Sunday 4 December 2011

The Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge

WITHIN WHICH  animals are divided into:

  • those that belong to the Emperor, 
  • embalmed ones, 
  • those that are trained, 
  • suckling pigs, 
  • mermaids, 
  • fabulous ones, 
  • stray dogs, 
  • those included in the present classification, 
  • those that tremble as if they were mad, 
  • innumerable ones, 
  • those drawn with a very fine camelhair brush, 
  • others, 
  • those that have just broken a flower vase, 
  • those that from a long way off look like flies.


From The Analytical Language of John Wilkins by Jorge Luis Borges