Philemon Holland, translator (1601): C. Plinius Secundus The Historie of the World. Book VIII. (Pages 192-234)

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ASSE wee now to treat of other living creatures, and first of land beasts: among which, the Elephant is the greatest, and commeth neerest in wit and capacitie, to men: for they understand the language of that country wherein they are bred, they do whatsoever they are commaunded, they remember what duties they be taught, and withall take a pleasure and delight both in love and also in glorie: nay more than all this, they embrace goodnesse, honestie, prudence, and equitie, (rare qualities I may tell you to be found in men) and withall have in religious reverence (with a kind of devotion) not only the starres and planets, but the sunne and moone they also worship. And in very truth, writers there be who report thus much of them, That when the new moon beginneth to appeare fresh and bright, they come down by whole heards to a certaine river named Amelus, in the deserts and forrest of Mauritania, where after that they are washed and solemnly purified by sprinkling & dashing themselves all over with the water, and have saluted and adored after their manner that planet, they returne againe into the woods and chases, carrying before them their yong calves that be wearied and tired. Moreover, they are thought to have a sense and understanding of religion and conscience in others; for when they are to passe the seas into another countrey, they will not embarke before they be induced thereto by an oath of their governours and rulers, That they shall returne againe: and seen there have been divers of them, being enfeebled by sicknesse (for as bigge and huge as they be, subject they are to grievous maladies) to lie upon their backes, casting and flinging hearbs up toward heaven, as if they had procured and set the earth to pray for them. Now for their docilitie and aptnesse to learne any thing; the king they adore, they kneele before him, and offer unto him guirlands and chaplets of flowers and green hearbs. To conclude, the lesser sort of them, which they call Bastards, serve the Indians in good stead to care and plough their ground.

THE first time that ever they were known to draw at Rome, was in the triumph of Pompey the great, after he had subdued Affricke, for then were two of them put in geeres to his triumphant charriot. But long before that, it is said that Father Bacchus having conquered India, did the like when he triumphed for his conquest. Howbeit, in that triumph of Pompey, Procilius affirmeth, That coupled, as they were, two in one yoke, they could not possible goe in at the gates of Rome. In the late solemnitie of tournois and sword-fight at the sharpe, which Germanicus Cæsar exhibited to gratifie the people, the Elephants were seen to shew pastime with leaping and keeping a stirre, as if they daunced, after a rude and disorderly manner. A common thing it was among them to fling weapons and darts in the aire so strongly, that the winds had no power against them; to flourish also beforehand, yea, and to encounter and meet together in fight like sword-fencers, and to make good sport in a kind of Moriske daunce: and afterwards to goe on ropes and cords: to carie (foure together) one of them laid at ease in a litter, resemblng the maner of women newly brought a bed: last of all, some of them were so nimble and well practised, that they would enter into an hall or dining place wher the tables were set full of guests, & passe among them so gently and daintily, weighing as it were their feet in their going, so as they would not hurt or touch any of the companie as they were drinking.

THIS is knowne for certaine, that upon a time there was one Elephant among the rest, not so good of capacitie, to take out his lessons, and learn that which was taught him: and being beaten and beaten againe for that blockish and dull head of his, was found studying and conning those feats in the night, which he had been learning in the day time. But one of the greatest wonders of them was this, that they could mount up and climbe against a rope; but more wonderfull, that they should slide downe againe with their heads forward. Mutianus, a man who had in his time beene thrice Consull, reporteth thus much of one of them, that hee had learned to make the Greeke characters, and was woont to write in that language thus much, This have I written, and made an offering of the Celticke spoiles. Likewise hee saith, that himselfe saw at Puteoli, a certaine ship discharged of Elephants embarked therein: and when they should bee set ashore, and forced to goe forth of the vessell, to which purpose there was a bridge made for them to passe over, they were affrighted at the length thereof, bearing out so farre from the land into the water: and therefore to deceive themselves, that the way might not seeme so long, went backward with their tailes to the banke, and their heads toward the sea. They are ware, and know full well that their onely riches (for love of which, men lay wait for them) lieth in their armes and weapons that Nature hath given them: king Iuba calleth them their hornes: but Herodotus, who wrote long before him, and the custome of speech, hath tearmed them much better, Teeth. And therefore when they are shed and fallen off, either for age, or by some casualtie, the Elephants themselves hide them within the ground. And this in truth is the onely yvorie: for, all the rest, yea and these teeth also so farre as lay covered within the flesh, is of no price, and taken for no better than bone. And yet of late daies, for great scarcitie & want of the right teeth, men have been glad to cut and saw their bones into plates, and make yvorie thereof. For hardly can wee now come by teeth of any bignesse, unlesse wee have them out of India. For all the rest that might bee gotten in this part of the world betweene us and them, hath been emploied in superfluities onely, and served for wanton toies. You may know young Elephants by the whitenesse of these teeth: and a speciall care and regard have these beasts of them, above all. They look to one of them alwaies, that the point be sharpe; and therefore they forbeare to occupie it, least it should bee blunt against they come to fight: the other they use ordinarily, either to get up roots out of the earth, or to cast down any bankes or mures that stand in their way. When they chance to bee environned and compassed round about with hunters, they set formost in the ranke to bee seene, those of the heard that have the least teeth: to the end, that their price might not bee thought worth the hazard & venture in chase for them. But afterwards, when they see the hunters eager, and themselves overmatched and wearie, they breake them with running against the hard trees, and leaving them behind, escape by this raunsome as it were, out of their hands.

A WONDER it is in many of these creatures, that they should thus know wherefore they are hunted, and withall take heed and beware of all their dangers. It is said, that if an Elephant chaunce to meet with a man wandering simply out of his way in the wildernesse, hee will mildly and gently set him into the right way againe. But if he perceive a mans fresh footing, before he espie the man, he will quake and tremble for feare of being forelaied and surprised: he will stay from farther following the sent, looke about him every way, snuffe and puffe for very anger. Neither will he tread upon the tract of a mans foot, but dig it out of the earth, and give it to the next Elephant unto him, and he againe to him that followeth, and so from one to another passeth this intelligence and message as it were, to the utmost ranke behind. Then the whole heard makes a stand, and cast round about to returne backward, and withall put themselves in battell array: so long continueth that strong virulent smell of mens feet, and runneth through them all, notwithstanding for the most part they be not bare, but shod. Semblably, the Tigresse also, how fierce and cruell she be to other wild beasts, and careth not a whit for a very Elephant; if she happen to have a sight of a mans footing, presently, by report, conveigheth away her young whelpes, and is gone. But how cometh she to this knowledge of a man? where saw she him ever before, whom thus she feareth? For surely such wild woods and forests are not much travelled & frequented by men. Set case that they may well wonder at the straunge sight and noveltie of their tracts, which are so seldome seene, how know they that they are to bee feared? Nay, what should bee the reason, that they dread to see a man indeed, being as they are, farre bigger, much stronger, and swifter by many degrees than a man? Certes, herein is to bee seene the wonderfull worke of Nature, and her mightie power; that the greatest, the most fell and savage beasts that be, having never seene that which they ought to feare, should incontinently have the sence and conceit, why the same is to be feared.

THE Elephants march alwaies in troupes. The eldest of them leadeth the vaward, like a captaine: and the next to him in age, commeth behind with the conduct of the arrereguard. When they are to passe over any river, they put formost the least of all their companie, for feare, that if the bigger should enter first, they would, as they troad in the channell, make the water to swell and rise, and so cause the fourd to bee more deepe. Antipater writeth, that king Antiochus had two Elephants, which he used in his warres above all the rest; and famous they were for their surnames, which they knew well ynough, and wist when any man called them thereby. And verily, Cato reciting in his Annales the names of the principall captaine Elephants, hath left in writing, That the elephant which fought most lustily in the point of the Punick war, had to name Surus, by the same token, that the one of his teeth was gone. When Antiochus upon a time would have sounded the fourd of a certaine river, by putting the Elephants before, Ajax refused to take the water, who otherwise at all times was wont to lead the way. Whereupon the king pronounced with a lowd voice, That looke which Elephant passed to the other side, he should be the captaine and cheefe. Then Patroclus gave the venture: and for his labour had a rich harnish and caparison given him, & was all trapped in silver (a thing wherein they take most delight) & made besides, the soveraigne of all the rest. But the other that was disgraced thus, and had lost his place, would never eat any meat after, but died for very shame of such a reprochfull ignorminie. For among other qualities, marvellous bashfull they are. for if one of them be overmatched and vanquished in fight, he will never after abide the voice and braying of the conqueror, but in token of submission, giveth him a turfe of earth, with vervaine or grasse upon it. Upon a kind of shamefaced modestie, they never are seene to engender together, but performe that act in some couvert and secret corner. They go to rut, the male at five yeares of age, the female not before she is ten yeares old. And this they doe every third yeare: and they continue therein five daies in the yeare (as they say) and not above: for upon the sixt day they all to wash themselves over in the running river: and before they be thus purified, returne not to the heard. After they have taken one to another once, they never chaunge: neither fall they out and fight about their females, as other creatures doe most deadly and mortally. And this is not for want of love and hote affection that way. For reported it is of one Elephant, that he cast a fancie and was enamoured upon a wench in Ægypt that sold nosegaies and guirlands of floures. And least any man should thinke that hee had no reason thereto, it was no ordinarie maiden, but so amiable, as that Aristophanes the excellent Grammarian, was wonderfully in love with her. Another there was, so kind and full of love, that hee fansied a youth in the armie of Ptolomæus, that scarce had never an haire on his face, and so entirely hee loved him, that what day soever hee saw him not, hee would forbeare his meat, and eat nothing. King Iuba likewise reporteth also of an Elephant that made court to another woman, who made and sold sweet ointments and perfumes. All these testified their love and kindnesse, by these tokens: joy they would at the sight of them, and looke pleasantly upon them: make toward them they would (after their rude and homely manner) by all meanes of flatterie: and especially in this, that they would save whatsoever people cast unto them for to eat, and lay the same kindly in their laps and bosomes. But no marvell is it that they should love, who are so good of memorie. For the same Iuba saith, That an Elephant tooke knowledge and acquaintance of one man in his old age, and afer many a yeere, who in his youth had been his ruler and governor. He affirmeth also, that they have by a secret divine instinct, a certain sence of justice and righteous dealing. For when king Bacchus meant to bee revenged of 30 Elephants, which he had caused to be bound unto stakes, and set other 30 to run upon them, appointing also certaine men among to pricke & provoke them thereto; yet for all that, could not one of them be brought to execute this butcherie, nor be ministers of anothers crueltie.

THE first time that Elephants were seene in Italie, was during the warre of king Pyrrhus: and they called them by the name of Lucæ boves, i. Lucane oxen, because they had the first sight of them in the Lucanes countrey, and it was in the 472 yeere after the citties foundation. But in Rome it was seven yeers after ere they were seene, and then they were shewed in a triumph. But in the yeere 502, a number of them were seene at Rome by occasion of the victorie of L. Metellus Pontifex over the Carthaginians: which Elephants were taken in Sicilie. For 142 of them were conveied over upon plankes and flat bottomes, which were laid upon ranks of great tunnes and pipes set thicke one by another. Verrius saith, that they were caused to fight in the great Cirque or shew place, and were killed there with shot of darts and javelins for want of better counsell, and because they knew not well what to doe with them: for neither were they willing to have them kept and nourished, ne yet to bee bestowed upon any kings. L. Piso saith they were brought out only into the shew-place or cirque aforesaid, and for to make them more contemptible, were chased round about it by certaine fellowes hired thereto, having for that purpose certaine staves and perches, not pointed with yron, but headed with bals like foiles. but what became of them afterward, those authours make no mention: who are of opinion, that they were not killed.

