The Emperor Alexander Severus eat a hare at each of his repasts.[XIX-98] Perhaps that prince shared the opinion of the Romans, who thought that a person who fed on hare for seven consectutive days became fresher, fatter, and more beautiful. A lady, named Gellia, had a large share of that unfortunate gift of nature which we call ugliness. She resolved to make a trial of this regimen, and submitted to it with a regularity really exemplary. She showed herself at the end of the week, and we are informed that no one thought her any the prettier for it.[XIX-99] The epicures of Rome contented themselves with eating the shoulder of the hare, and left the remainder to less fastidious guests.[XIX-100] THE RABBIT. “The conies are but feeble folks, yet make they their houses in the rocks.”[XIX-101] They taught mankind, it is said, the art of fortification, mining, and covered roads.[XIX-102] These skilful engineers come originally from warm climates; from Africa, perhaps, whence they were brought to Spain. They there became so numerous, and dug so well their holes beneath the houses of Tarragona, that that city was completely overthrown, and the greater part of the inhabitants buried beneath its ruins.[XIX-103] Catullus calls Spain _Cuniculosa Celtiberia_ (Celtiberian rabbit warren); and two medals, struck in the reign of Adrian, represent that peninsula under the form of a beautiful woman, clothed in a robe and mantle, with a rabbit at her feet. This animal was called in Hebrew, _Saphan_, of which the Phœnicians have made _Spania_, and the Latins _Hispania_.[XIX-104] Strabo relates that the inhabitants of the Balearic Islands, despairing of being able to oppose the extraordinary propagation of rabbits, which nearly rendered their country uninhabitable, sent ambassadors to Rome to implore assistance against this new kind of enemy.[XIX-105] Augustus furnished them with troops, and the Roman arms were once more victorious.[XIX-106] Aristotle says nothing of the rabbit, which, probably, was then little known in Greece. It afterwards became common enough, and that of Macedonia, in particular, found favour at tables renowned for delicacies.[XIX-107] The Romans, those bold innovators in cookery, so desirous of strange and unheard of dishes, would only consent to eat rabbits on condition of their being killed before they had left off sucking, or taken alive from the slaughtered mother, to be immediately transferred to the ardent stoves of their kitchens.[XIX-108] It was certainly reserved for that people to frighten the world by all kinds of culinary anomalies. THE FOX. A young fox, fattened on grapes, and roasted on the spit, is a tidbit for a king during the autumn.[XIX-109] Such was the idea of the Roman peasants; but we must be allowed, however, to differ from their opinion. THE HEDGEHOG. The Greeks willingly eat the hedgehog[XIX-110] in a _ragoût_--a dish the Romans never envied them. THE SQUIRREL.