Page:The Fables of Æsop (Jacobs).djvu/237

Rh East. An Egyptian Debat on very much the same subject was recently discovered by M. Maspero, who dates it circa 1250 B.C. It is found in the Upanishads, whence it came to the Mahabharata, thence possibly into the Zend Yaçna. A Buddhistic version exists in the Chinese Avadanas. The Jews had early knowledge of a similar fable, which is told in a Rabbinic Commentary on Psalm xxxix. There can be no doubt that St. Paul had a similar fable in his mind when writing the characteristic passage, 1 Cor. xii. 12-26. This combines the Indian idea of the contests of the Members with the Roman notion of the organic nature of the body politic. Thus this fable forms part of the sacred literature of the Egyptians, of Chinese, of Buddhists, Brahmins and Magians, of Jews and Christians; and we might almost add, of Romans and Englishmen. There were also medieval mysteries on the subject. Prato has a monograph on the fable in Archivio per Tradizione Popolari, iv. 25-40, the substance of which I have given in my History, pp. 82-99.

Phædrus, ii. 8.

Occurs both in Phædrus (iv. 3) and Babrius, 19. Has been found by Dr. Leitner in Darbistan as "The Fox and the Pomegranates." Our expression, "The grapes are sour," comes from this.

Phædrus, iii. 18. Cf. Avian, 8.