MUCH renowned is the fight of one Romane with an Elephant, at what time as Anniball forced those captives whom he had taken of our men, to skirmish one against another to the utterance. For the onely Romane that remained unslaine in that unnaturall conflict, hee would needs match with an Elephant, and see the combate himselfe, assuring him upon his word, that if he could kill the beast, he should be dismissed and sent home with life and libertie. So this prisoner entered into single fight with the Elephant, and to the great hearts greefe of the Carthaginians slew him out-right. Anniball then sent him away indeed according to promise and convenant; but considering better the consequence of this matter, and namely, that if this combate werre once by him bruited abroad, the beasts would bee lesse regarded, and their service in the warres not esteemed: made afte rhim certaine light horsemen to overtake him upon the way, to cut his throat, so making hiim sure for telling tales. Their long snout or trunke which the Latins call Proboscis, may be easily cut off; as it appeared by experience in the wars against king Pyrrhus. Fenestella writeth, That the first fight of them in Rome, was exhibited in the grand Cirque, during the time that Claudius Pulcher was Ædile Curule, when M. Antonius and A. Posthumius were Consuls: in the 650 yeere after the citie of Rome was built. In like manner, 20 yeer after, when the Luculli were Ædiles Curule, there was represented a combat betweene buls and Elephants. Also in the second Consulship of Cn. Pompeius at the dedication of the temple to Venus Victoresse, 20 of them, or as some write, 17 fought in the great shew place. In which solemnitie the Gætulians were set to launce darts and javelines against them. But among all the rest, one Elephant did wonders: for when his legs and feet were shot and stucke full of darts, he crept upon his knees, and never staied till he was gotten among the companies of the said Gætulians, where hee caught from them their targuets and bucklers perforce, flung them aloft into the aire, which as they fell, turned round, as if they had beene trundeled by art, and not hurled and throwne with violence by the beasts in their furious anger: and this made a goodly sight, and did great pleasure to the beholders. And as strange a thing as that was seene in another of them, whose fortune was to bee killed out of hand with one shot: for the dart was so driven, that it entred under the eie, and pierced as farre as to the vitall parts of the head, even the ventricles of the braine. Whereupon all the rest at once assaied to breake forth and get away, not without a great hurrie and trouble among the people, notwithstanding they were without the lists, and those set round about with yron grates and barres. [And for this cause, Cæsar the Dictatour, when afterwards hee was to exhibite the like shew before the people, cast a ditch round about the place, letting in the water, and so made a mote thereof: which, prince Nero afterwards stopped up, for to make more roume for the knights and men of armes.] But those Elephants of Pompey being past all hope of escaping and going cleere away, after a most pitifull manner and rufull plight that cannot be expressed, seemed to make mone unto the multitude, craving mercie and pitie, with greevous plaints and lamentations, bewailing their hard state and wofull case: in such sort, that the peoples hearts earned againe at this piteous sight, and with teares in their eies, for very compassion, rose up all at once from beholding this pageant, without regard of the person of Pompey that great Generall and Commaunder, without respect of his magnificence and stately shew, of his munificence and liberalitie, where he thought to have woon great applause and honour at their hands; but in lieu thereof fell to cursing of him, and wishing all those plagues and misfortunes to light upon his head; which soone after ensued accordingly. Moreover, Cæsar the Dictatour in his third Consulship exhibited another sight of them, and brought forth 20 to maintaine skirmish against 500 footmen: and a second time hee set out 20 more, with woodden turrets upon their backes, containing 60 defendants apeece: and he opposed against them 500 footmen, and as many horse. After all this, Claudius and Nero the Emperours brought them forth one by one into sigle fight with approved, expert, and accomplished fencers, at the end of all the other solemnitie, when they had done their prises. This beast, by report of all writers, is so gentle to all others that are but weake, and not so strong as himselfe, that if he passe through a flocke or heard of smaller cattell, it will with the nose or trunke which serveth in steed of his hand, remoove and turne aside whatsoever beast commeth in his way, for feare he should go over them, and so crush and tread under his foot any of them, ere it were aware. And never doe they any hurt, unlesse they be provoked thereto. Alwaies walke they by troups together, and worst of all other can they away with wandering alone, but love companie exceeding well. If it fortune that they be environed with horsemen, looke how many of their followers be feeble, wearie, or wounded, those they take into the mids of their squadron: and as if they were marshalled and ordered by a Serjeant of a band, or heard the direction of some General, so skilfully and as it were with guidance of reason, doe they maintaine fight by turnes, and succeed one another in their course. The wild sort of them, after they be taken, are soonest brought to bee tame and gentle, with the juice or decoction of husked barley.

THE Indians are wont to take Elephants in this manner: the governor driveth one of them that are tame, into the chase and forrests, and when he can meet with one of them alone, or single him from the heard, he all to beateth the wild beast untill he hath made him wearie, and then he mounteth upon him and ruleth him as well as the former. In Africk they catch them in great ditches which they make for that purpose: into which, if one of them chance to wander astray from his fellowes, all the rest immediatly come to succor him; they heap together a deale of boughs, they roll down blocks and stones, and whatsoever may serve to raise a banke, and with all that ever they can doe, labour to plucke him out. Before-time, when they meant to make them tractable, their manner way, by a troupe of horsemen to drive or traine them by little and little a long way in a certein lawn or vallye, made by mans hand for the nones, ere they wer aware, and when they wer enclosed within ditches or banks, there they would keep them from meat so long, untill for very hunger they would be glad to come to hand for food: & by this they might know they were gentle and tame enough to be taken, if they would meekely take a braunch of a bough presented and offered unto them. But now a daies, since they seek after them for their teeth sake, they make no more adoe but shoot at their legges, which otherwise naturally are tender enough and the softest part of their whole bodie. The Troglodites, a people bounding upon Æthiopia, who live onely upon the venison of Elephants flesh, use to clime trees that be neere their walke, and there take a stand: from thence (letting all the heard to passe quietly under the trees) they leape downe upon the buttockes of the hinmost: then, hee that doth this feat, with his left hand laieth fast hold upon his taile, and setteth his feet and legges fast in the flanke of the left side, and so hanging and bending backward with his bodie, he cutteth the ham-strings of one of his legs with a good keene bill or hatchet that he hath of purpose in his right hand: which done, the Elephant beginneth to slacke his pace, by reason that one of his legges is wounded: the man then maketh shift to get away and alighteth on foot, & for a farewell he hougheth the sinewes likewise of the other ham: and all this doth he in a trice with wonderfull agilitie and nimblenes. Others have a safer way than this, but it is more subtill and deceitfull: they set or sticke in the ground a great way off, mightie great bowes readie bent; to hold these fast, they chuse certaine tall, lustie, and strong fellowes, and as many others as sufficient as they, to draw with all their might and maine the said bowes against the other, and so they let flie against the poore Elephants as they passe by, javelins and bore-speares, as if they shot shafts, and sticke them therewith, and so follow them by their bloud. Of these beasts, the females are much more fearfull than the male kind.

AS furious and raging mad as they be sometime, they are tamed with hunger and stripes: but men had need to have the helpe of other Elephants that are tame alreadie, to restrain the unruly beast with strong chaines: of all times, when they goe to rut they are most out of order and starke wood; down go the Indian stables and beast stals then, which they over-turn with their teeth: and therefore they keepe them from entring into that fit, and separate the females apart from the males, making their parkes and enclosures asunder, as they doe by other beasts. The tamed sort of them serve in the warre, and carrie little castles or turrets with armed souldiers, to enter the squadrons and battailons of the enemies: and for the most part, all the service in the warres of the East, is perfourmed by them, and they especially determine the quarrell: these be they that breake the rankes, beare down armed men that are in the way, and stamp them under foot. These terrible beasts (as outragious otherwise as they seeme) are frighted with the least grunting that is of a swine: be they wounded at any time or put into a fright, backeward alwaies they goe, and doe as much mischiefe to their owne side that way, as to their enemies. The African Elephants are affraid of the Indian, and dare not look upon them; for in truth the Indian Elephants be farre bigger.

THE common sort of men thinke, that they goe with young ten yeeres: but Aristotle saith, that they goe but two yeeres, and that they breed but once and no more in their life, and bring not above one at a time: also that they live commonly by course of nature 200 yeers, and some of them 300. Their youthfull time and strength of age beginneth when they be three-score yeeres old: they love rivers above all things, and lightly ye shall have them evermore wandring about waters; and yet by reason otherwise of their bigge and unweldie bodies, swim they cannot. Of all things they can worst away with cold; and that is it they are most subject unto, and feele greatest inconvenience by: troubled they be also with the chollicke, and ventosities, as also with the fluxe of the bellie: other maladies they feele not. I find it written in histories, that if they drinke oile, the arrowes and darts which sticke in their bodies will come foorth and fall off: but the more that they sweat the sooner will they take hold and abide in stil the faster. The eating of earth breeds the consumption in them, unlesse they feed and chew often thereof: they devoure stones also. As for the trunkes and bodies of trees, it is the best meat they have, and therin take they most delight. If the date trees be too high that they cannot reach the fruit, they will overturne them with their forehead, and when they lie along, eat the dates. They chew and eat their meat with their mouth: but they breath, drinke, and smell, with their trunke, which not improperly is called their hand. Of all other living creatures, they cannot abide a mouse or a rat, and if they perceive that their provander lying in the manger, tast and sent never so little of them, they refuse it and will not touch it. They are mightily tormented with paine, if they chaunce in their drinking to swallow down an horsleech (which worme, I observe, they begin now to call, a bloud-sucker:) for so soone as this horsleech hath setled fast in his wind-pipe, he putteth him to intollerable paines. Their hide or skin of their backe, is most tough and hard; but in the belly, soft and tender: covered their skin is neither with haire nor bristle, no not so much as in their taile, which might serve them in good stead to drive away the busie and troublesome flie, (for as vast & huge a beast as he is, the flie haunteth and stingeth him) but full their skin is of crosse wrinckles lattise-wise; and besides that, the smell thereof is able to draw and allure such vermine to it: and therfore when they are laid stretched along, and perceive the flies by whole swarmes setled on their skin, sodainly they draw those cranies and crevises togither close, and so crush them all to death. This serves them instead of taile, maine, and long haire. Their teeth beare a very high price, and they yeeld the matter of greatest request, and most commendable, for to make the statues and images of the gods: but such is the superfluitie and excess of men, that they have devised another thing in them to commend; for they find forsooth a speciall daintie tast in the hard callous substance of that which they call their hand: for no other reason (I beleeve) but because they have a conceit that they eat yvorie, when they chaw this gristle of their trunke. In temples are to be seene Elephants teeth of the greatest size: howbeit in the marches of Africke where it confineth upon Æthyopia, they make of yvorie the verie principals and corner posts of their houses: also with the Elephants tooth, they make mounds and pales both for to enclose their grounds, and also to keepe in their beasts within parke, if it be true that Polybius reporteth, from the testimonie of king Gulußa.

ELEPHANTS breed in that part of Affricke which lyeth beyond the deserts and wildernesse of the Syrtes: also in Mauritania: they are found also among the Æthiopians and Troglodites, as hath been said: but India bringeth forth the biggest: as also the dragons, that are continually at variance with them, and evermore fighting, and those of such greatnesse, that they can easily claspe and wind round about the Elephants, and withall tye them fast with a knot. In this conflict they die, both the one and the other: the Elephant hee falls downe dead as conquered, and with his heavie weight crusheth and squeaseth the dragon that is wound and wreathed about him.

