Show J 5 V r i P.- P. 4 Creatures Creature Now that the cold light of science aas tas as thrown its ray upon ripen the most remote remote re re- re- re mote ciote parts of our globe there thero is no longer room for legendary creatures creatures- save the sea serpent serpent und and we Ve are told toh that the tho mermaid is nothing more than thana a dugong a unicorn either a rhinoceros or Dr 1 a a Tibetan antelope antelop while the cockatrice cockatrice cockatrice cock cock- atrice the ph phoenix nix and the roc appear to be pure imaginations But Dut in the Elizabethan age age an an age ago when the dodo bad had but but- recently been discovered these and many mallY other othe mythical creatures were vere if not living Jiving at all events actual realities to the ordinary ordinary nary public and as such were referred to in the works of the great dramatist dramatis and other contemporary writers We meet for instance in the the Winters Winter's Tale the line Make me not sighted like liko the tho and in The Tempest Tern Tem that there pest Now I will believe are unicorns But Ba t not only was more or less of credulity given to the existence existence exist exist- ence enco of these and such like fabulous monsters but a web of mystic lore encircled encircled encircled en en- circled the most common and best bes known of beasts birds and anti fishes Who for instance is forgetful of the popular superstitions connected with the salamander salamander sala sala- mander mander the newt and the blindworm I and who fails to remember Whites White's account account ac ac- ac- ac count of the at Selborne And if such superstitions still survive among uneducated peasants of the present present pres pres- ent day wo we may be assured that two centuries ago they were vere fully believed by the higher classes Nature |