The Colloquies of Erasmus Part 43

_Ti._ Pictures themselves grow old.

_Eu._ They do so; but yet they out-live us; and besides, whereas we are the worse for Age, they are the better for it.

_Ti._ That's too true, if it could be otherwise.

_Eu._ In this Walk that looks toward the West, I take the Benefit of the Morning Sun; in that which looks toward the East, I take the Cool of the Evening; in that which looks toward the South, but lies open to the North, I take Sanctuary against the Heats of the Meridian Sun; but we'll walk 'em over, if you please, and take a nearer View of them: See how green 'tis under Foot, and you have the Beauty of painted Flowers in the very Chequers of the Pavement. This Wood, that you see painted upon this Wall, affords me a great Variety of Prospect: For in the first Place, as many Trees as you see, so many Sorts of Trees you see; and all express'd to the Life. As many Birds as you see, so many Kinds you see; especially if there be any scarce Ones, and remarkable upon any Account. For as for Geese, Hens, and Ducks, it is not worth While to draw them. Underneath are four-footed Creatures, or such Birds as live upon the Ground, after the Manner of Quadrupedes.

_Ti._ The Variety indeed is wonderful, and every Thing is in Action, either doing or saying something. There's an Owl sits peeping through the Leaves, what says she?

_Eu._ She speaks _Greek_; she says, [Greek: Sophronei, ou pasin hiptemi], she commands us to act advisedly; _I do not fly to all_; because an inconsiderate Rashness does not fall out happily to all Persons. There is an Eagle quarrying upon a Hare, and a Beetle interceding to no Purpose; there is a Wren stands by the Beetle, and she is a mortal Enemy to the Eagle.

_Ti._ What has this Swallow got in her Mouth?

_Eu._ The Herb Celandine; don't you know the Plant? with it, she restores Sight to her blind young Ones.

_Ti._ What odd Sort of Lizard is this?

_Eu._ It is not a Lizard, but a Chamaeleon.

_Ti._ Is this the Chamaeleon, there is so much Talk of? I thought it had been a Beast twice as big as a Lion, and the Name is twice as long too.

_En._ This Chamaeleon is always gaping, and always hungry. This is a wild Fig-Tree, and that is his Aversion. He is otherwise harmless; and yet the little gaping Creature has Poison in him too, that you mayn't contemn him.

_Ti._ But I don't see him change his Colour.

_Eu._ True; because he does not change his Place; when he changes his Place, you will see him change his Colour too.

_Ti._ What's the Meaning of that Piper?

_Eu._ Don't you see a Camel there dancing hard by?

_Ti._ I see a very pleasant Fancy; the Ape pipes, and the Camel dances.

_Eu._ But it would require at least three Days to run through the Particulars one by one; it will be enough at present to take a cursory View of them. You have in the first Spot, all Sorts of famous Plants painted to the Life: And to increase the Wonder, here are the strongest Poisons in the World, which you may not only look upon, but handle too without Danger.

_Ti._ Look ye, here is a Scorpion, an Animal very seldom seen in this Country; but very frequent in _Italy_, and very mischievous too: But the Colour in the Picture seems not to be natural.

_Eu._ Why so?

_Ti._ It seems too pale methinks; for those in _Italy_ are blacker.

_Eu._ Don't you know the Herb it has fallen upon?

_Ti._ Not very well.

_Eu._ That's no Wonder, for it does not grow in these Parts: It is Wolf's-bane, so deadly a Poison, that upon the very touch of it, a Scorpion is stupified, grows pale, and yields himself overcome; but when he is hurt with one Poison, he seeks his Remedy with another. Do you see the two Sorts of h.e.l.lebore hard by; if the Scorpion can but get himself clear of the Wolf's-bane, and get to the white h.e.l.lebore, he recovers his former Vigour, by the very Touch of a different Poison.

_Ti._ Then the Scorpion is undone, for he is never like to get off from the Wolfs'-bane. But do Scorpions speak here?

_Eu._ Yes, they do, and speak _Greek_ too.

_Ti._ What does he say?

_Eu._ [Greek: Eure theos ton alitron], _G.o.d hath found out the Guilty._ Here besides the Gra.s.s, you see all Sorts of Serpents. Here is the Basilisk, that is not only formidable for his Poison; but the very Flash of his Eyes is also mortal.

_Ti._ And he says something too.

_Eu._ Yes, he says, _Oderint, dum metuant; Let them hate me, so they fear me._

_Ti._ Spoken like a King entirely.