WONDERFUL is the wit and subtiltie that dumb creatures have, & how they shift for themselves and annoy their enemies: which is the only difficultie that they have to arise and grow to so great an heigth and excessive bignesse. The dragon therefore espying the Elephant when he goeth to releese, assaileth him from an high tree and launceth himself upon him; but the Elephant knowing well enough he is not able to withstand his windings and knittings about him, seeketh to come close to some trees or hard rockes, and so to crush & squise the dragon between him and them: the dragons ware hereof, entangle and snarle his feet and legges first with their taile: the Elephants on the other side, undoe those knots with their trunke as with a hand: but to prevent that againe, the dragons put in their heads into their snout, and so stop their wind, and withall, fret and gnaw the tenderest parts that they find there. Now in case these two mortall enemies chaunce to reencounter upon the way, they bristle and bridle one against another, and addresse themselves to fight; but the principall thing the dragons make at, is the eye: whereby it commeth to passe, that many times the Elephants are found blind, pined for hunger, and worne away, and after much languishing, for very anguish & sorrow die of their venime. What reason should a man alleadge of this so mortall warre betweene them, if it be not a verie sport of Nature and pleasure that shee takes, in matching these two so great enemies togither, and so even and equall in every respect? But some report this mutuall war between them after another sort: and that the occasion thereof ariseth from a naturall cause. For (say they) the Elephants bloud is exceeding cold, and therefore the dragons be wonderfull desirous thereof to refresh and coole themselves therewith, during the parching and hote season of the yeere. And to this purpose they lie under the water, waiting their time to take the Elephants at a vantage when they are drinking. Where they catch fast hold first of their trunke: and they have not so soone clasped and entangled it with their taile, but they set their venomous teeth in the Elephants eare, (the onely part of all their bodie, which they cannot reach unto with their trunke) and so bite it hard. Now these dragons are so big withall, that they be able to receive all the Elephants bloud. Thus are they sucked drie, untill they fall down dead: and the dragons again, drunken with their bloud, are squised under them, and die both together.

IN Æthyopia there be as great dragons bred, as in India, namely, twentie cubites long. But I marvell much at this one thing, why king Iuba should thinke that they were crested. They are bred most in a countrey of Æthyopia, where the Asachæi inhabite. It is reported, that upon their coasts they are enwrapped foure or five of them together, one within another, like to a hurdle or lattise worke, and thus passe the seas, for to find better pasturage in Arabia, cutting the waves, and bearing up their heads aloft, which serve them in steed of sailes.

Megasthenes writeth, that there be serpents among the Indians grown to that bignesse, that they are able to swallow stags or buls all whole. Metrodorus saith, That about the river Rhyndacus in Pontus, there be Serpents that catch and devour the foules of the aire, bee they never so good and flight of wings, and sore they never so high. Well knowne it is, that Attilius Regulus, Generall under the Romanes, during the warres against the Carthaginians, assailed a Serpent neere the river Bagrada, which caried in length 120 foot: and before he could conquer him, was driven to discharge upon him arrowes, quarrels, stones, bullets, and such like shot, out of brakes, slings, and other engines of artillerie, as if he had given the assault to some strong towne of warre. And the proofe of this was to be seene by the markes remaining in his skin and chaws, which, untill the warre of Numantia remained in a temple or conspicuous place of Rome. And this is the more credible, for that wee see in Italie other serpents named Boæ, so big and huge, that in the daies of the Emperour Claudius there was one of them killed in the Vaticane, within the bellie whereof there was found an infant all whole. This Serpent liveth at the first of kines milke, and thereupon taketh the name of Boæ. As for other beasts, which ordinarily of late are brought from all parts into Italie, and oftentimes have there been seene, needlesse it is for mee to describe their formes in parrticular curiously.

VERY few savage beasts are engendred in Scythia, for want of trees and pasturage. Few likewise in Germanie, bordering thereupon. Howbeit, that country bringeth forth certain kinds of goodly great wild boeufes: to wit, the Bifontes, mained with a collar, like Lions: and the Uri, a mightie strong beast, and a swift: which the ignorant people call Buffles, whereas indeed the buffle is bred in Affrica, and carieth some resemblance of a calfe rather, or a stag. The Northerne regions bring forth wild horses, which there are found in great troupes: like as in Asia and in Affricke there are to bee seene wild asses. Moreover, a certaine beast, called the Alce, very like to an horse, but that his eares are longer; and his necke likewise with two markes, which distinguish them asunder. Moreover, in the Island Scandinavia, there is a beast called Machlis, not much unlike to the Alce abovenamed: common he is there, and much talk we have heard of him, howbeit in these parts hee was never seene. Hee resembleth, I say, the Alce, but that hee hath neither joint in the hough, nor pasternes in his hind-legs: and therefore hee never lieth downe, but sleepeth leaning to a tree. And therefore the hunters that lie in await for these beasts, cut downe the tree whiles they are asleepe, and so take them: otherwise they should never bee taken, so swift of foot they are, that it is wonderfull. Their upper lip is exceeding great, and therefore as they grase and feed, they goe retrograde, least if they were passant forward, they should double that lip under their muzzle. There is (they say) a wild beast in Pæonia, which is called Bonasus, with a maine like an horse, otherwise resembling a bull: marie, his hornes bend so inward with their tips toward his head, that they serve him in no steed at all for fight, either to offend, or defend himselfe; and therefore, all the helpe that he hath, is in his good footmanship; and otherwhiles in his flight by dunging, which hee will squirt out from behind him three acres in length. This ordure of his is so strong and hot, that it burneth them that follow after him in chase, like fire, if haply they touch it. A strange thing it is, and wonderfull, that the Leopards, Panthers, Lions (and such like beasts) as they go, draw in the points of their clawes within their bodie, as it were into sheaths, because they should neither breake nor waxe blunt, but bee alwaies keene and sharpe: also, that when they run, they should turne the hooked nailes of their pawes backe, and never stretch them forth at length, but when they meane to assaile or strike anything.

