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176 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
compulsion to make them draw one more, which taske
ended they would suddenly stop. We are growne
striplings before we can tell a hundred; and many
nations have lately beene discovered that never knew
what numbers meant. More discourse is required to
teach others than to be taught. And omitting what
Democntus judged and proved, which is, that beasts
have instructed us in most of our Arts : As the Spider
to weave and sew, the Swallow to build, the Swan and
the Nightingale musicke, and divers beasts, by imitating
them, the Art of Physicke: Aristotle is of opinion
that Nightingales teach their young ones to sing,
wherein they employ both long time and much care:
whence it followeth that those which we keepe tame
in cages and have not had leasure to go to their parents
schoole, lose much grace in their singing. Whereby
we may conclude they are much amended by discipline
and study. And amongst those that run wilde,
their song is not all one nor alike. Each one hath
learnt either better or worse, according to his capacity.
And so jealous are they in their prentiseship, that to
excell one another they will so stoutly contend for the
mastery that many times such as are vanquished die;
their winde and strength sooner failing than their
voice. The young-ones wil very sadly sit recording
their lesson, and are often secne labouring how to
imitate certaine song-notes: The Scholler listeneth
attentively to his Masters lesson, and carefully yeeldeth
account of it; now one and then another shall hold
his peace: Marke but how they endevour to amend
their faults, and how the elder striveth to reprove the
youngest. Arrius protesteth to have seene an Elephant
who on every thigh had a cimball hanging and one
fastned to his truncke, at the sound of which all other
Elephants danced in a round, now rising aloft, then
lowting full low at certaine cadences, even as the
instrument directed them, and was much delighted
with the harmony. In the great shewes of Rome
Elephants were ordinarily seene, taught to move and
dance at the sound of a voice, certaine dances., wherein