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[n” SLM m D Nn M) H IN Ἱ ᾧ δι ΤΠ 4 “M ME M) M TN Mong ar “TOLL PALNLA RI M ” no A ud fi Uh n 3 Η SU Muss IN TALI ΓΟ ΠΗ ΠΝ pov UM ut Aes TRE hy]
Fable of the a Commentary on the Present of Affairs, by Huldreich Zwingli of the Toggenburg, in Crude Centimetre Form (Autumn 1510)
[[The first publication of Zwingli was a poem. It is in two forms, of which]
[the Latin is the original. Zwingli wrote them both, but has made the German]
[form different in various particulars from the Latin, as well as longer. The]
[Latin form has been translated by Mr. Henry Preble, the German by Walter]
[Lichtenstein, Ph.D., librarian of Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.]
[The Latin form has the caption: Huldrici Zwinglii Toggenburgii ineduca-]
[tum bovis fabulosum centimetrum currentium rerum commenticium.]
[(“The fable of the Ox, a commentary on the present course of affairs by]
[Huldreich Zwingli of the Toggenburg in crude centimetre form.”’)]
[In Schuler and Schulthess ed.,iv., 145-7. In Egliand Finsler ed.,i., 10, 12,]
[14 (being put opposite to the German form).]
[The German form has the caption: Ulrichen Zwingli, priesters, fabelisch]
[gedicht von eim ochsen und etlichen tieren ietz louffender dinge begriffenlich]
[(“The fabulous poem of the priest Zwingli concerning an ox and many other]
[animals, referring to current events”). In Schuler and Schulthess ed., ii., 2.,]
[257-62. In the same volume, pp. 264-8, is a rhymed translation into modern]
[literary German. In Egli and Finsler ed., i., 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22 (being]
[put opposite to the Latin form as far as the Latin extends).]
[Egli elaborately explains the circumstances of the time which are alluded]
[toin the poem, and to this long preface (i., 1-7) the reader is referred. Suffice]
[it here to say that, partly by what Zwingli himself has furnished, we may iden-]
[tify the various characters mentioned in the poem with familiar personages.]
[Thus the Ox is the Swiss, the Cats are the agents of foreign powers who tried to]
[hire, and frequently did do so, the Swiss to fight in foreign wars because they]
[had made a reputation for themselves as soldiers. Zwingli, like all other]
[lovers of his country, deprecated such conduct, and here he vigorously pro-]
[tests against it—a display of zeal which later cost him his place. The other]
[animals are the Dog Lycisca, a name borrowed from Vergil (Eclogues, iii., 18:]
[“loud barking Lycisca”), who here stands for the wide-awake patriotic clergy,]
[the Lion is the King of the Romans, from the House of Habsburg; the Leopard]
[is the French; the Fox is Venice; the Herdsman is the Pope; and the Ram,]
[another borrowing from Vergil (Eclogues, ii., 64, “the playful goat follows]
the lucerne-bloom”), is Graubünden or Schaffhausen. The pasture of the Ox is Switzerland.] (Ei was a garden spot hedged about on one side by high mountains, on another by gurgling streams, and in it roamed, cropping the green blades of grass, a fine fat bullock of ruddy hue, with widespread horns and on his brow rich waving hair. His chest was broad, and an ample dewlap marked his chin. Anon he would take a long-drawn breath and quaff the cool waters, generously endowed as he was in animal attractions, and without an enemy save envious Fortune who mingles gall with all things sweet. She gave him cunning keepers at whose nod the simple-hearted beast should do all things as though directed by Medusa’s eye. To his flank clung inseparably the dog Lycisca, giving notice of hostile snares, so that the ox, with the aid of the Fauns that he delighted to call to mind, might be more cautious, and foreseeing blunt the attacks of the beasts. Then though lions with their terrible roar and many another wild beast might charge upon him, they would retire with hardly a wound given, and the rough ox would rise ever unconquered, and thus victorious.