THE Lions are then in their kind most strong and courageous, when the haire of their main or coller is so long, that it covereth both necke and shoulders. And this commeth to them at a certaine age, namely, to those that are engendered by Lions indeed. For such as have Pards to their sires, never have this ornament, no more than the Lionesse. These Lionesses are very letcherous, and this is the very cause that the Lions are so fell and cruell. This, Affricke knoweth best, and seeth most: and especially in time of a great drought, when for want of water, a number of wild beasts resort by troups to those few rivers that be there, and meet together. And hereupon it is, that so many strange shaped beasts, of a mixt and mungrell kind are there bred, whiles the males either perforce, or for pleasure, leape and cover the females of all sorts. From hence it is also, that the Greekes have this common proverbe, That Africke evermore bringeth forth some new and strange thing or other. The Lion knoweth by sent and smell of the Pard, when the Lionesse his mare hath plaied false, and suffered her selfe to be covered by him: and presently with all his might and maine runneth upon her for to chastise and punish her. And therefore when the Lionesse hath done a fault that way, shee either goeth to a river, and washeth away the strong and ranke savour of the Pard, or els keepeth aloofe, and followeth the Lion farre off, that hee may not catch the said smell. I see it is a common received opinion, that the Lionesse bringeth forth young but once in her life, for that her whelpes in her kinling, teare her belly with their nailes, and make themselves roume that way. Aristotle writeth otherwise, a man whom I cannot name, but with great honour and reverence, and whome in the historie and report of these matters I meane for the most part to follow. And in very truth king Alexander the great, of an ardent desire that he had to know the natures of all living creatures, gave this charge to Aristotle, a man singular and accomplished in all kinds of science and learning, to search into this matter, and to set the same downe in writing: and to this effect commanded certaine thousands of men, one or other, throughout all the tract, as well of Asia as Greece, to give their attendance, & obey him: to wit, all Hunters, Faulconers, Fowlers, and Fishers, that lived by those professions. Item, all Forresters, Park-keepers, and Watiners: all such as had the keeping of heards and stockes of cattell: of bee-hives, fish-pooles, stewes, and ponds: as also those that kept up foule, tame or wild, in mew, those that fed poultrie in barton or coupe: to the end that he should be ignorant of nothing in this behalfe, but be advertised by them, according to his commission, of all things in the world. By his conference with them, he collected so much, as thereof he compiled those excellent bookes de Animalibus, i. of Living creatures, to the number almost of fiftie. Which being couched by me in a narrow roume, and breefe Summarie, with the addition also of some things els which he never knew, I beseech the readers to take in good worth: and for the discoverie and knowledge of all Natures workes, which that most noble & famous king that ever was desired so earnestly to know, to make a short start abroad with mee, and in a breefe discourse by mine owne paines and diligence digested, to see all. To returne now unto our former matter. That great Philosopher Aristotle therfore reporteth, that the Lionesse at her first litter bringeth forth five whelpes, and every yeare after, fewer by one: and when she commeth to bring but one alone, shee giveth over, and becommeth barren. Her whelpes at the first are without shape, like small gobbets of flesh, no bigger than weasels. When they are sixe months old, they can hardly go, and for the two first, they stirre not a whit. Lions there be also in Europe (onely betweene the rivers Achelous and Nestus) and these verily be farre stronger than those of Affricke or Syria. Moreover, of Lions there be two kinds: the one short, well trussed and compact, with more crisp and curled maines, but these are timerous and but cowards to them that have long and plaine haire; for those passe not for any wounds whatsoever. The Lions lift up a legge when they pisse, as dogges doe: and over and besides that, they have a strong and stinking breath, their very bodie also smelleth ranke. Seldome they drinke, and eat but each other day: and if at any time they feed till they be full, they will abstaine from meat three daies after. In their feeding, whatsoever they can swallow without chawing, down it goes whole: and if they find their gorge and stomack too full, and not able indeed to receive according to their greedie appetite, they thrust their pawes downe their throats and with their crooked clees fetch out some of it againe, to the end they should not be heavie and slow upon their fulnesse, if haply they be put to find their feet and flie. Mine author Aristotle saith moreover, that they live verie long: and he prooveth it by this argument, That many of them are found toothless for very age. Polybius who accompanied [Scipio] Æmylianus in his voyage of Affrick, reporteth of them, That when they be grown aged, they will prey upon a man: the reason is, because their strength will not hold out to pursue in chase other wild beasts. Then, they come about the cities and good towns of Affrick, lying in await for their prey, if any folk come abroad: & for that cause, he saith, that whiles he was with Scipio he saw some of them crucified & hanged up, to the end that upon sight of them, other Lions should take example by them, and be skared from doing the like mischiefe. The Lion alone of all wild beasts is gentle to those that humble themselves unto him, and will not touch any such upon their submission, but spareth what creature soever lieth prostrate before him. As fell and furious as hee is otherwhiles, yet he dischargeth his rage upon men, before that he setteth upon women, and never preyeth upon babes unlesse it be for extreame hunger. They are verily persuaded in Libya, that they have a certaine understanding, when any man doth pray or entreat them for any thing. I have hard it reported for a truth, by a captive woman of Getulia (which being fled was brought home againe to her master) That shee had pacified the violent furie of many Lions within the woods and forrests, by faire language and gentle speech; and namely, that for to escape their rage, she hath been so hardie as to say, shee was a sillie woman, a banished fugitive, a sickely, feeble, and weake creature, an humble suiter and lowly suppliant unto him the noblest of all other living creatures, the soveraigne and commaunder of all the rest, and that shee was too base and not worthie that his glorious majestie should prey upon her. Many and divers opinions are currant, according to the sundrie occurrences that have hapned, or the inventions that mens wits have devised as touching this matter, namely, that savage beasts are dulced and appeased by good words and faire speech: as also that fell serpents may bee trained and fetche out of their holes by charmes, yea and by certaine conjurations and menaces restrained and kept under for a punishment: but whether it be true or no, I see it is not yet by any man set downe and determined. To come againe to our Lions: the signe of their intent and disposition, is their taile; like as in horses, their ears: for these two marks and tokens, certainly hath Nature given to the most couragious beasts of all others, to know their affections by: for when the Lion stirreth not his taile, he is in a good mood, gentle, mild, pleasantly disposed, and as if hee were willing to be plaied withall; but in that fit he is seldome seene: for lightly hee is alwaies angrie. At the first, when hee entreth into his choller, hee beateth the ground with his taile: when hee groweth into greater heats, he flappeth and and jerketh his sides and flanks withall, as it were to quicken himselfe, and stirre up his angry humor. His maine strength lieth in his breast: hee maketh not a wound (whether it be by lash of taile, scratch of claw, or print of tooth) but the bloud that followeth, is blacke. When his belly is once full, all his anger is past, and he doth no more harme. His generositie and magnanimitie he sheweth most in his daungers: which courage of his appeareth not onely herein, That he seemeth to depise all shot of darts against him, defending himselfe a long time onely with the terrible aspect of his countenance, and protesting as it were that he is unwilling to deale unlesse he be forced thereto in his owne defence, i. se defendendo, and at length maketh head againe, not as compelled and driven thereto for any perill that he seeth, but angred at their follie that assaile and set upon him: but herein also is seen rather his noble heart and courage, That be there never so many of hounds and hunters both following after him, so long as hee is in the open plaines where he may be seene, hee maketh semblance as though he contemned both dog and man, dismarching and retiring with honour, and otherwhiles seeming in his retreat to turne againe and make head; but when he hath gained the thickets and woods, and gotten once into the forrests out of sight, then he skuds away, then hee runneth amaine for life, as knowing full well that the trees and bushes hide him, that his shamefull dislodging and flight is not then espied. When he chaseth and followeth after other beasts, hee goeth alwaies saltant or rampant; which he never useth to doe when he is chased in sight, but is onely passant. If hee chaunce to be wounded, hee hath a marveilous eye to marke the partie that did it, and be the hunters never so many in number, upon him he runneth onely. As for him that hath let flie a dart at him, and yet missed his marke and done no hurt, if he chaunce to catch him, he all to touzeth, shaketh, tosseth, and turneth him lying along at his feet, but doth him no harme at all besides. When the Lionesse fighteth for her young whelpes, by report, she setteth her eies wistly and entirely upon the ground, because she would not be affrighted at the sight of the chasing-staves of the hunters. Lions are nothing at all crafty & fraudulent, neither be they suspicious: they never look askew, but alwaies cast their eie directly forward, & they love not that any man should in that sort looke side-long upon them. It is constantly beleeved, that when they lie a dying they bite the earth, and in their very death shed teares. This creature, so noble as he is, and withall so cruell and fell, trembleth and quaketh to heare the noise of cartwheeles, or to see them turne about; nay he cannot abide of all things charriots when they be void and emptie: frighted he is with the cocks comb, and his crowing much more, but most of all with the sight of fire. The Lion is never sick but of the peevishness of his stomacke, loathing all meat: and then the way to cure him, is to tie onto him certaine shee apes, which with their wanton mocking and making mowes at him, may move his patience and drive him for the verie indignitie of their malapert saucinesse, into a fit of madnesse; and then, so soone as he hath tasted their blood, he is perfectly well againe: and this is the onely remedie. Q. Scævola the sonne of Publius, was the first at Rome that in his Curule Ædileship exhibited a fight and combat of many Lions togither, for to shew the people pastime and pleasure: but L. Sylla, who afterwards was Dictatour, was the first of all others that in his Pretorship represented a shew of an hundred Lions with manes and collars of haire: and after him, Pompeius the Great shewed 600 of them fighting in the grand Cirque, whereof 315 were male Lions with mane. And Cæsar Dictatour brought 400 of them into the shew-place. The taking of them in old time was a verie hard peece of worke, and that was commonly in pit-fals: but in the Emperor Claudius his daies it chaunced, that a shepheard or heardman who came out of Gætulia, taught the manner of catching them: a thing (otherwise) that would have been though incredible, and altogither unbeseeming the name and honour of so goodly a beast. This Getulian I say, fortuned to encounter a Lion, and when he was violently assailed by him, made no more adoe but threw his mandilion or cassocke full upon his eies. This feat or cast of his was soone after practised in the open shew-place, in such sort, that a man would hardly have beleeved, but he that saw it, that so furious a beast should so easily be quailed and daunted so soone as ever hee felt his head covered, were the things never so light; making no resistance, but suffering one to doe what he would with him, even to bind him fast, as if in very truth all his vigor and spirit rested in his eyes. Lesse therefore is it to be marveiled at, that Lysimachus strangled a Lion, when as by commaundement of Alexander the Great, he was shut up alone togither with him. The first that yoked them at Rome and made them to draw in a charriot, was M. Antonius. And verily it was in the time of civill warre, after the battaile fought in the plaines of Pharsalia, a shrewd fore-token and unhappie presage for the future event, and namely, for men of an high spirit and brave mind in those daies, unto whom this prodigious sight did prognosticate the yoke of subjection: for what should I say, how Antonie rode in that wise with the courtisan Cytheris, a common Actresse in Enterludes upon the stage? to see such a sight, was a monstrous spectacle, that passed all the calamities of those times. It is reported, that Hanno (one of the noblest Carthaginians that ever were) was the first man that durst handle a Lion with his bare hand, and shewe him gentle and tame, to follow hiim all the citie over in a slip like a dogge. But this devise and tricke of his turned him to great domage, and cost him his utter undoing: for the Carthaginians hereupon laid this ground, that Hanno, a man of such a gift, so wittie and inventive of all devises, would be able to persuade the people to whatsoever his mind stood; and that it was a daungerous and ticklish point to put the libertie of so great a state as Carthage was, into the hands and managing of him, who could handle and tame the furious violence of so savage a beast: and thereupon condemned and banished him. Moreover we find in histories, many examples also of their clemencie and gentlenesse, seene upon divers casuall occasions. Mentor the Syracusan, fortuned in Syria to meet with a Lion, who after an humble manner, in token of obedience and submission, seemed to tumble and wallow before him: he astonied for very feare, started backe and began to flie, but the wild beast followed him still, and was readie at every turne to present himselfe before him, licking the verie tracks of his footsteps as he went, in flattering manner, as if he would make love unto him. Mentor at length was ware that the Lion had a wound in his foot, and that it swelled therewith: whereupon he gently plucked out the spill of wood that had gotten into it, and so eased the beast of his paine. This accident is for a memoriall represented in a picture at Syracusa. Semblably, Elpis a Samian being arrived and landed in Afrricke, chaunced to espie nere the shoare, a Lion, gaping wide and seeming afar off to whet his teeth at him in menacing wise: he fled apace to take a tree, and called upon god Bacchus to help him (for then commonly we fall to our praiers when we see little or no hope of other helpe:) but the Lion stopped him not in his flight, albeit he could have crossed the way well enough; but laying himselfe downe at the tree root with that open mouth of his wherewith he had skared the man, made signes to move pitie and compassion. Now so it was, that the beast having lately fed greedily, had gotten a sharpe bone within his teeth which put him to exceeding paine; besides that, he was almost famished: and he looked pittifully up to the man, shewing how he was punished himself among those very weapons wherwith he was to annoy others, and after a sort with dumb & mute praiers besought his helpe. Elpis avised him well a pretie while, and besides that hee was not very forward to venture upon the wild beast, he staied the longer and made the lesse hast, whiles he considered rather this straunge and miraculous accident, than otherwise greatly feared. At the last hee commeth downe from the tree, and plucketh out the bone, whiles the Lion held his mouth handsomly to him, and composing himselfe for to receive his helpfull hand as fitly as possibly he could. In recompence of which good turne, it is said, that so long as this ship of his lay there at anchor, the Lion furnished him and his companie with good store of venison readie killed to his hand. And upon this occasion, Elpis after his returne, dedicated a temple in Samos to god Bacchus, which upon this reason the Greekes called kichno'toV Dionuvsou, i. of Gaping Bacchus: or, swtu'roV navon Dionuvsou, i. The chappel of Bacchus the Saviour. Can wee marveile any more from henceforth, that wild beasts should marke and know the footing of a man, seeing that in their extremities and necessities, they have recourse to him alone for hope of succour? And why went not they to other creatures? or who taught them that the hand of man was able to cure them? unlesse this be the reason peradventure, That griefe, anguish, and extreame peril, forceth even saveage beasts to seeke all meanes of helpe and reliefe.

Demetrius the Philosopher, so well seen in the speculations of Natures workes, and the causes thereof, maketh mention of as memorable a case as the former, touching a Panther: for as hee saith, there was a Panther desirous to meet with a man, and therefore lay in the mids of an high-way until some passenger should come by, and sodainly was espied of the father of Philinus the Philosopher, who travailed that way. The man (for feare) began to retire and go backe againe, but the wild beast kept a tumbling and vaunting all about him; doubtlesse and by all apparance after a flattering sort, as if it would have had somewhat; and such a tossing and tormenting of it selfe she made, so piteously, that it might soone be sene in what griefe and paine the Panther was. The poore beast had but lately kindled, and her young whelpes were falne into a ditch, afarre off: well, the first point that the man shewed of pittie and commiseration was, not to be affraid; and the next was, to have regard and care of her: follow hee did the Panther, as she seemed to traine and draw him by his garment (which with her clawes she tooke hold of full daintily) untill they were come to the pit or ditch abovesaid. So soone then as he knew the occasion of her griefe and sorrow, and withall, what might bee the reward of his courtesie, even as much as his life came to, hee drew foorth her little ones that were falne downe into the said pit: which done, she and her whelpes togither leaping and shewing gambols for joy, accompanied him, and through the wildernesse directed him all the way, untill he was gotten forth. So as it appeared in her, that she was thankefull unto him and requited his kindnesse, albeit their passed no covenant nor promise betweene them of any such recompense: a rare example to be found even amongst men. This storie and such like, give great colour of truth to what Democritus reporteth; namely, That Thoas in Arcadia saved his life by the meanes of a dragon. This Thoas being but a verie child, had loved this dragon when he was but young, exceeding well, and nourished him: but at last, being in some dread of the serpents nature, and not well knowing his qualities, and fearing withall the bignesse that now hee was growne unto, had carried him into the mountaines and deserts: wherein it fortuned that hee was afterwards set upon and environed by theeves: whereupon he cried out, and the dragon knowing his voice, came foorth and rescued him. As for babes and infants cast forth to perish, and sustained by the milke of wild beasts, like as Romulus and Remus our first founders, were suckled by a shee wolfe: such things in mine opinion are in all reason to be attributed more to fortune and fatall destinies, than to the nature of those savage beasts. The Panthers and Tygers, are in a manner the only beasts (that for their variety of spotted skins, and *furres which they yeeld) in great request, and commendable: for other beasts have each one a proper colour of their owne, according to their kind. Lions there be all blacke, but those are found in Syria onely. The ground of the Panthers skin, is white, beset all over with little blacke spots like eyes. It is said, that all four-footed beasts are wonderfully delighted and enticed by the smell of Panthers; but their hideous looke and crabbed countenance which they bewray so soone as they shew their heads, skareth them as much againe: and therefore their maner is, to hide their heads, and when they have trained other beasts within their reach by their sweet savour, they flie upon them and worrie them. Some report, that they have one marke on their shoulder resembling the moone, growing and decreasing as she doth, sometime shewing a full compasse, and other-whiles hollowed and pointed with rips like hornes. In all this kind and race of wild beasts, now a daies they call the male **Variæ and Pardi: and great abundance there is of them in Affricke and Syria. Some there be againe, that make no other difference betweene the Luzernes, Leopards, and these Panthers, but onely this, that the Panthers be white; and as yet I know no other markes to discerne them by. There passed an old Act and ordinance of the Senate, forbidding expressely that any Panthers of Affricke should be brought into Italie. Against this edict, Cn. Aufidius a Tribune of the commons, put up another Bill unto the people; and graunted it was, That for the solemnitie of the games Circenses, they might be brought over. Scaurus was the first man who in his Ædileship exhibited a shew unto the people of 150 Luzernes togither. After him, Pompeius the Great brought forth 410. The Emperor Augustus, 420: who also in the yeere that Q. Tubero and Fabius Maximus were Consuls together (upon the 4 day before the Nones of May, at the dedication of the Theatre of Marcellus) was the first of all others that shewed a tame tygre within a cage: but the Emperour Claudius, foure at once.

