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196 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
mast nor rodder. This Plutarke witnesseth to have
seen in the Hand of Anticyra. There is such a like
societie hetweene the little bird called a Wren and the
Crocodill; for the Wren serveth as a sentinell to so
great a monster: And if the Ichneumon, which is his
mortall enemie, approach to fight with him, the little
birdlet, lest he might surprise him whilst he sleepeth,
with his singing, and pecking him with his bill, awakens
him, and gives him warning of the danger he is in.
The bird liveth by the scraps, and feedeth upon the
leavings of that monitor, who gently receiveth him
into his mouth, and suffers him to pecke his jawes and
teeth for such mamokes of flesh as sticke betweene
them: and if he purpose to close his mouth, he doth
first warne him to be gone, faire and easio closing it
by little and little, without any whit crushing or hurting
him. The shell-fish called a nacre liveth even so
with the piunotere, which is a little creature like unto
a crabfish, and as his porter or usher waits upon him,
attending the opening of the nacre, which he continually
keepes gaping until he see some little fish
enter in, fit for their turne, then he creepes into the
nacre, and leaves not pinching his quicke flesh untill he
makes him close his shell, and so they both together,
fast in their hold, devour their prey. In the manner
of the tunnies life may be discovered a singular knowledge
of the three parts of the mathematikes. First
for astrologie, it may well be said that man doth learne
it of them : for wheresoever the winter Solstitium doth
take them, there do they stay themselves, and never
stir till the next AEquinoctium, and that is the reason
why Aristotle doth so willingly ascribe that art unto
them : then for geometric and arithmetike, they alwaies
frame their shole of a cubike figure, every way square:
and 80 forme a solide close and well-ranged battalion,
encompassed round about of six equall sides. Thus
orderly marshaled, they take their course and swim
whither their journey tends, as broad and wide behind
as before: so that he that seeth and telleth but one
ranke, may easily number all the troope, forsomuch as