accord with Plinie in that that he hath written but also he declareth more specially and particulerly the great vertues whiche are in these litle beastes of whom he speaketh after this sorte Plutat in opus But as it is impossible sayth he to speake worthely ynough of the discipline and domesticall industrie of the Antes yet we must not passe without speaking â—omewhat of them Nature hath no â—reater and more excellent mirror of great and excellent things For in 〈◊〉 it shineth the signet of all vertue â—s in a pure litle droppe That communication that they haue among â—hem selues is the Image of amitie â—hat strength and liuelines that they haue in their labours and trauayles â—s an Image of force and magnanimitie To conclud they haue a great manie of seeds and witnesses of temperance of prouidence of Iustice Nowe although that Cleanthes esteemed not that the beastes were enduâ—…d with reason yet neuerthelesse he confessed that he did see on a tyme â—hat spectacle that is that certayne Antes went to an ant-heape carrying 〈◊〉 dead Ante from which ante-heape â—ame before theÌ„ certayne other Ants. â—fterwards when they had as it were spoken together they went agayne â—n and did so twyse or thrise In the ende they brought a worme whiche was the price as it should seme for to redeme the dead The which worme was taken by those which did bring the dead Ante the which they gaue vnto the others and went their way But now euery one may know their beneuolence when they meete the one the other when those that are emptie geue place vnto those that are laden that they may passe the more easily When they deuide into many peeces a burthen that is too heauie for them eyther to beare or to drawe The astrologie and Prognostication of the Antes when they set the corne in the sonne to drye it It is a signe of rayne as Aratus esteemeth when the Ante bringeth out of her hole and denne al her egges Although that some say that they be not egges The coÌ„seruation of the graines and prouision but the frute which they bring foorth when they feele and perceaue that it waxeth mustie And for that cause they feare least it shoulde waxe rotten And the care that they haue least their graynes should not spring and grow surpasseth al mens vnderstanding And that care also whiche they haue that their seedes whiche they haue layde vp in their hole and denne should abyde drye and not rotten fearing least sodenly they should waxe moyst and become like mylke and that being moystened with the moystnes of the place it shoulde returne agayne into grasse To the end then that their graynes should not growe and spring and that so by that meanes they shoulde not loose their nourishment and foode but that it may continue and they lyue they bite the nable of the grayne which is the part by which it springeth and groweth and gelde it long time before Nowe some saye that the first descending and next to the entring in of their holes is not right and straight foorth and that there is no other beast which can go in at it But that it is croked with many turninges hauing many crosse wayes the which is made into their holes and dennes The one is that where they make their assemblies parliaments The other celle or hole is that where they laye vp their prouision for al the yeere And the third is the buriall place for the dead Beholde that which Plutarke hath written of the Antes Tobias Sith that Solomon hath sette foorth for the sluggrdes Prouerbs 6. the example of the Ante I doubt not but that she is very laborious and diligent But I knowe not whether we ought to beleeue all that whiche Plinie and Plutarke haue written Ierome Whether al that whiche they haue written be true or no I referre me to them-selues But yet neuerthelesse I think that they haue not written without some reason that that they do testifie Besids experieÌ„ce witnesseth at the least in soÌ„e part the thinges the whiche they do witnesse But sith that we haue heard their witnesse let vs now heare what Theophrastus will say more vpon that place the whiche he hath alredie alledged out of Solomon touching this mattet Theophrast It shal be good that we heare the very words of Solomon himselfe the better to vnderstande the doctrine the whiche he woulde geue vs to vnderstand by the same Prouerb 6.6 The sluggard sent to the schole of the Ante. Goe to the Emits sayth he thou sluggard consider her waies and learne to be wise She hath no guide no teacher no leader yet in the Sommer she prouideth her meate and gathereth her foode together in the Haruest Howe long wilt thou sleepe thou sluggishe man when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe Yea sleepe on still a litle slomber a litle fold thy hands together yet a litle that thou mayest sleepe So shal pouertie come vnto thee as one that trauaileth by the way and necessitie like a weaponed man And in an an other