TYGRES are bred in Hircania and India: this beast is most dreadfull for incomparable swiftnesse, and most of all seen it is in the taking of her young: for her litter (whereof there is a great number) by the hunters is stolne and carried away at once, upon a most swift horse for the purpose; lying in wait to espie when the dam is abroad: and shifteth this bootie from one fresh horse to another, riding away upon the spurre as hard as they can. But when the Tigresse commeth and finds her nest and den emptie (for the male Tigre hath no care nor regard at all of the young) she runnes on end after her young ones, and followeth those that carried them away, by the sent of their horse footing. They perceiving the Tigresse to approach by the noise that shee maketh, let fall or cast from them one of her whelpes: up shee taketh it in her mouth, and away she runneth toward her den swifter, for the burden that shee carrieth: and presently she setteth out againe, followeth the quest after her fawnes; and overtaketh the hunter that had them away. Thus runneth she too and fro, untill she see that they be embarked and gone, and then for anger that she hath not sped of her purpose, she rageth upon the shore and the sands, for the losse of her fawnes.

As for Camels, they are nourished in theLevant or East parts among other heards of great cattaile. Two kinds there be of them, the Bactrians, and the Arabicke; and herein they differ: the Backtrians have two bunches upon their backes; the other, but one apeece there, but they have another in their breast, wherupon they rest and lie. Both sorts want the upper row of teeth in their mouthes, like as bulls and kine. In those parts from whence they come, they serve all to carrie packes like labouring horses, and they are put to service also in the warres, and are backed of horsemen: their swiftnesse is comparable to that of horses: they grow to a just measure, and exceed not a certaine ordinarie strength. The camell in his travailing, will not goe a jote farther than his ordinarie journey, neither will carrie more than his accustomed and usuall lode. Naturally they hate horses. They can abide to be foure daies together without drinke; and when they take occasion to drinke and meet with water, they fill their skin full enough to serve both for the time past and to come: but before they drinke, they must tample with their feet to raise mud and sand, and so trouble the water, otherwise they take no pleasure in their drinking. They live commonly 50 yeeres, and some of them an hundred. These creatures also otherwhile fall to be mad, so much as it is. Moreover, they have a devise to splay even the very females, to make them serviceable for the warres; for if they be not covered, they become the stronger and more couragious.

Two other kinds of beasts there be, that resemble in some sort, the Camels: the one is called of the Æthyopians, the Nabis, necked like an horse, for legge and foot not unlike the boeufe, headed for all the world as a camell, beset with white spots upon a red ground, whereupon it taketh the name of Camelopardalus: & the first time that it was seen at Rome, was in the games Circenses set out by Cæsar Dictatour: since which time, hee commethh now and then to Rome, to be looked upon more for sight than for any wild nature that he hath: whereupon some have given her the name of a Savage sheepe.

THE Hind-wolfe, which some call Chaüs, and the Gaules were wont to name Rhaphius (resembling in some sort a wolfe with Leopards spots) were shewed first in the solemnitie of the games and plaies exhibited by Cn. Pompeius the Great. He also brought out of Æthyopia other beasts, named ***Cephi, whose fore-feet were like to mens hands, and the hinder feet and legges resembled those of a man. He was never seene afterwards at Rome.

IN the same solemnities of Pompey, as many times else, was shewed a Rhinoceros, with one horne and no more, and the same in his snout or muzzle. This is a second enemie by nature to an Elephant. He fileth that horne of his against hard stones, and maketh it sharpe against he should fight; and in his conflict with the Elephant, he layeth principally at his bellie, which he knoweth to be more tender than the rest. He is full as long as he, his legges are much shorter, and of the boxe colour.

ONCES are common, so are Marmozets, with a browne duskish haire, having dugs in their breast. Æthiopia breedeth them, like as many other monstrous beasts: to wit, horses with wings, and armed with hornes, which they call Pegasi. Also the Crocutes [a kind of mastive dogges] engendered between a dog and a wolfe: these are able to crash with their teeth whatsoever they can come by, and a thing is no sooner downe their swallow and got into their stomacke, but presently they digest it. Moreover, the †the Monkies with blacke heads, otherwise haired like Asses, differing from other Apes in their crie. The Indians have certaine boeufes with one horn, and others with three. Also the Leocrocuta, a most swift beast, as big almost as an hee-asse, legged like an Hart, with a neck, taile, and breast of a Lion, headed like these grayes or badgers, with a cloven foot in twaine: the slit of his mouth reacheth to his eares: instead of teeth, an entire whol bone. They report, that this beast counterfeiteth a mans voice. They have among them besides all these, another beast named Eale, for bignesse equal to the river-horse, tailed like to an Elephant, either blacke or reddish tawnie of colour: his mandibles or chawes resemble those of a bore: he hath hornes above a cubit long, which he can stirre or moove as hee list; for being in fight, hee can set them both or one of them as hee will himselfe, altering them every way; one while streight forward to offend, other whiles bending byas, as he hath reason to nort or push, to ward or avoid his enemie.⁷ But the most fell and cruell of all others in that countrey, be the wild bulls of the forrest, greater than our common field bulles: most swift, of colour brended, their eyes gray or blewish, their haire growing contrarie, their mouth wide and reaching to their ears: their hornes likewise hard by, mooveable; their hide as hard as a flint, checking the dent of any weapon whasoever, and cannot be pierced: all other wild beasts they chase and hunt; themselves cannot be taken but in pit-fals: in this their wildnesse and rage they die, and never become tamed. Ctesias writeth, that in Æthiopia likewise there is a beast which he calleth Mantichora, having three rankes of teeth, which when they meet togither are let in one within another like the teeth of combes: with the face and eares of a man, with red eyes; of colour sanguine, bodied like a lyon, and having a taile armed with a sting like a scorpion: his voice resembleth the noise of a flute and trumpet sounded together: very swift he is, and mans flesh of all others hee most desireth. In India, there be found boeufes whole hoofed, with single hornes: also a wild beast named ††Axis, with a skin like a fawn or hind-calfe; howbeit marked with more spots, and those whiter. This beast is consecrated to Bacchus, and under his protection. The Orsians of India hunt Apes, and take a number of them, white all over. But the most fell and furious beast of all other, is the Licorne or Monoceros: his bodie resembleth an horse, his head a stagge, his feet an Elephant, his taile a bore; he loweth after an hideous manner; one blacke horn he hath in the mids of his forehead, bearing out two cubits in length: by report, this wild beast cannot possibly be caught alive. Among the Hesperian Æthyopians, there is a fountaine named Nigris, the head (as many have thought) of the river Nilus, and good reasons there be to carrie it, which we have alleadged before: neere to which spring, there keepeth a wild beast called Catoblepes, little of bodie otherwise, heavie also and slow in his limmes besides, but his head onely is so great that his bodie is hardly able to beare it; hee alwaies carrieth it downe toward the earth, for if hee did not so, he were able to kill all mankind: for there is not one that looketh upon his eyes, but hee dyeth presently. The like propertie hath the serpent called a Basiliske: bred it is in the province Cyrenaica, and is not above twelve fingers-breadth long: a white spot like a starre it carrieth on the head, and setteth it out like a coronet or diademe: if he but hisse once, no other serpents dare come neere: he creepeth not winding and crawling by as other serpents doe, with one part of the bodie driving the other forward, but goeth upright and aloft from the ground with the one halfe part of his bodie: he killeth all trees and shrubs not only that he toucheth, but that he doth breath upon also: as for grasse and hearbs, those hee sindgeth and burneth up, yea and breaketh stones in sunder: so venimous and deadly is he. It is received for a truth, that one of them upon a time was killed with a launce by an horseman from his horseback, but the poison was so strong that went from his bodie along the staffe, as it killed both horse and man: and yet a sillie weazle hath a deadly power to kill this monstrous serpent, as pernicious as it is [for may kings have been desirous to see the experience thereof, and the manner how he is killed.] See how Nature hath delighted to match everything in the world with a concurrent. The manner is, to cast these weazles into their holes and cranies where they lye, (and easie they be to knowe, by the stinking sent of the place all about them:) they are not so soone within, but they overcome them with their strong smell, but they die themselves withall; and so Nature for her pleasure hath the combat dispatched.

IT is commonly thought likewise in Italie, that the eye-sight of wolves is hurtfull; in so much, as if they see a man before he espie them, they cause him to loose his voice for the time. They that be bred in Affricke and Ægypt, are but little, and withall nothing lively but without spirit. In the colder clime, they be more eger and cruel. That men may be transformed into wolves, and restored againe to their former shapes, we must confidently beleeve to be a lowd lie, or else give credit to all those tales which wee have for so many ages found to be meere fabulous untruths. But how this opinion grew first, and is come to be so firmely setled, that when wee would give men the most opprobrious words of defiance that we can, wee tearme them †††Versipelles, I thinke it not much amisse in a word to shew. Euanthes (a writer among the Greekes, of good account and authoritie) reporteth, that hee found among the records of the Arcadians, That in Arcadia there was a certain house and race of the Antæi, out of which one evermore must of necessitie be transformed into a wolfe: and when they of that familie have cast lots who it shall be, they use to accompanie the partie upon whome the lot is falne, to a certaine meere or poole in that countrey: when he is thither come, they turne him naked out of all his clothes, which they hang upon an oke thereby; then he swimmeth over the said lake to the other side, and being entred into the wildrenesse, is presently transfigured and turned into a wolfe, and so keepeth companie with his like of that kind for nine yeeres space: during which time, (if he forbeare all the while to eat mans flesh) he returneth againe to the same poole or pond, and being swomme over it, receiveth his former shape againe of a man, save onely that hee shall looke nine yeeres elder than before. Fabius addeth one thing more and saith, That he findeth againe the same apparell that was hung up in the oke aforesaid. A wonder it is to see, to what passe these Greekes are come in their credulitie: there is not so shamelesse a lye, but it findeth one or other of them to uphold and maintaine it. And therefore Agriopas, who wrote the Olympionicæ, telleth a tale of one Dæmœnetus Parrhasius, That he upon a time at a certain solemne sacrifice (which the Arcadians celebrated in the honour of Iupiter Lycæus) tasted of the inwards of a child that was killed for a sacrifice, according to the manner of the Arcadians (which even then was to shed mans blood in their divine service) and so was turned into a wolfe: and the same man ten yeeres after, became a man againe, was present at the exercise of publicke games, wrestled, did his devoir, and went away with victorie home againe from Olympia. Over and besides, it is commonly thought and verily beleeved, that in the taile of this beast, there is a little string or haire that is effectuall to procure love, and that when he is taken at any time, hee casteth it away from him, for that it is of no force and vertue unlesse it be taken from him whiles he is alive. He goeth to rut in the whole yeere not above twelve daies. When he is very hungrie and can get no other prey, he feedeth upon the earth. In the case of presages and fore-tokens of things to come, this is observed, That if men see a wolfe abroad, cut his way and turne to their right hand, it is good; but if his mouth be full when he doth so, there is not a better signe nor more luckie in the world again. There be of this kind that are called Hart-wolves, such as wee said that Pompey shewed in the grand Cirque, brought out of Fraunce. This beast (they say) be he never so hungry when hee is eating, if he chaunce to looke backe, forgetteth his meat, slinketh away, and seeketh for some other prey.

