Source: openlibrary.org/works/OL3799645W/The_book_of_days
The book of days: a miscellany of popular antiquities in connection with the calendar, including anecdote, biography, & history, curiosities of literature and oddities of human life and character. 14 editions
By Robert Chambers
Page 128
See also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_trial
Illustration from Chambers Book of Days depicting a sow and her piglets being tried for the murder of a child. The trial allegedly in Levagny took place in 1457, the mother being found guilty and the piglets acquitted.
417 . . They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care;
418 . . . . They pursued it with forks and hope;
419 . . They threatened its life with a railway-share;
420 . . . . They charmed it with smiles and soap.
421 . . But the Barrister, weary of proving in vain
422 . . . . That the Beaver’s lace-making was wrong,
423 . . Fell asleep, and in dreams saw the creature quite plain
424 . . . . That his fancy had dwelt on so long.
425 . . He dreamed that he stood in a shadowy Court,
426 . . . . Where the Snark, with a glass in its eye,
427 . . Dressed in gown, bands, and wig, was defending a pig
428 . . . . On the charge of deserting its sty.
... 473 . . “Transportation for life”; was the sentence it gave,
474 . . . . “And then to be fined forty pound.”
475 . . The Jury all cheered, though the Judge said he feared
476 . . . . That the phrase was not legally sound.
477 . . But their wild exultation was suddenly checked
478 . . . . When the jailer informed them, with tears,
479 . . Such a sentence would have not the slightest effect,
480 . . . . As the pig had been dead for some years.
...
(Source: Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark, 1876)
Loading
1 comment
Götz Kluge said:
418 . . . . They pursued it with forks and hope;
419 . . They threatened its life with a railway-share;
420 . . . . They charmed it with smiles and soap.
421 . . But the Barrister, weary of proving in vain
422 . . . . That the Beaver’s lace-making was wrong,
423 . . Fell asleep, and in dreams saw the creature quite plain
424 . . . . That his fancy had dwelt on so long.
425 . . He dreamed that he stood in a shadowy Court,
426 . . . . Where the Snark, with a glass in its eye,
427 . . Dressed in gown, bands, and wig, was defending a pig
428 . . . . On the charge of deserting its sty.
...
473 . . “Transportation for life”; was the sentence it gave,
474 . . . . “And then to be fined forty pound.”
475 . . The Jury all cheered, though the Judge said he feared
476 . . . . That the phrase was not legally sound.
477 . . But their wild exultation was suddenly checked
478 . . . . When the jailer informed them, with tears,
479 . . Such a sentence would have not the slightest effect,
480 . . . . As the pig had been dead for some years.
...
(Source: Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark, 1876)
See also: www.academia.edu/10005942/The_Snark_in_your_Dreams