place marke what he speaketh not onely of the Ante but also of certayne other litle Beastes which are not of any great strength Prou 30.24 There be foure thinges in the earth sayth he the whiche are very litle but in wisedome they exceede the wise The Emmets are but a weake people yet gather they their meate together in the Haruest The Conies are but a feeble folke yet make they their couches among the rockes The Grashoppers haue not a guide yet goe they foorth together by heapes the Spyder laboreth with her handes and that in the Kinges palace Tobias Wherefore doth Salomon set foorth the feblenes of those beastes Theophra It is to take from the slugardes and idle persons The excuse as the sluggardes and slothfull excluded all the excuses which they might aleadge for to excuse their slugishnes and slothfulnes For although that these litle beasts are feeble weak that they haue no king nor Prince for to defend and conduct them yet neuerthelesse that doth not let and hinder them to do their workes Tobias Is that the cause why hee said that they had no guide Thophrast In speaking the same he giueth two aduertisementes vnto men the which are worthy to be noted For on the one side he rebuketh them for that they do nothing but thorowe compulsion and that they cannot yet do their dutie although they be incited and driuen forwards by many meanes wherein they haue a great aduantage which the beastes haue not For they haue none other master nor mystres to teach them but the nature which God gaue theÌ„ with whiche they doo better keepe their estate then men doo in that with which they were first created of God And on the other side he doth also admonishe the Princes and all superiours The office of princes not to suffer those to liue idlely whom they haue in
the Chestnut is enclosed with in his hull And by that meanes he kepeth him there enclosed so that he cannot be any whit hurted But the care the wysedome that he hath of his yong-ones is worthie to be wondred at For as Plutarke witnesseth he goeth into the vineyards in the time of cutting and with his feete he beateth to the ground the grapes afterwardes he rowleth him-selfe vpon them and maketh them to sticke vppon his prickles Plutarke who hath written so bringeth in a man who witnessed that he did see it with his eyes And therefore he sayth I remember that on a certayne day we sawe one that we did thinke that it was a Grape tree which went he was so loden with grapes And when he is entred into his denne and hole The Astronomie and pronostication of the hedghog he geueth one part to his yong-ones keepeth the other for him selfe For his hole or borrowe hath two entrings in the one towards the north and the other towardes the South winde the which he stoppeth and openeth according as he seeth the times do chaunge as the mariners do the sayles of their shippes And therfore a certayne man of Cyzicenia taking good heede thereunto did get by that meanes a great renowne as though he could foreshewe by Astronomie what windes would blowe Tobias That man of whom thou speakest may wel aduaunce bragg him selfe that he hath passed master in astronomie and in the art of prognostications in the schoole of the Hedg-hogge Seeing that by his knowledge he hath gotten suche a fame among the ignorant Ierome Thou sayest true But sith that we haue spoken of beasts which are conuersant and dwelling vpon the earth I will say also some-thing of those which haunt the waters and lyue there and chiefely in the Sea I will first begin by a sea byrde called Halcion Halcion faithfullnes â—n houshold Plutark among others telleth of his great vertues For first he saith that this byrde loueth singulerly his femal ioineth not himself with her at certaine times onely but at al tims of the yeere and not for that he is so much geuen vnto luxurie For he neuer hath the companie of any other But he doth the same thorowe amitie and good wil as it behoueth husbandes to do When the male is old that he followeth his female with great payne she taketh care on him and beareth and nurrisheth him neuer leauing him behind her For she carrieth him vpon her shoulders and leadeth him whether it pleaseth him and keepeth and cherisheth him euen vntil death Tobias A man shal finde very fewe such wyues which are so faythful vnto their husbandes and which haue such care ouer them and so long Ierome I do not denie but that we shal find many good husbaÌ„ds good wyues who do sufficiently their dutie the one towardes the other if we wil make comparison with those whiche do euilly discharge their office in suche a case But those here are very thicke sowen in comparisoÌ„ of others And after we haue to note that the beastes which I speake of haue this more then men That is that there is not only some of them in their kind which gouerne them selues so but al are so by nature and followe it