AS touching Serpents, wee see it ordinarie that for the most part they are of the colour of the earth wherein they lie hidden: and an infinite number of sortes there be of them. The Serpent Cerastes hath many times foure small hornes, standing out double, with moving whereof shee amuseth the birds, and traineth them unto her for to catch them, hiding all the rest of her bodie.

The Amphisbæna hath two heads, as it were, that is to say, one at the taile, as if shee were not hurtfull ynough to cast her poison at one mouth only. Some are skaled, others spotted and painted: but generally, the venome of them all is most deadly. There bee of them, that from the boughes of trees shoot and launce themselves: in such manner, as that we are not onely to take heed of Serpents, as they goe and glide about the ground, but also to looke unto them that flie as a dart or arrow sent out of an engine. The Aspides swell about the necke when they purpose to sting: and no remedie is there for them that are stung or bitten by them, unlesse the parts that are wounded, bee cut off presently. This pestilent creature, as venomous as hee is, hath one point yet of understanding, or affection rather: you shal not see them wandering abroad but two and two together, the male and female, as if they were yoked together; and unneth, or not at all, can they live alone without their mate: so that if the one of them bee killed, it is incredible how the other seeketh to bee revenged. It pursueth the murderer, it knoweth him againe amongst a number of people, be they never so many: him it courseth, and laieth for his life: notwithstanding what difficulties soever, it breaketh through all, be it never so farre thither, and nothing may impeach this revenging humor, unlesse some river be betweene to keepe it backe, or that the partie make speed and escape away in great hast. And I assure you, I am not able to say, whether Nature hath beene more free and prodigall in sending among us such noisome things, or giving us remedies againe for them. For to begin withall: she hath affourded to this hurtfull creature but a darke sight, and a dim paire of eies; and those not placed in the fore-part of the head, to see forward and directly, but set in the very temples. And hereof it is, that these Serpents are raised oftener by their hearing than sight.

BESIDES the foresaid infirmitie, there is mortall warre betweene them and the Ichenumones or rats of India. A beast this is, well knowne to the Aspis, in this regard especially, that it is bred likewise in the same Ægypt. The manner of this Icheneumon is, to wallow oftentimes within the mud, and then to drie it selfe against the Sunne: and when hee hath thus armed himselfe as it were with many coats hardened in this manner, he goeth forth to combat with the Aspis. In fight he sets up his taile, & whips about, turning his taile to the enemie, & therin latcheth and receiveth all the strokes of the Aspis, and taketh no harm thereby: and so long maintaineth he a defensive battell, until he spie a time, turning his head ato-side, that he may catch the Aspis by the throat, & throttle it. And not content thus to have vanquished this enemie, he addresseth himselfe to a conflict with another, as hurtfull every way and dangerous as the former.

THE river Nilus nourisheth the Crocodile: a venomous creature, foure footed, as daungerous upon water as the land. This beast alone, of all other that keepe the land, hath no use of a tongue. He onely moveth the upper jaw or mandible, wherewith he biteth hard: and otherwise terrible hee is, by reason of the course and ranke of his teeth which close one within another, as if two combes grew together. Ordinarily, he is above eighteene cubites in length. The female laieth egs as big as geese doe: and sitteth ever upon them out of the water. For a certaine naturall fore-knowledge she hath, how farre Nilus the river will that yeare rise when hee is at the highest, and without it will shee bee sure to sit. There is not another creature againe in the world, that of a smaller beginning, groweth to a bigger quantitie. His feet be armed with clawes for offence, and his skin so hard, that it wil abide any injurie whatsoever, and not be peirced. All the day time the Crocodile keepeth upon the land, but hee passeth the night in the water: and in good regard of the season he doth both the one and the other. When hee hath filled his bellie with fishes, he lieth to sleepe upon the sands in the shore: and for that he is a great and greedie devourer, somewhat of the meat sticketh evermore betweene his teeth. In regard wherof commeth the wren, a little bird called there Trochilos, and the king of birds in Italie: and shee for her victuals sake, hoppeth first about his mouth, falleth to pecking and piking it with her little neb or bill, and so forward to the teeth, which she cleanseth; and all to make him gape. Then getteth shee within his mouth, which he openeth the wider, by reason that he taketh so great delight in this her scraping and scouring of his teeth and chawes. Now when he is lulled as it were fast asleepe with this pleasure and contentment of his: the rat of India, or Ichneumon abovesaid, spieth his vantage, and seeing him lie thus broad gaping, whippeth into his mouth, and shooteth himselfe downe his throat as quicke as an arrow, and then gnaweth his bowels, eateth an hole through his bellie, and so killeth him.

Within the river Nilus there breeds another Serpent called Scincos, like in forme and proportion somewhat to the Croccodile, but not all so big as the Ichneumon: the flesh whereof serveth for a singular Antidote or countre-poyson; as also for to provoke the heat of lust in men.

But to returne againe to the Crocodile: the mischefe that he doth is so great, that Nature is not content to have given him one mortall enemie and no more; and therefore the Dolphins also enter the river Nilus in despight of the Crocodiles, that take themselves for kings there, as if this river were their peculiar kingdome: but seeing they be otherwise inferior to the Crocodiles in strength, who alwaies drive them away from preiding or feeding there, they devise to overmatch him in slie craft and subtiltie, and so kill him. And in truth they have certain fins or wings as it were upon their backe, as trenchant and keene as knives, properly made as it were, for this purpose. For surely all creatures are herein naturally very skilfull and cunning, to know not onely their owne good, and what is for them, but also what may hurt and annoy their enemies. Ware they bee what offensive weapons they have, and of what force they are: they are not ignorant of fit occasions and opportunities to take their vantage, ne yet of the weake parts of their occurrents, by which they may assaile and conquer them the sooner. Thus the Dolphins knowing full well, that the skin of the Crocodiles bellie is thin and soft, make as though they were afraid of them as he commeth, and so dive under the water, untill he have gotten under his bellie, & then punch and cut it with the foresaid sharp-pointed finnes. Moreover, there is a kind of people that carie a deadly hatred to the Crocodile, and they bee called Tentyrites, of a certaine Island even within Nilus, which they inhabite. The men are but small of stature, but in this quarrell against the Crocodiles, they have hearts of Lions, and it is wonderfull to see how resolute and courageous they are only in this behalfe. Indeed, this Crocodile is a terrible beast to them that flie from him: but contrarie, let men pursue him or make head againe, hee runneth away most cowardly. Now, these Islanders be the onely men that dare encountre him affront. Over and besides, they will take the river, and swim after them, nay they will mount upon their backes, and sit them like horsemen: and as they turne their heads, with their mouth wide open to bite or devour them, they will thrust a club or great cudgell into it crosse overthwart, and so holding hard with both hands each end thereof, the one with the right, and the other with the left, and ruling them perforce (as it were) with a bit and bridle, bring them to land like prisoners: when they have them there, they will so fright them onely with their words and speech, that they compell them to cast up and vomit those bodies againe to bee enterred, which they had swallowed but newly before. And therefore it is, that this is the only Island which the Crocodiles will not swim unto: for the very smell and sent of these Tentyrites is able to drive them away, like as the Pselli with their savour put Serpents to flight. By report, this beast seeth but badly in the water: but be they once without, they are most quicke-sighted. All the foure Winter months they live in a cave, and eat nothing at all. Some are of opinion, that this creature alone groweth all his life: and surely a great time he liveth.

The same river Nilus bringeth foorth another beast called Hippopotamus, i. a River-horse. Taller hee is from the ground than the Crocodile: hee hath a cloven foot like a boeufe: the backe, maine, and haire of an horse: and he hath his neighing also. His muzzle or snout turneth up: his taile twineth like the bores, and his teeth likewise are crooked and bending downewards as the bores tuskes, but not so hutfull: the skin or hide of his backe unpenetrable [whereof are made targuets and head-peeces of doutie proofe, that no weapon will pierce] unlesse it be soked in water, or some liquor. He eateth down the standing corne in the field: and folke say, that he setteth downe beforehand where he will pasture and feed day by day: and when he setteth forward to any field for his releefe, he goes alwaies backeward, and his tracts are seene leading from thence, to the end, that against his return he should not be forelaied, nor followed by his footing.

Marcus Scaurus was the first man, who in his plaies and games that hee set out by his office of Ædileship, made a shew of one Water-horse, and foure Crocodiles, swimming in a poole or mote made for the time during those solemnities.

The River-horse hath taught Physicians one devise, in that part of their profession which is called Chirurgerie. For he finding himselfe over-grosse and fat, by reason of his high feeding so continually, getteth forth of the water to the shore, having espied afore where the reeds and marshes have been newly cut: and where he seeth the sharpest cane and best pointed, hee setteth his bodie hard to it, for to pricke a certaine veine in one of his legges, and thus by letting himselfe bloud, maketh evacuation: whereby his bodie, otherwise enclining to diseases and maladies, is well eased of the superfluous humour: and when he hath thus done, he stoppeth the orifice again with mud, and so stancheth the bloud, and healeth up the wound.

THE like devise to this, namely of clystres, we learned first of a foule in the same Ægypt, which is called Ibis (or the blacke Storke.) This bird having a crooked and hooked bill, useth it in steed of a syringe or pipe, to squirt water into that part, whereby it is most kind and holsome to void the doung and excrements of meat, and so purgeth and cleaneth her bodie. Neither have dumbe creatures directed us to these feats onely practised by the hand, which might serve for our use to the preservation of our health and cure of diseases. For the Harts first shewed us the vertue of the hearbe Dictamnus or Dittanie, to draw out arrows forth of the bodie. Perceiving themselves shot with a shaft, they have recourse presently to that hearbe, and with eating thereof, it is driven out againe. Moreover, they also when they are stung with the Phalangium, a kind of spider, or some such venomous vermine, cure themselves with eating crai-fishes, or fresh-water crabbes.

There is a certaine hearbe called Calaminth, most soveraigne and singular against the biting of Serpents: wherewith the Lizards, whensoever they have fought with them, cure their wounds by applying it thereto.

Celendine [the greater] a most holesome hearbe for the eiesight, the Swallowes taught us how to use. For with it they helpe their young ones, when their eies be sore, & put them to griefe.

The land Torteise by eating of a kind of Saverie or Marjaram, which they call Cunila bubula, armeth himselfe against poyson, when he should fight with Serpents.

The Weasell useth Rue as a preservative, when hee purposeth to hunt for Rats, in case hee should joine in fight with any of them.

The Storke feeling himselfe amisse, goeth to the hearbe Organ for remedie. And the Bore, when hee is sicke, is his owne Physician, by eating yvie and crab-fishes, such especially as the sea casteth up to shore.

