[157:B] A Doctor of Divinity, fearing, we may presume, that such high praise might turn a head here and there, improved the occasion for the benefit of these ladies--"I believe that the God of Nature, having given fair complection to the Women in this County, Art may spare her pains in endeavouring to better them. But let the Females of this County know that, though in the Old Testament express notice be taken of the beauty of many Women--Sarah, Rebekah, Rachael, Abigail, Thamar, Abishag, Esther--yet in the New Testament no mention is made at all of the fairness of any Woman, not because they wanted, but because Grace is chief Gospel-beauty, and this is far better than skin-deep Fairness." [158:A] A proverb of like import is this, "He talks in the bear-garden tongue." CHAPTER VI Proverbs suggested by Animals -- Animal Characteristics: Sagacity, Fidelity, Cunning, Greed, etc. -- The Horse -- The Dog -- The Cat: her Nine Lives; the Catspaw; falling on Feet; in Mittens -- The Ass -- Pearls before Swine -- A Pig in a Poke -- The Wrong Sow by the Ear -- The Sheep -- The Shorn Lamb -- The Bull -- The Goose -- The Hen -- Roasting Eggs -- The Bird and her Nest -- Birds of a Feather -- Catching with Chaff -- Roasted Larks -- The Fox -- The Wolf; in Sheep's Clothing -- The Bear -- The Mouse -- Belling the Cat -- Fish Proverbs -- The Laborious Ant -- The Worm that turns -- Similes: from the Animal Kingdom; from Household Surroundings; from various Callings; from divers Colours The animal life around him has always been an object of interest to man. Some creatures, like the horse, the dog, or the camel, he has trained to minister to his wants--for man is at his lowest level of sympathy and intelligence, the lowest type of savage, when we find him absolutely alone--while others, like the fox or the wolf, have necessarily become of concern to him in their power of molestation, disturbing his peace and thwarting his interests. In either case the very varying nature of the animals amidst which he dwelt has attracted his notice, since the fidelity of the dog, for example, the cunning of the fox, the sagacity of the elephant, could not fail to impress themselves upon his mind. Far away in the mist of a great antiquity the Old Testament has numerous allusions to the lessons that may be derived from the observation of animals, while Æsop and many other writers have made the various creatures the subject of their writings and evolved lessons for the benefit of mankind from their varying dispositions. We are, therefore, entirely prepared to find that in proverb-lore also the animal kingdom has been largely drawn upon, and we propose to give some few examples of this.