ANDROCLUS AND THE LION
(Michel de Montaigne)

With regard to gratitude (for it seems to me that we have need to bring this word into repute), this one example will suffice, which Apion tells us he himself witnessed:

One day, he says, when the Roman people were being gratified with the combats of many outlandish beasts, especially lions of unusual size, there was one among others which, by reason of its furious demeanour and the strength and size of its limbs, and its terrifying and surly roar, attracted the attention of all the spectators. Among the slaves that were offered to the people in this fight with animals was Androclus of Dacia, who was the property of a Roman lord of consular rank. The lion, perceiving him from a distance, at first stopped dead, as if in wonder, then softly approached in a gentle and peaceable manner, as if trying to recognize an acquaintance. Then, having made sure of what he was seeking, he began t lash his tail in the manner of a dog fawning on his master, and to lick and caress the hands and thighs of this poor wretch, who was quite paralyzed and beside himself with fear. When Androclus had recovered his spirits in consequence of the gentle behaviour of the lion, and regained enough assurance to observe and recognize the animal, it was a singular pleasure to see their mutual joy and caresses. The people breaking out into loud acclamations of joy at this sight, the Emperor sent for the slave to know from him the meaning of this strange scene.

He then told a novel and wonderful story: “My master,” he said, “being Proconsul in Africa, I was forced by his cruelty and harsh treatment in having me beaten every day to steal away from him and take flight. To hide in safety from a person of so great authority in the province, the most expeditious way was to gain solitude of the sandy and uninhibited regions of the country, and I resolved, in case the means of supporting life failed me, to find some way of killing myself. The heat of the sun at noon being extremely fierce and insupportable, I happened to discover a hidden and inaccessible cave, and threw myself down inside it. Soon after there came this lion with a wounded and bleeding paw, moaning and groaning with the pain he was suffering. At his coming I was very frightened, but he seeing me crouching in a corner of his lair softly approached, holding out and showing me his injured paw, as if to entreat my help, I then pulled out of it a large splinter, and growing more accustomed to him, squeezed the wound and let out the accumulated dirt, wiped and cleaned it as well as I could. He, the cause of his hurt being removed, and relieved of the pain, lay down to rest and went to sleep with his paw still my hand.”

“After that the lion and I lived together for three whole years in that cave, sharing the same food; for of the beasts he killed in hunting he brought me the best parts, which for want of fire I cooked in the sun for my nourishment. At length, growing weary of the wild and brutish life, the lion being one day gone on his accustomed raid, I departed, and on the third day after was caught by the soldiers, who brought me from Africa to my master in this city. He immediately condemned me to death by being delivered to the wild beasts. Now, by what I see, this lion was also caught soon after, and would now repay me for the good turn I did him in curing his wound.”

This was the story that Androclus related to the Emperor, which he also conveyed from hand to hand to the people. Wherefore, by general request, he was absolved from the sentence and given his freedom, and, by the order of the people, the lion was presented to him as a gift. After that, says Apion, Androclus could be seen leading his lion by quite a small leash, going from tavern to tavern in Rome to receive the money that was given to him, whilst the lion suffered himself to be covered with the flowers that were thrown him, and all who met them would say:
“There goes the lion, the man’s host; there goes the man, the lion’s physician.”