The Snake by restinesse and lying still all Winter, hath a certaine membrane or filme growing over her whole bodie: but having recourse to Fennell, with the juice thereof she casteth that old coat that cloggeth her, and appeareth fresh, slicke, and young again. Now the manner of this her uncasing, is this: she beginneth first at the head, and turneth the skin over it, and thus she is a whole day and a night a folding it backeward, before the inside of that membrane can bee turned outward, and so she is cleane rid of it. Moreover, when by lying still and keeping close all the Winter time, her sight is become dim and darke, shee rubbeth and scoureth her selfe with the said hearbe Fennell, and therewith annointeth and comforteth her eies. But if the skales that are overgrowne her skin, be hard and stiffe, not willing to part and be removed, shee maketh no more adoe, but scratcheth them with sharpe juniper prickes.

The Dragon finding a certatine loathing of meat, and overturning of her stomacke in the Spring time, cureth and helpeth the same with the juice of the wild Lectuce.

The barbarous people when they hunt the Panthers, rub the gobbets of flesh, which they lay as a bait for them, with Aconitum (a kind of poyson-full hearb.) The beasts have no sooner touched the flesh, but presently their throat swelleth, and they are readie to bee stifled and choked: whereupon some men have called this venomous hearb Pardalianches, i. Libard baine, or choke Libard. But the wild beast hath a remedie against this, namely, the ordure and excrements of a man: yea, and at other times also, when he is not thus poysoned, so eager he is thereof, that when the sheepheards for the nonce have hanged them up aloft in some vessell above their reach, although they leape up at them, hee is readie to faint with mounting on high, and straininig to get the same, and in the end killeth himselfe therwith, and lieth dead on the ground. And yet otherwise he is too untoward for to be killed, and so long it is ere he will die, that when he is paunched, and his very gutscome forth of his bellie, he will live still, and fight.

The Elephant if he chaunce to let the [Lizard] Chameleon goe downe his throat among other hearbs or leaves, (which this Lizard alwaies is like unto in colour) hee goeth streightwaies to the wild Olive, the onely remedie he hath of this poyson.

Beares, when they have eaten Mandrage apples, licke up Pismires to cure themselves withall.

The Stag and Hind feeling themselves poysoned with some venomous weed among the grasse where they pasture, goe by and by to the Artichoke, and therewith cure themselves.

The Stock-doves, the Iaies, Merles, Blackbirds, Ousels, recover their appetite to meat, which once in a yeare they loose, with eating Bay-leaves that purge their stomacke. Partridges, House-doves, Turtledoves, and all Pullein, as Hens, Cockes, and Capons, doe the like with Parietarie of the wall. Duckes, Geese, and other water-foules purge with the hearbe Endive or Chicorie. Cranes and such like helpe themselves that way with the Marrish reed.

The Raven when he hath killed the Chameleon, and yet perceiving that hee is hurt and poysoned by him, flieth for remedie to the Lawrell, and with it represseth and extinguisheth the venome that he is infected withall.

MOREOVER, the same universall Nature hath given a thousand properties besides unto beasts: and namely, hath endued very many of them with the knowledge and observation of the aire above, giving us good meanes by them diverse waies, to fore-see what weather wee shall have, what winds, what raine, what tempests will follow: which to decipher in perticular, it is not possible, no more than to discourse throughly of their other qualities they have, respective to the societie with every man. For they advertise and warne us beforehand of dangers to come, not onely by their fibres and bowels (about the skill and presage whereof, the most part of the world is amused) but also by other manner of tokens and significations. When an house is readie to tumble downe, the mice goe out of it before: and first of all, the spiders with their webs fall down. As for the flight of birds and their fore-tokening, called Augurie, there is an Art of it, and the knowledge thereof is reduced into a method, in so much as at Rome there was a colledge of Augures instituted: by which it may appeare in what account and regard that sacerdotall dignitie and profession was. In Thracia, which is a cold and frozen countrey, the Fox also will not passe over any river or poole that is frozen, before hee trie the thicknesse of the yce by his eare, and otherwise it is a beast most quicke of hearing. And observed it is, that men never venture therupon, but when he goeth to releese, or returneth from thence, and then he laieth his eare close to the yce, and guesseth thereby how thicke the water is frozen.

NOTHING is more certain and notorious than this, that much hurt and dammage hath ben known to come from small contemptible creatures, which otherwise are of no reckoning and account. M. Varro writeth, That there was a towne in Spaine undermined by Connies: and another likewise in Thessalie, by the Moldwarpes. In Fraunce, the inhabitants of one citie were driven out and forced to leave it, by Frogs. Also in Affricke the people were compelled by Locusts to void their habitations: and out of Gyaros an Island, one of the Cyclades, the Islanders were forced by Rats & Mice to flie away. Moreover, in Italie the citie Amyclæ was destroied by Serpents. In Æthyopia, on this side the Cynamolgi, there is a great countrey lieth wast and desert, by reason that it was dispeopled sometime by Scorpions, and a kind of Pismires called Solpugæ. And if it be true that Theophrastus reporteth, the Treriens were chased by certaine worms caled Scolopendres. but now let us returne to other kinds of wild beasts.

AS touching Hyænes, it is commonly beleeved, that they have two natures, and that every second yeere they chaunge their sexe, being this yeere males, and the next yeere females. Howbeit, Aristotle denieth it. Their necke and the mane therewith, together with the backe, are one entire bone without any joynt at all, so as they cannot bend their necke without turning the whole bodie about. Many strange matters are reported of this beast, and above all other, that hee will counterfet mans speech, and comming to the sheepheards cottages, will call one of them forth, whose name he hath learned, and when he hath him without, all to worrie and teare him in peeces. Also it is said, that hee will vomit like a man, thereby to traine dogs to come unto him, and then will devour them. Also, this beast alone of all others, will search for mens bodies within their graves and sepulchres, and rake them forth. The female is sildome taken. Hee chaungeth his eies into a thousand diverse colours. Moreover, if a dog come within his shadow, he presently looseth his barking, and is quite dumbe. Againe, by a kind of magicall charme or enchantment, if he goe round about ay other living creature but three times, it shall not have the power to stirre a foot, and remoove out of the place. The Lionesses of Æthyopia, if they bee covered with any of this kind, bring forth another beast called Leocrocuta, which likewise knoweth how to counterfet the voice both of man, and of other beasts. He seeth continually with both eies: hee hath one entire bone in steed of teeth in either jaw (and no gombs at all) wherewith he cutteth, as with a knife. Now these bones, becuase they should not waxe dull and blunt with continuall grating one against the other, they are enclosed each of them within a case or sheath.

Iuba reporteth, that the Mantichora also in Æthyopia resembleth mens language. Great store of Hyenes be found in Affricke: which also yeeldeth a multitude of wild asses. And one of the males is able to rule and lead a whole flocke of the female asses. This beast is so jealous, that they looke narrowly to the females great with young: for so soone as they have foled, they bite off the cods of the little ones that be males, and so gueld them. But contrariwise, the she asses when they be big, seeke corners, and keepe out of their way, that they might bring forth their young secretly without the knowledge of the Stallions: for desirous they are to have many males: so letcherous they be, and glad evermore to be covered.

The Bievers in Pontus gueld themselves, when they see how neere they are driven, and bee in danger of the hunters: as knowing full well, that chased they bee for their genetoires: and these their stones, Physicians call Castoreum. And otherwise, this is a daungerous and terrible beast with his teeth. For verily, hee will bite downe the trees growing by the river sides, as if they were cut with an axe. Looke where he catcheth hold of a man once, he never leaveth nor letteth loose untill hee have knapped the bones in sunder, and heard it cracke againe. Tailed hee is like a fish, otherwise he resembleth the otter. Both those beasts live in the water altogether, and carrie an haire softer than any plume or downe of feathers.

THE venomous frogs and todes called Rubetæ, which live both on land, and also in the water, yeeld many good things medicinable. It is said, that their manner is to let goe and cast from them all that is good within them, reserving onely to themselves all the poyson: and when they have beene at their food, take the same up againe. The Sea-calfe likewise liveth both in the sea, and upon the land: and hath the same nature and qualitie that the beiver is, for hee casteth up his gall, which is good for many medicines: and so he doth his runnet in the maw, which is a singular remedie for the falling sicknesse: for well is he ware, that men seeke after him for these two things. Theophrastus writeth, That the Lisards called Stelliones, cast their old coat, like as snakes doe, but when they have so done, they eat it up againe, and so prevent men of the helpe thereby for the said falling evill. He reporteth besides, that their stings and bitings in Greece be venomous and deadly: but in Sicilie harmelesse.