_Eu._ Like a Tyrant rather, not at all like a King. Here a Lizard fights with a Viper, and here lies the _Dipsas_ Serpent upon the Catch, hid under the Sh.e.l.l of an _Estridge_ Egg. Here you see the whole Policy of the Ant, which we are call'd upon to imitate by _Solomon_ and _Horace_.

Here are _Indian_ Ants that carry Gold, and h.o.a.rd it up.

_Ti._ O good G.o.d! how is it possible for a Man to be weary of this Entertainment.

_Eu._ And yet at some other Time you shall see I'll give you your Belly full of it. Now look before you at a Distance, there is a third Wall, where you have Lakes, Rivers, and Seas, and all Sorts of rare Fishes.

This is the River _Nile_, in which you see the _Dolphin_, that natural Friend to Mankind, fighting with a _Crocodile_, Man's deadly Enemy. Upon the Banks and Sh.o.r.es you see several amphibious Creatures, as Crabs, Seals, Beavers. Here is a Polypus, a Catcher catch'd by an Oyster.

_Ti._ What does he say? [Greek: airon airoumai]; _The Taker taken._ The Painter has made the Water wonderfully transparent.

_Eu._ If he had not done so, we should have wanted other Eyes. Just by there's another Polypus playing upon the Face of the Sea like a little c.o.c.k-Boat; and there you see a Torpedo lying along upon the Sands, both of a Colour, you may touch them here with your Hand without any Danger.

But we must go to something else, for these Things feed the Eye, but not the Belly.

_Ti._ Have you any more to be seen then?

_Eu._ You shall see what the Back-side affords us by and by. Here's an indifferent large Garden parted: The one a Kitchen Garden, that is my Wife's and the Family's; the other is a Physick Garden, containing the choicest physical Herbs. At the left Hand there is an open Meadow, that is only a green Plot enclos'd with a quick-set Hedge. There sometimes I take the Air, and divert myself with good Company. Upon the right Hand there's an Orchard, where, when you have Leisure, you shall see a great Variety of foreign Trees, that I have brought by Degrees to endure this Climate.

_Ti._ O wonderful! the King himself has not such a Seat.

_Eu._ At the End of the upper Walk there's an Aviary, which I'll shew you after Dinner, and there you'll see various Forms, and hear various Tongues, and their Humours are as various. Among some of them there is an Agreeableness and mutual Love, and among others an irreconcilable Aversion: And then they are so tame and familiar, that when I'm at Supper, they'll come flying in at the Window to me, even to the Table, and take the Meat out of my Hands. If at any Time I am upon the Draw-Bridge you see there, talking, perhaps with a Friend, they'll some of them sit hearkening, others of them will perch upon my Shoulders or Arms, without any Sort of Fear, for they find that no Body hurts them.

At the further End of the Orchard I have my Bees, which is a Sight worth seeing. But I must not show you any more now, that I may have something to entertain you with by and by. I'll shew you the rest after Dinner.

_Boy._ Sir, my Mistress and Maid say that the Dinner will be spoil'd.

_Eu._ Bid her have a little Patience, and we'll come presently. My friends, let us wash, that we may come to the Table with clean Hands as well as Hearts. The very _Pagans_ us'd a Kind of Reverence in this Case; how much more then should _Christians_ do it; if it were but in Imitation of that sacred Solemnity of our Saviour with his Disciples at his last Supper: And thence comes the Custom of was.h.i.+ng of Hands, that if any Thing of Hatred, Ill-Will, or any Pollution should remain in the Mind of any one, he might purge it out, before he sits down at the Table. For it is my Opinion, that the Food is the wholesomer for the Body, if taken with a purified Mind.

_Ti._ We believe that it is a certain Truth.

_Eu. Christ_ himself gave us this Example, that we should sit down to the Table with a Hymn; and I take it from this, that we frequently read in the Evangelists, that he bless'd or gave Thanks to his Father before he broke Bread, and that he concluded with giving of Thanks: And if you please, I'll say you a Grace that St. _Chrysostom_ commends to the Skies in one of his Homilies, which he himself interpreted.

_Ti._ We desire you would.

_Eu._ Blessed be thou, O G.o.d, who has fed me from my Youth up, and providest Food for all Flesh: Fill thou our Hearts with Joy and Gladness, that partaking plentifully of thy Bounty, we may abound to every good Work, through _Christ Jesus_ our Lord, with whom, to thee and the Holy Ghost, be Glory, Honour, and Power, World without End. _Amen._

_Eu._ Now sit down, and let every Man take his Friend next him: The first Place is yours, _Timothy_, in Right of your Grey Hairs.

_Ti._ The only Thing in the World that gives a t.i.tle to it.