Sir George, purring and fawning like a cat when expressing its affection
for its master. This occurrence became the talk of Florence, and reached
the ears of the Grand Duke, who sent for Sir George, and requested an
interview at the menagerie, that he might witness so extraordinary a
circumstance, when Sir George gave the following explanation; 'A
captain of a ship from Barbary gave me this lion, when quite a whelp. I
brought him up tame; but when I thought him too large to be suffered to
run about the house, I built a den for him in my court-yard. From that
time he was never permitted to be loose, except when brought to the
house to be exhibited to my friends. When he was five years old, he did
some mischief by pawing and playing with people in his frolicsome moods.
Having griped a man one day a little too hard, I ordered him to be shot,
for fear of myself incurring the guilt of what might happen. On this a
friend, who happened to be then at dinner with me, begged him as a
present. How he came here, I know not.' The Grand Duke of Tuscany, on
hearing his story, said it was the very same person who had presented
him with the lion."

"Oh! Uncle Thomas: I should have been terribly afraid to have ventured
into the lion's den!"

"I dare say you would, John, and so should I. But some stories are
recorded of the gentleness of the lion, as almost to justify such acts
of what would otherwise appear fool-hardiness.

"Part of a ship's crew being sent ashore on the coast of India for the
purpose of cutting wood, the curiosity of one of the men having led him
to stray to a considerable distance from his companions, he was much
alarmed by the appearance of a large lioness, who made towards him; but,
on her coming up, his fear was allayed, by her lying down at his feet,