THE Bucke or Stag, albeit that he be the most gentle and mild beast in the world, yet is he as envious as the rest, & loth to part with that which is good for others. Howbeit, if he chance to bee overlaied with hounds, then gently of himselfe hee hath recourse to a man. Likewise, the Hinds when they are to calve, chuse rather some place neere to the paths and waies that are beaten with mans steps, than secret corners, for feare of other wild beasts. They begin to goe to rut after the rising of the starre Arcturus, which is much about the fift of September: they goe eight months: and otherwhiles bring two calves at once. Finding themselves that they are sped, they part companie with the Stags. But they againe seeing themselves forsaken, fall into a kind of rage for heat of lust, and dig pits in the ground where they lie hidden. Then begin their muzzles to looke blacke, and so continue, untill such time as some raine wash away that colour. The Hinds before they calve, purge themselves with the hearbe Seselis or Siler-mountaine, whereby they have lesse paine in their bearing, and more speedie & easie deliverance. After they are lightened of their burden, they know where two hearbes be, which they have presently recourse unto, Woke Robin, and the foresaid Siler-mountaine. When they have eaten well thereof, they returne presently to their young. And (for what secret reason in Nature, God knowes) their first milke must have a tast and talang¹⁰ of those two hearbs. Their little ones they practise and exercise to use their legs from the very beginning, so soon as they be come into the world: teaching them even then how they should run away and flie. To high & steepe cragged rockes they bring them, and there shew them how to leape, and withall acquaint them with their dens and places of harbour. And now by this time, the Stags being past the heat of the rut, fall hard to their meat, and feed apace. But so soone as they find themselves to be growne very fat, they seek lurking places, and there abide, confessing as it were how heavie and unweldie they be for fatnesse, and how uncommodious it is unto them. At other times alway they use in their flight to make staies, and take their breath, & as they stand still, to look behind them. But when they espie once the hounds and hunters to be neere unto them, then they fall to running afresh. And this they doe for a pain that they have in their guts, which are so weake and tender, that with a small blow or stripe given unto them, they will burst within their bellies. When they perceive the hunt is up, and heare the hounds crie, they presently run, but ever downe the wind, to the end that the sent of their feet should passe away from them. They take great pleasure and delight in the sound of sheepheards pipes, and their song withall. When they set up their eares, they are most quick of hearing: when they let them hang downe, they bee as deafe. Moreover, they are very simple and foolish creatures: amused, yea, and amased they will bee at every thing, and keepe a wondering at it: insomuch, as if an horse, a cow, or an heifer approch neere unto them, they will stand gazing at it, and never regard the hunters neere by: or if they happen to spie him, they will looke at his verie bow, and sheive of arrowes, as at straunge and wonderous things. They passe the seas swimming by flockes and whole heards in a long row, each one resting his head upon the buttockes of his fellow next before him: and this they doe in course, so as the foremost retireth behind to the hindmost, by turnes one after another: and this is ordinarily observed by those sailers that passe from Cilicia to Cypres. And yet in their swimming they descrie no land by the eye, but only by their smelling have an aime thereat. The males of this kind are horned, and they (above all other living creatures) cast them everie yeere once, at a certaine time of the spring: and to that purpose a little before the very day of their mewing, they seek the most secret corners and most out of the way, in the whole forrest. When they are pollards, they keepe close hidden, as if they were disarmed: and all this they do, as if they envied that men should have good of any thing that they had. And in very truth, the right horn (they say) can never be found, as if it had some rare and singular vertue in Physicke. A straunge and marveilous thing, considering that in the parkes they chaunge them every yeere, insomuch as it is thought verily, that they hide them within the earth. But burne whether of them ye will, the left as well as the right, this is certein, That the smell and perfume thereof driveth serpents away, and discovereth them that are subject to the fits of the falling disease. A man may also know their age by their heads, for every yeere they have one knag or braunch more in their horns than before, untill they come to six: after which time, they come new ever alike; so as their age cannot be discerned any more by the head, but the marke is taken by their mouth and teeth: for as they grow in age, they have few or no teeth at all, ne yet grow the braunches out at the root, whereas all the while they were younger, they used to have them breake forth and standing out at the very fore-head. After they be guelded once, neither cast they their hornes which they had before, neither grow there any if they had none when they were libbed. At the first when they breake out againe, like they be to the glandules or kernels of drie skin, that new put forth: then grow they with tender stalkes, into certaine round and long knobs of the reed mace, covered all over with a certaine soft plume downe like velvet. So long as they be destitute of their hornes, and perceive their heads naked, they goe foorth to releese by night; and as they grow bigger and bigger, they harden them in the hot sunne, eftsoons making proofe of them against trees; and when they perceive once that they be tough and strong enough, then they goe abroad boldly. And certeinely some of them have been taken with green Ivie sticking fast and growing in their hornes, remaining there since time that they ran them (when they were but tender) against some trees, for triall whether they were good or no, and so chaunced to race the Ivie from the wood of the tree. You shall have them somtime white of colour, and such an one was the hind that Q. Sertorius had about, which he persuaded the people of Spaine to be his soothsayer, and to tell him of things to come. This kind of Deere maintaine fight with serpents, and are their mortall enemies: they will follow them to their verie holes, and there (by the strength of drawing and snuffing up their wind at the nostrils) force them out whether they will or no: and therfore there is not so good a thing again to chase away serpents, as is the smoke and smell of an Harts horn burnt. But against their sting or biting, there is a singular remedie, with the runnet in the maw of a fawne or Hind-calfe killed in the dams belly. It is generally held and confessed, that the Stagge or Hind live long: for an hundred yeer after Alexander the Great, some were taken with golden collars about their necks, overgrowne now with haire and growne within the skin: which collars, the said king had done upon them. This creature, of all diseases is not subject to the fever, but he is good to cure it. I have knowne great ladies and dames of state, use every morning to eat the venison of red Deere, and thereby to have lived to a great age and never had the ague: but it is thought this is a certaine remedie and never faileth, in case the stag be strucken starke dead at once with one wound and no more.

OF the same kind is the Goat-hart, and differing onely in the beard and long shag about the shoulders, which they call Tragelaphis: and this breedeth no where but about the river Phasis. Affricke in a manner is the onely countrey that breedeth no stags and hinds: but contrariwise, it bringeth Chamæleons; although India hath them ordinarily in greater number. In shape and quantitie it is made like a Lisard, but that it standeth higher and streighter than the Lisards do, upon his legges. The sides, flankes, and bellie, meet togither, as in fishes: it hath likewise sharpe prickles, bearing out upon the backe as they have: snouted it is, for the bignesse not unlike to a swine, with a very long taile thin and pointed at the end, winding round and entangled like to vipers: hooked clawes it hath, and goeth slow, as doth the tortoise: his bodie and skin is rough and skalie, as the crocodiles: his eyes standing hollow within his head, and those be exceeding great, one neere unto the other with a verie small portion betweene, of the same colour that the rest of the bodie is: he is alwaies open eyed, and never closeth them: hee looketh about him not by mooving the ball of his eye, but by turning the whole bodie thereof: hee gapeth evermore aloft into the aire, and is the onely creature alive that feedeth neither of meat nor drinke, but hath his nourishment of aire onely: about wild fig-trees hee is fell and daungerous, otherwise harmelesse. But his colour naturally is very straunge and wonderfull, for ever and anon hee chaungeth it, as well in his eye, as taile and whole bodie besides: and looke what colour he toucheth next, the same alwaies he resembleth, unlesse it be red and white. When he is dead, he looketh pale and wan: very little flesh he hath in head and chawes, and about the joynt where his taile is graffed to his rumpe; but in all the bodie besides, none at all. All his blood is in his heart, and about his eyes: among other his bowelss, he is without a splene. Hidden hee lyeth all winter long, as Lisards doe.

IN Scythia there is a beast called Tarandus, which chaungeth likewise colour as the Chamæleon: and no other creature bearing haire doth the same, unlesse it be the Lycaon of India, which (by report) hath a maned necke. As for the Thos (which are a kind of wolves somewhat longer than the other common-wolves, and shorter legged, quicke and swift in leaping, living altogether of the venison that they hunt and take, without doing any harme at all to men) they may be said, not so much to chaunge their hew, as their habite and apparell: for all winter time they be shag-haired, but in summer bare and naked. The Tarandus is as bigge as an oxe, with an head not unlike to a stagges, but that it is greater, namely, carrying braunched hornes: cloven hoofed, and his haire as deepe as is the Beares. The hide of his backe is so tough and hard, that thereof they make brest-plates. He taketh the colour of all trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, and places wherein he lieth when he retireth for feare; and therefore seldome is he caught. But when he list to looke like himselfe and be in his owne colour, he resembleth an Asse. To conclude, straunge it is that the bare bodies of a beast should alter into so many colours: but much more straunge it is and wonderfull, that the haire also should chaunge.

THE Porkpens come out of India and Affricke: a kind of Urchin or Hedgehog they be: armed with pricks they be both; but the Porkpen hath the longer sharpe pointed quilles, and those, when he stretcheth his skin, he sendeth and shooteth from him: when the hounds presseth hard upon him, hee flyeth from their mouthes, and then taketh vantage to launce at them somewhat farther off. In the winter he lyeth hidden, as the nature is of many beasts to doe, and the Beares above the rest.

THEY ingender in the beginning of winter, not after the common method of other four-footed beasts, but lying both along, clasping and embracing one another: then they goe apart into their dennes and caves, where the shee beare thirtie daies after is discharged of her burden, and bringeth forth commonly five whelpes at a time. At the first, they seeme to be a lumpe of white flesh without all forme, little bigger than rattons, without eyes, and wanting hair; onely there is some shew and appearance of clawes that put forth. This rude lumpe, with licking they fashion by little and little into some shape: and nothing is more rare to be seen in the world, than a shee beare bringing forth her young: and this is one cause that the male beares are not to be seene in 40 daies, nor the female for 4 moneths. If they have no holes and dennes for the purpose, they build themselves cabbins of wood, gathering together a deale of boughes and bushes, which they couch and lay artificially together, to beate off any showre, so as no raine is able to enter; and those they strew upon the floore with as soft leaves as they can meet withall. For the first fourteen daies (after they have taken up their lodging in this manner) they sleepe so soundly, that they cannot possibly be wakened, if a man should lay on and wound them. In this drowsinesse of theirs, they grow wondrous fat. This their grease and fat thus gotten, is it that is so medicinable, and good for those that shed their haire. These 14 dayes once past, they sit upon their rumpe or buttocks, and fall to sucking of their fore-feet, and this is all their food whereof they live for the time. Their young whelpes, when they are starke and stiffe for cold, they huggle in their bosome and keepe close to their warme breast, much like to birds that sit upon their egs. A straunge and wonderfull thing it is to be told, and yet Theophrastus beleeveth it, That if a man take beares flesh during those daies, and seeth or bake the same, if it be set up and kept safe, it will grow neverthelesse. All this time they dung not, neither doth there appeare any token or excrement of meat that they have eaten: and very little water or aquositie is found within their bellie. As for blood, some few small drops lie about the heart only, and none at all in the whole bodie besides. Now when spring is come, forth they goe out of their denne; but by that time, the males are exceeding overgrowne with fat: and the reason thereof cannot be readily rendred: for as we said before, they had no more but that fortnights sleepe to fat them withall. Being now gotten abroad, the first thing that they doe, is to devoure a certaine hearb named Aton, i. Wake-robin, and that they doe to open their guts, which otherwise were clunged and growne togither: and for to prepare their mouthes and teeth again to eat, they whet and set the edge of them with the yong shoots and tendrons of the briers and brambles. Subject they are many times to dimnesse of sight: for which cause especially they seeke after hony-combes, that the bees might settle upon them, and with their stings make them bleed about the head, and by that meanes discharge them of that heavinesse which troubleth their eyes. The Lions are not so strong in the head, but beares be as weake and tender there: and therefore when they be chased hard by hunters and put to a plunge, ready to cast themselves headlong from a rocke, they cover and arme their heads with their fore-feet and pawes, as it were with hands, and so jumpe downe: yea and many times, when they are baited in the open shew-place, we have knowne them laid streaking for dead with one cuffe or box of the eare given them with a mans fist. In Spaine it is held for certaine, that in their braine there is a venimous qualitie; and if it be taken in drinke, driveth men into a kind of madnesse, so as they will rage as if they were beares: in token whereof whensoever any of them be killed with baiting, they make sure worke and burn their heads all whole. When they list, they will go on their two hinder feet upright: they creepe downe from trees backward: when they fight with bulls, their manner is to hang with all their foure feet, about their head and hornes, and so with the very weight of their bodies wearie them. There is not a living creature more craftie and foolish withall, when it doth a shrewd turne. We find it recorded in the Annals of the Romanes, that when M. Piso and M. Meßala were consuls, Domitius Ænobarbus an Ædile Curule, upon the 14 day before the Calends of October, exhibited 100 Numidian beares to be baited and chased in the great Cirque, and as many Æthiopian hunters. And I marveile much, that the chronicle nameth Numidian, since it is certein, that no bears come out of Africk.

THE Rats of Pontus, which be onely white, come not abroad all winter: they have a most fine and exquisite tast in their feeding; but I wonder how the Authours that have written this, should come to the knowledge of so much. Those of the Alpes likewise, i. Marmottanes, which are as bigge as Brockes or Badgers, keepe in, during winter: but they are provided of victuals before-hand which they gather together and carrie into their holes. And some say, when the male or female is loden with grasse and hearbs, as much as it can comprehend within all the foure legges, it lieth upon the backe with the said provision upon their bellies, and then commeth the other, and taketh hold by the taile with the mouth, and draweth the fellow into the earth: thus doe they one by the other in turnes: and hereupon it is, that all that time their backs are bare, and the haire worne off. Such like Marmotanes there by in Ægypt; & in the same manner they sit ordinarily upon their buttocks, and upon their two hinder feet they goe, using their fore-feet in stead of hands.

Hedgehogs also make their provision before-hand of meat for winter, in this wise. They wallow and roll themselves upon apples and such fruit lying under foot, and so catch them up with their prickles, and one more besides they take in their mouth, & so carrie them into hollow trees. By stopping one or other of their holes, men know when the wind turneth, and is changed from North to South. When they perceive one hunting of them, they draw their mouths & feet close togither, with all their belly part, where the skin hath a thin down: & no pricks at all to do harme, and so roll themselves as round as a foot-ball,