Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-05-09
EXTRAVAGANCIES IN AN
GENT TIMES.

mails are human beings IN an altered
form. In their new shape they preserve
a recollection of their former condition.
They are believed by some philosophers
to possess three souls-corresponding TO
what in recent times has been termed in
tellectual, organic, and animal life A
book was writtenshx Plutarch to prove
that animals possess reason, inasmuch as
the operations ofou boasted understand
ing are more liable to error than the
mysterious operations ofinstinct. Poets,
and even philosophers regarded them as
our earliest teachers of the useful arts
At an early period according to Pope) |
To man the voice of nature spake:
Go! from the creatures thy instruction take;
Learn from the birds what food the thickes yield;
Learn from the beasts the physic of the field;
Thy arts of building from the bee receive;
Learn of the mole to plough, the worm to weave;
Learn of the little nautilus how to sail,
Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.
Learn each small peoples genius-pOlicies-
The ants republic, and the realm of bees:
How those in common all their wealth bestow,
And anarchy, without confusion, know;
And these forever, though a monarch reign,
Their separate cells and properties maintain.
A grasshopper, instructed by the me-
lodious teachings of the nightingale, car
ried off the prize in the Pythian games.
The chargers of the Sybarites were fa-
nous for pleasing manners and accom-
plishments. They particularly surpassed
in dancing; and, on one occasion, when
the battle trumpet sounded charge and
all the Sybarite cavalry and were advanc-
ing at the signal, the Crotonian enemy
suddenly struck up reel, or jig, or
dancing tune, whereupon the Sybarite
chargers, mistaking a battle for ball, be-
gan to footit featly to the measure, and
capered and pranced so as to disorder the
ranks, and, through love of pleasure for
feited victory.
Narratives and statements snch as these
frequently occur in the writings of the
ancients, who tell them with the grave
air of satisfied and undoubting credulity.
Indeed, they saw no reason to doubt them,
when their philosophers, whose names
were symbolic of wisdom, recognized
men in brutes, in birds, and even in in
sects and when beasts are assimilated in
intellect to men we cannot be surprised
if animals employed human language
The narratives of the fabuIists are only
dramatic versions of universally accred-
tied traditions. That Esop's fox should
converse with the stork, or that a philo-
sophie discussion should beguile the lei
sure Of the town rat when visited by an
acquaintance from the country, is not to
be wondered at when history itself teens
with similar examples. On the fall of
Tarquin dog in the open streets could
not contain his political sentiments, but
gave expression to his republican opinion
by loudly vociferating his congratulations.
When Domitian was assassinated, an OBJ
servant crow, perched on the capitol, ia
vored the city with its regicidal views by
applauding the mourners. ats a good
deed" screamed the crow; ''it's right
well done" When Otho oppressed
Rome, and Vitellius threatened the walls,
the golden reins, to the terror of the
alarmed city, dropped from the hands of
the statute of Victory, and the oxen in a
low tone, were overheard exchanging
private opinions on public affairs. When
Lepidus and Catullus were consuls a cock
in the farm yard of Galerius eonversed
like a human being; and Pliny, animad-
verting on this fact,gravely remarks that
I"speaking cocks are very rare in histo-
ry."
One ofthe most extraordinary features
in this superstition is, that while beasts
: are adopts in the language Of men, it Is
only in exceedingly rare cases that men
ever attain to any knowledge of the Ian
guage of beasts. All antiquity produced
by five individuals who reached this ex-
traordinary height Of science, viz: Tir-
esias, Helenus, Cassandra, Apollonius, Of
Tyana, and Melampus. ApolIonius was
suddenly gifted with this privilege in In
dia while manducating the faculty of Me
lampus. Here is the story: The ser
wants Of Melampus found a nest Of ser
penis in hollow oak, which after kill
ing the old ones, they brought to MeIam-
pus, who ordered the young creatures to
be carefully brought up. When these
serpents reached maturity, their graft
. tude for the care bestowed on their edu-
cation caused them one day, while Me
! lampus was wrapped in profound repose,
to glide close to his ear and lick them re-
peatedly, process which improved bis
hearing TO such exquisite fneness that
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