Itmaybeworthwhile,therefore,previouslytoadverttothosecuriousimaginaryportraitsofhimwhichevendowntothepresentdayconfidentlychallengethefaithofthelandsman.
ItmaybethattheprimalsourceofallthosepictorialdelusionswillbefoundamongtheoldestHindoo,Egyptian,andGreciansculptures.
Foreversincethoseinventivebutunscrupuloustimeswhenonthemarblepanellingsoftemples,thepedestalsofstatues,andonshields,medallions,cups,andcoins,thedolphinwasdrawninscalesofchain-armorlikeSaladin’s,andahelmetedheadlikeSt.George’s;eversincethenhassomethingofthesamesortoflicenseprevailed,notonlyinmostpopularpicturesofthewhale,butinmanyscientificpresentationsofhim.
Now,byallodds,themostancientextantportraitanywayspurportingtobethewhale’s,istobefoundinthefamouscavern-pagodaofElephants,inIndia.
TheBrahminsmaintainthatinthealmostendlesssculpturesofthatimmemorialpagoda,allthetradesandpursuits,everyconceivableavocationofman,wereprefiguredagesbeforeanyofthemactuallycameintobeing.
TheHindoowhalereferredto,occursinaseparatedepartmentofthewall,depictingtheincarnationofVishnuintheformofleviathan,learnedlyknownastheMatseAvatar.
Butthoughthissculptureishalfmanandhalfwhale,soasonlytogivethetailofthelatter,yetthatsmallsectionofhimisallwrong.
ButgototheoldGalleries,andlooknowatagreatChristianpainter’sportraitofthisfish;forhesucceedsnobetterthantheantediluvianHindoo.
Ithasasortofhowdahonitsback,anditsdistendedtuskedmouthintowhichthebillowsarerolling,mightbetakenfortheTraitors’GateleadingfromtheThamesbywaterintotheTower.
Then,therearetheProdromuswhalesofoldScotchSibbald,andJonah’swhale,asdepictedintheprintsofoldBiblesandthecutsofoldprimers.Whatshallbesaidofthese?
Asforthebook-binder’swhalewindinglikeavine-stalkroundthestockofadescendinganchor-asstampedandgildedonthebacksandtitlepagesofmanybooksbotholdandnew-thatisaverypicturesquebutpurelyfabulouscreature,imitated,Itakeit,fromthelikefiguresonantiquevases.
Thoughuniversallydenominatedadolphin,Ineverthelesscallthisbook-binder’sfishanattemptatawhale;becauseitwassointendedwhenthedevicewasfirstintroduced.
ItwasintroducedbyanoldItalianpublishersomewhereaboutthe15thcentury,duringtheRevivalofLearning;andinthosedays,andevendowntoacomparativelylateperiod,dolphinswerepopularlysupposedtobeaspeciesoftheLeviathan.
Inthevignettesandotherembellishmentsofsomeancientbooksyouwillattimesmeetwithverycurioustouchesatthewhale,whereallmannerofspouts,jetsd’eau,hotspringsandcold,SaratogaandBaden-Baden,comebubblingupfromhisunexhaustedbrain.
Butquittingalltheseunprofessionalattempts,letusglanceatthosepicturesofleviathanpurportingtobesober,scientificdelineations,bythosewhoknow.
InoldHarris’scollectionofvoyagestherearesomeplatesofwhalesextractedfromaDutchbookofvoyages,A.D.1671,entitled“AWhalingVoyagetoSpitzbergenintheshipJonasintheWhale,PeterPetersonofFriesland,master.”
Inoneofthoseplatesthewhales,likegreatraftsoflogs,arerepresentedlyingamongice-isles,withwhitebearsrunningovertheirlivingbacks.
Thenagain,thereisanimposingquarto,writtenbyoneCaptainColnett,aPostCaptainintheEnglishnavy,entitled“AVoyageroundCapeHornintotheSouthSeas,forthepurposeofextendingtheSpermacetiWhaleFisheries.”
Inthisbookisanoutlinepurportingtobea“PictureofaPhyseterorSpermacetiwhale,drawnbyscalefromonekilledonthecoastofMexico,August,1793,andhoistedondeck.”
Tomentionbutonethingaboutit,letmesaythatithasaneyewhichapplied,accordingtotheaccompanyingscale,toafullgrownspermwhale,wouldmaketheeyeofthatwhaleabow-windowsomefivefeetlong.