without doing any fault because that they are not corrupted thorowe sin as the meÌ„ which maketh them more beastes then the beastes But marke yet more what this author hath writ ten of the care that this byrde hath to prepare lodging for his yong-ones The buildings of the Halcion The mother sayth he hath such great care ouer her yong-ones that assoone as she feeleth her selfe great she beginneth to builde She heapeth not the claye and lome agaynst the walles and the myre as the Swallowes do neither chargeth al her meÌ„bers as the honie bees do when they make their combs deuiding their worke their chambers in fashion hauing six squares and as many feete But the Halcion employeth but one organ one simple instrument that is her byll and not hauing any ayde the diligence and care towards her yong-ones ioyned and added to her industrie O good God what doth she What taketh she in hande It is harde to be beleeued of those which haue not seene it For she maketh a worke after a newe fashion much like vnto a shippe the which cannot be broken neither drowned with the wâ—ues surges For she maketh and tyeth it together with the bones and prickles of litle fishes and ioyneth them the one within the other some right others crosse As we see howe cloth is wouen And after that she hath ioyned and fastned theÌ„ so together she bendeth turneth them round And at the last she maketh it after such sorte that it seemeth properly that it is a shippe pycked and narrow in the bottome and wide aboue or els a long fishing boate After that she hath finished it she bringeth it to the sea shore setteth it by the sea-side and when the sea beginneth to flowe and beat softly agaynst it it teacheth her to stoppe the holes and ventes and to amende and make strong that which is weake Nowe after that al is very strong and sounde she shutteth it so fast that neyther stone nor iron can breake it But in al the woorke there is not a thing more worthie to be maruailed at then is the dooer of the sayde worke For it is made after such sort that none can enter but she onely The other beastes can neyther see nor perceiue it yea and the water cannot enter into it Tobias Thou tellest me of incredible thinges If that which thou saiest bee true the Halcions haue rather taught men the manner to make shippes boates then the Halcions haue learned of them the science knowledge that they haue to builde their houses as well for them selues as for their yong-ones the which may flote and swimme vppon the Sea as the shippes Ierome I boast not that I haue sene that which I speake of But Plutarke who hath written it alleadgeth for witnesse of such things marriners which dwell in the Iles haue oftentimes seene the experience of those thinges which he hath written Of the foresight care of the fishes tovvardes their ftuite and young aswel of this byrd Halcion as of the fishes of which he maketh a great discours For he praiseth greatly some Seafishes for their foresight and care that they haue of their fruites and young aswell in their procreation and birth as in the nourishment keeping and preseruation of them And therefore he saith touching this matter First that all the fishes which inhabite the Seas neere vnto anye lakes or into which riuers do come following the same riuers do seeke earnestly when the time approcheth that they must bring forth thir fruite the sweetest waters and those that haue least saltnes they do the same for two causes to wit either because that tranquilitie is best for
haue spoken Ierome I wil begin with Plinie Plini lib. cap 30. Aristo lib de animalib 9 cap. 38 The common wealth of the Ants. and their labours and industrie who hath written maruelous things First he confesseth that there is among them the order and fashion of a common wealth a remembrance and care But amongst al their other workes is it not a pastime to see them bite the burthens that they wil cary If they bee too great and heauie for them they turne them selues backewardes and stay it with their shoulders thrust it forwarde with their hinder feete And to the ende that the seedes whiche they hyde in the earth shoulde not growe and take roote they byte it before they lay it vp in their Garners and store houses And if the graynes be too great and that they cannot easily enter in at their holes they deuide it in the myddest If they be moyst or wette with the rayne they do bring them out and drye them Also they labour in the night when the Moone is at the full and cease and leaue of when she is in the waine Wherein they declare that they vnderstande some thing in Astronomie But what labor diligence is there in their workes And for that that they do fetch and gather their prouision from diuerse places that the one knoweth nothing of the other Plinie liber 11. 