80
Hyiory of Caricature and Gr0tq[Que
is taken from a {tall in the church of Bolton, in Lincolnfhire. A prelate,
equally falfe, is his chair, with a mitre on his head, and the
paftoral Raff in his hand. His flock are reprefented by a cock and
hens, the former of which he holds fecurely with his right hand, while
he appears to be preaching to them.
Another mediaeval fculpture has furniihed events for a rather curious
hifiory, at the fame time that it is a good illnftration of our fubject.
Odo de Cirington, the fabulift, tells us how, one day, the wolf died, and
the lion called the animals together to celebrate his exequies. The hare
carried the holy water, hedgehogs bore the candles, the goats rang the
bells, the moles dug the grave, the foxes carried the corpfe on the bier.
Berengarius, the bear, celebrated mats, the ox read the gofpel, and the
afs the epillle. When the mafs was concluded, and Ifengrin buried, the
animals made a fplendid feaft out of his goods, and wilhed for fuch
another funeral. Our fatirical ecclefiaitic makes an application of this
Rory which tells little to the credit of the monks of his time. " So it
frequently happens," he fays, "that when fome rich man, an extortionift
or a ufurer, dies, the abbot or prior of a convent of bealls, i.e. of men
living like beafts, caufes them to aifemble. For it commonly happens
that in a great convent of black or white monks (Benedictines or
Augultinians)