NorarethemostconscientiouscompilationsofNaturalHistoryforthebenefitoftheyoungandtender,freefromthesameheinousnessofmistake.
Idonotwishtoseeminelegant,butthisunsightlywhalelooksmuchlikeanamputatedsow;and,asforthenarwhale,oneglimpseatitisenoughtoamazeone,thatinthisnineteenthcenturysuchahippogriffcouldbepalmedforgenuineuponanyintelligentpublicofschoolboys.
Then,again,in1825,BernardGermain,CountdeLacepede,agreatnaturalist,publishedascientificsystemizedwhalebook,whereinareseveralpicturesofthedifferentspeciesoftheLeviathan.
Allthesearenotonlyincorrect,butthepictureoftheMysticetusorGreenlandwhale(thatistosaytheRightwhale),evenScoresby,alongexperiencedmanastouchingthatspecies,declaresnottohaveitscounterpartinnature.
Buttheplacingofthecap-sheaftoallthisblunderingbusinesswasreservedforthescientificFrederickCuvier,brothertothefamousBaron.
Ofcourse,heneverhadthebenefitofawhalingvoyage(suchmenseldomhave),butwhencehederivedthatpicture,whocantell?
Perhapshegotitashisscientificpredecessorinthesamefield,Desmarest,gotoneofhisauthenticabortions;thatis,fromaChinesedrawing.
Asforthesign-painters’whalesseeninthestreetshangingovertheshopsofoil-dealers,whatshallbesaidofthem?TheyaregenerallyRichardIII.
whales,withdromedaryhumps,andverysavage;breakfastingonthreeorfoursailortarts,thatiswhaleboatsfullofmariners:theirdeformitiesflounderinginseasofbloodandbluepaint.
Mostofthescientificdrawingshavebeentakenfromthestrandedfish;andtheseareaboutascorrectasadrawingofawreckedship,withbrokenback,wouldcorrectlyrepresentthenobleanimalitselfinallitsundashedprideofhullandspars.
Thoughelephantshavestoodfortheirfull-lengths,thelivingLeviathanhasneveryetfairlyfloatedhimselfforhisportrait.
Thelivingwhale,inhisfullmajestyandsignificance,isonlytobeseenatseainunfathomablewaters;andafloatthevastbulkofhimisoutofsight,likealaunchedline-of-battleship;andoutofthatelementitisathingeternallyimpossibleformortalmantohoisthimbodilyintotheair,soastopreserveallhismightyswellsandundulations.
And,nottospeakofthehighlypresumabledifferenceofcontourbetweenayoungsucklingwhaleandafull-grownPlatonianLeviathan;yet,eveninthecaseofoneofthoseyoungsuckingwhaleshoistedtoaship’sdeck,suchisthentheoutlandish,eel-like,limbered,varyingshapeofhim,thathispreciseexpressionthedevilhimselfcouldnotcatch.
Butitmaybefancied,thatfromthenakedskeletonofthestrandedwhale,accuratehintsmaybederivedtouchinghistrueform.Notatall.
ForitisoneofthemorecuriousthingsaboutthisLeviathan,thathisskeletongivesverylittleideaofhisgeneralshape.
ThoughJeremyBentham’sskeleton,whichhangsforcandelabrainthelibraryofoneofhisexecutors,correctlyconveystheideaofaburly-browedutilitarianoldgentleman,withallJeremy’sotherleadingpersonalcharacteristics;yetnothingofthiskindcouldbeinferredfromanyleviathan’sarticulatedbones.
Infact,asthegreatHuntersays,themereskeletonofthewhalebearsthesamerelationtothefullyinvestedandpaddedanimalastheinsectdoestothechrysalisthatsoroundinglyenvelopesit.
Itisalsoverycuriouslydisplayedinthesidefin,thebonesofwhichalmostexactlyanswertobonesofthehumanhand,minusonlythethumb.
“Howeverrecklesslythewhalemaysometimesserveus,”saidhumorousStubboneday,“hecanneverbetrulysaidtohandleuswithoutmittens.”
Forallthesereasons,then,anywayyoumaylookatit,youmustneedsconcludethatthegreatLeviathanisthatonecreatureintheworldwhichmuchremainunpaintedtothelast.
True,oneportraitmayhitthemarkmuchnearerthananother,butnonecanhititwithanyveryconsiderabledegreeofexactness.
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