30. The faires of the Ants. Plinie witnesseth that they haue certayne dayes of fayres for to knowe the one the other Euery man may thinke what course and what diligence there is then amongst them But if one mark them nerely wil he not say that they speake together and do aske and answere the one the other Do we not see the stones and hard works made smoothe and holes worne in them thorowe the ofte going too and fro about their worke Wherin we may wel knowe how much the diligence and exercise is worthy and can doo in euery thing For if the feete of those litle beastes can make hollowe and smooth the hard stones thorow their ofte going and comming to fro what may the continuall labour trauaile of men do It is not then without cause that the Greekes said in a prouerbe A prouerbe exercise can doe all thinges But besides al that Exercise and diligence can doe all thinges it is also written of them that they do burye the one the other as men do These thinges make me to thinke The buriall of the Ants. that the Poetes haue fayned that the people called Myrmidons Plinie lib. 11. Cap. 30. came from the Antes whiche were chaunged into men Because of their industrie and labour Antes turned into Myrmidons and of that prudence and direction that they haue which is next to the nature of men For those people haue ben much esteemed among the Poetes and chiefely because of Achilles Achilles homer Ili whiche was their captayne in the warres of Troy Tobias Whiche of all the poetes hath spoken of that transformatiō Ierome Ouid maketh a great discourse in his Metamorphoses in whiche he declareth howe that the people of king Aeacus being altogether discomfited thorowe the great plague death was restored againe by the meanes of the Antes whiche were chaunged into men of whiche transformatiō he speaketh after this maner as it is translated into Englishe miter Ouid. meta lib. 7 Hard by vs as it hapt that tyme there was an Oken tree With spreaded armes as bare of boughs as lightly one shall see This tree as al the rest of Okes was sacred vnto Ioue And sprouted of an Acorne which was fet from Dodon groue Here markt we how the pretie Antes the gatherers vp of grayne One folowing other al along in order of a trayne Great burthens in their litle mouthes did painefully susteyne And nimbly vp the rugged barke their beaten path mayntayne As wondring at the swarme I stoode I sayde O father deare As many people geue thou me as Antes are creeping here And by and by afterwardes following on his purpose he commeth to the transformation of them and said as foloweth Me thought I sawe the selfe same Oke Ouid meta lib. 7 with al his boughes and twiges And al the Pismires creeping still vpon his taunts and spriges Which trembling with a sodayne brayde these harnest folke of threwe And shed them on the ground about who on the sodayne grewe In bignes more and more from the earth them selues did lift And stoode vpright against the tree and ther withal did shift Their neygernes and cole blacke hue and number of their feete And clad their lymmes with shape of man away my sleepe did fleete And by and by afterwardes Ouid him selfe expoundeth and declareth the cause wherfore that transformation was fayned as I euen nowe declared and therefore he bringeth in Aecus speaking after this maner Ouid meta lib. 7. And I my vowes to Ioue perfourmd my Citie did deuide Among my newe inhabiters and gaue them land beside Which by decease of such as were late owners of the same Lay wast and in remembrance of the race whereof they came The name of Emetes I them gaue their persons you haue seene Their disposition is the same that earst in them hath beene They are a sparing kinde of folke on labour wholy set A gatherer and a horder vp of such as they do get These fellowes being like in yeeres and courrage of the minde Shal goe awarfare when assoone as that the esterne winde Which brought you hither luckely the Easterne winde was it That brought them thyther turning to the Sotherne coast do flit Ouid hath partly taken the occasion of this fable because that Myrmex signifieth in Greeke an Ante Myrmex of which name it semeth that the name of the Myrmidons is taken The cause of this fable of the name of the myrmidons for the cause which hath beene alredy alledged by Ouid him selfe And therein Ouid hath shewed howe muche hee hath esteemed the Antes and their labours when he did not only compare those men vnto them which he thought to be most industrious and geuen to labour but also hath fayned that mē were made of the Ants. As though he woulde say that men are not naturally so industryous and geuen to labour as the Antes and that the Myrmidons should not bee so industrious if they had not beene before Antes and that they had ben taken from their kynde Tobias Seeing that the Myrmidons are called by that name for the cause thou speakest of that name cannot by right be geuen vnto the sluggardes whom Solomon doth send vnto the Ante. Ierome It is easie to iudge But seeing that I haue in effect declared that which Plinie hath written of the nature of the Antes it remayneth now that I do also declare that which Plutarke witnesseth of it The witnes of Plutarke of the nature of the Ante. For he doth not onely
