhat cylindrical composure of the legs, the equality and less perceptible disposure of the joints; especially in the former legs of this animal; they appearing, when he standeth, like pillars of flesh, without any evidence of articulation. The different flexure and order of the joints might also countenance the same, being not disposed in the elephant as they

years past, "........" in many parts thereof, not only in the posture of standing, but kneeling and lying down." He expresses an apprehension, however, that it will revive again, citing the case of Italy, where, notwithstanding the opportunity of witnessing the habits of the animal, afforded by the elephant sent to Leo X., by Emanuel, King of Portugal, "the error," he observes, "is still alive and epidemical, as with us. And it remains, even to the present day, a vulgar error" among the uneducated classes. It has long been the custom for the exhibitors of itinerant collections of wild animals, when showing the elephant, to mention the story of its having no joints, and its consequent inability to kneel; and they never fail to think it necessary to demonstrate its untruth by causing the animal to bend one of its fore-legs and to kneel also; but I never saw this done (and I have been present many times on such occasions), without observing that it was witnessed with astonishment and almost with incredulity, by several persons present, whether the exhibition has been in London or in a provincial town. We have thus an instance of an error of the grossest and most palpable description, and one which has often from time to time been refuted, respecting an animal which is not found in the countries in which that error has been entertained, prevailing for a period of at least 2,200 years, though for the last two centuries, to a greatly diminished extent. This is a fact which it will be well to bear in mind, in any enquiries respecting the probable truth of certain relations in natural history, which have at various periods, and among various nations, been generally received, but respecting the truth or falsity of which, we may not be in possession of decisive evidence.-Br.

5 former legs.] Fore-legs used in this case by Spenser.