But when they accomplished nothing by either talk or onslaught, they turned to other means, and arranged to deceive him with cunning. They promised cats all sorts of rich things (for cats delight in what is rich), birds and fish withal, that they might induce the ox to leave the cliffs and garden spot, and make for lands outside (whereby were greater glory). And first the variegated leopard approached with mighty winning ways, and presently began to lure on the cats with a rich bait. When they had been caught, the poor ox was taken with the same coin, though Lycisca barked long and loud but without avail. When the goadbearer (Ὁ) began with persuasive words and baleful craft, he led the sluggish ox where he would and where he would not. And it had not been usual to bury the dung before the unaccustomed food eaten and the altered stomach had dis-
charged droppings more offensive than garlic (?). Then they were ordered to let up on the richer viands, that the excrements might not smell as badly as horse dung which had first been turned over. The cunning keeper never let up on the tidbits, but evaded the order with clever words, hiding the dung in a ditch, so that the ox might not be offended by the odour and would cease to find fault with the feast, but he could lead the poor beast as before. Thus persuaded the ox ran upon drawn swords, devoured blades, and incurred all sorts of dangers to enrich the mighty cunning leopard, and nourish a serpent.
When the lion saw this, he became envious of the clever fellow’s pile, and approaching the ox with drooping tail and dishevelled mane, begged him to enter into a holy and righteous league with him. This the simple-hearted ox presently whispered in the ear of the whiskered cat, who, answering without delay, rejected the proposal (that he might not lose the bounteous gifts of the leopard), adding: ”It is not safe to trust to the lean beast (though he be king and lord supreme), for when he lacks food, he may make a savage attack upon you to satisfy his gnawing hunger.” The ox listened to the suggestions and scorned the friendship of the lion, than which the excellent lion scarcely ever met with anything worse, and furious said to himself, ”I ‘ll get even with the perfidious rascal.” Straightway he flies to the leopard’s cave (from whom he had suffered hundreds of frauds and contemptuous indignities) and complains, and implores his powerful aid. Presently the lion and the variegated one strike an adamantine league to make all the animals tremble.
Presently they charge upon a timid fox, and biting at the beast soon reduced to despair, try to do him up with every kind of snare, but, torn and limping upon three legs, he crawls to a herdsman who happened to be nearby, and telling of his deep wounds and his bruised head, begs him
[‘The Latin of this savoury passage is so obscure even with the emenda-]
[tions of Schuler and Schulthess that I do not feel sure of its meaning.—H. P.]
piteously to help him and (such is the astuteness of the animal) promises to return immediately all the fowls that he may have carried off. Then the shepherd has pity for him, though before he has seen through his little wiles, and, forgetting these, proceeds to help the little animal, and addresses himself to the ox directly with these words: “You are not unaware how lively a sense of the tried worth and faithfulness of your father and godfather I have ever had. Contemplating that, I come to warn you now not to let me find you inferior to them. You know how the lion and the leopard are mangling the herd. They plunder the sheep, and murder them cruelly, tearing them asunder and getting them away stealthily under the aspect of simplehearted lambs. I want to anticipate their wiles and thieving expeditions and under your initiative make the herd whole.” Lycisca barks in joy at these pleasant words and advises the ox not to abandon his friend the herdsman, under whose guidance he can easily escape the jaws of the threatening conspirators. This gnaws the vitals of the cats, and they cast glances at the cunning fellow often meditating flight. When the ox in his growing sluggishness sees this, he turns his head a little, but goes on as though driven by a goad as before. When the brethren, the lion and the terribly cunning one, behold this, they break forth in rage, howl, and, grinding their sharp teeth, declare bloody war upon the ox, unless he renounces his agreements and abandons the herdsman. Thus is the life of the ox kept in doubt and trouble.
There had been a goat present at these proceedings, and he says to himself: “1 rather think the ox will get a fine beating now, unless he 15 saved by the protecting staff of the herdsman, or unless the leopard and the lion fall out, or the variegated one brings gifts of reconciliation, but then the herdsman will be angry. The net drawn on all sides can be sundered only by arms, but so much the better for meI shall crop the luxuriant clover and scorn their gifts. Let those take the gifts who prefer to live in dishonour.”
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