and princes Palaces and to make her webbes in them turning and winding them now on the one side and now on the other The weauing of the Spider and catching al that whiche serue her for to stretch them out and make them as long as they can be And although that one do breake deface her woorkes and dryue her from one side to the other yet neuerthelesse she is not so fearefull that she forsaketh her lodging therefore but returneth daylie to her woorke Insomuche that men doo not so fast breake them as she repaireth and amendeth them setting foorth still newe workes Wherein she maketh men greatly ashamed whiche turne them selues from their dutie and office be it thorowe the greatnes and mightinesse of Kings and Princes or thorowe all the lettes that men may doe vnto them Let vs also consider what paine that beast taketh to make her threades for to get her liuing by it And afterwardes when they are made what diligence she taketh after her chase Let the silke-weauers and also the lynen cloth makers the tapestrie makers and imbroderers and also all those that make threddes come and compare their woorke to the spiders webbes let them consider in which is most conning And who hath learned them that occupation It was not men but rather they haue learned of them Ierome Plinie telleth maruayles of their workes to weete how they deuide the labours betweene them howe the wyfe spinneth and maketh the webbes and threds and the husband on the other side chaseth and hunteth for their nourrishment I thinke that the same was the cause wherefore the poetes haue fayned that Arachne Arachne transformed into a spider that good and cunning weauer was transformed into a Spider because of her Arte who was founde to haue followed the Spiders of which transformation Ouid hath written after this maner And when minarue should depart Ouid meta lib. 6. with iuice of Hecats flower She sprinkled her and by and by the poyson had such power That with the touch thereof her heare her eares and nose did fade And very smal it both her head and al her body made Instead of legges to both her sides sticke fingers soft and fine The rest is bellie from the which she neuerthelesse doth twyne A slender threed and practiseth in shape of spider still The spinners and the websters craftes of which she earst had skil Theophrast Let vs leaue of the transformations of the poets and returne vnto the schoole of the Spiders to which Salomon sendeth vs. Then if we consider the huswiferie whiche the spider holdeth Euil huswiues howe manie euil huswifes shal we finde which knowe not how to spinne nor sewe neither the arte of weauing nor yet any science at all for to occupie them selues in their houses Wherefore such women are not worthie to be compared vnto the Spider sauing as touching the poyson which they are ful of Also if men wil glory and boast them selues in hunting The chase hunting of men and of the spiders Plini lib. 11. cap. 24. Arist hist animal lib. 9 cap. 39. and for that they are so ingenious and wyse that they knowe the meanes to take al kind of beasts what matter of glorying boasting haue they more greater then the Spiders For what hunters are there more subtil then the Spider for to lye in waite and for to trappe and snare the beastes and to make them to fall into their nettes or more diligent to lay holde on them And yet neuerthelesse she hath neither sinewes nor bones But a very litle bodie Ierome Although it be so as thou saiest yet neuerthelesse she hath the industrie to stay catch sometims litle euets lezards in her nets And therfore Plutarke saith is not the worke of the Spiders greatly to be maruailed at which haue geuen vnto womē the pattern for to make their thredes vnto the fysher mē for to make their netts Let one beholde the perfection the subtilitie of the threde and the knotes of the webbe that cannot be vnlosed being as a soft and tender skinne glewed together as though it were starched Furthermore the dying of the colour declareth some ayrie and troubled thing to the end it may the better deceiue Finally a man would neuer haue beleued that they had been so wel taught to draw together the lines which gouerneth their workes in somuch that as sone as there is any praye or captiue they feele and perceiue it in a moment leape out and drawe together their nettes as doth an expert and conning hunter And if it were not but that we see it daylie before our eyes a man would thinke that it were but a fable Behold the witnes of Plutark Thophrast Besides al that which we haue alredie spoken of they haue yet another great aduantage For if men wil chase and hunt there must be many of them and that they must haue many instrumentes for their hunting the which wil be great charge vnto them Ierome That is very true And moreouer Hunters eaten vp by their dogs they must nurrish and feede a great companie of dogges the which often-times eate vp their maisters Euen as the Poets haue written The transformation of Acteon that the dogges of Acteon did eat vp their maister being changed into an hart of whiche transformation Ouid hath written after this maner Diana makes no farther threats Ouid. meta lib. 3. but by and by doth spread A paire of liuely old hartes hornes vpon his sprinkeled head She sharpes his eares she makes his necke both slender long and lanke She turnes his fingers into feete his armes to spindle shanke She wrappes him in a hairie hide be-set with speckled spottes And planteth in him fearefulnes and so away he trottes And afterwardes towardes the ende he saith Acteon nowe was ful of care of sorowe and of griefe And blamed much his hornes which did betray him as a theefe As often as they named him he sadly shooke his head And faine he woulde haue ben away thence in some other stead But there he was and wel he coulde haue founde in hart to see His dogges fel dedes so that to feele in place he had not bee They hem him in on euery side and in the shape of stagge With greedie teeth and griping pawes their lorde in peeces dragge So fierce was cruell Phaebes wrath it coulde not be alayde Til of his fault by bitter death the ransome he had paide Beholde as touching the faining of the poets But yet we must not think that it is altogether vaine Theophrast Although the hunters be not in very deede turned into hartes yet there are a great many of whom one may rightly say that their doggs haue eaten and deuoured thē And we must not doubt but that gods iudgment is iust herein For although the hunters cōmitted none other fault but in these that they geue vnto the dogges that which woulde
that that the least amongest them are those vnto whom he geueth most industrie and wysedome to the ende that by the same they may recompence the force and strength whiche is wanting in them Art not thou of mine opinion frend Ierome Ierome Experience teacheth vs that thou sayest But seeing we are entreed into talke of good housholders I thinke we haue one point to talke of whiche is very requisite not onely in al those whiche woulde be esteemed for good housholders but also in al those whiche woulde be accompted for humane men and not for beastes more inhumaine then the sauage and brute beastes The point of whiche I speake is touching the loue and amitie that the husband the wife ought to haue together and touching the care that the one ought to haue the one of the other The affection of fathers and mothers of families tovvardes ther families and in like maner the fathers and mothers towardes their children For if those vertues be not in fathers and mothers of families what can their housholdes be Now if it be a question of such vertues al the beastes generally as Plutark wittesseth do loue ētierly that which they ingender and bring forthe and cherish them carefully And if there be some of the male kynde which haue not that loue nor care yet it is alwayes founde in the females not onely among the terrestriall beastes but also among the aquatical seabeasts Wherfore seeing we are in hand with the schole of beasts we may yet send men thither touching that poynt For that cause but that I feare I shall wearie you I could declare vnto you a great manie of examples touching this matter of many beastes which haue a singular affection and industry in suche matters Tobias So that I may take pleasure in it I am wel assured that Theophrastus will also agree vnto it For I take you both for my masters Wherfore I am content to learne of you both whatsoeuer it shal please you to teach me Ierome The pygeons First of all I will speake of the pygeons both the male and feemale because we haue a good example in them of the Amitie which ought to be betwene the husband the wife and of the care that the one ought to haue the one of the other and afterwardes both of them togeather of the young ones which God geueth them For the cocke pygeons in this poynt differ from the nature of the male partridges for the males of the partridges breake their females eges fiinally their femals do loose them because they will not receiue them all the while they hatch And therefore they forsake them Tobias Then thou canst not sette them forth vnto vs for an example of good househoulders and good husbands Euil husbandes but rather for an example of euill husbands which loue not their wyues but as the whoremasters their whoores to wit for the onely cause of carnal pleasure that they may haue with them Ierome And therefore I set forth the male pygeons for a contrarye example Good husbandes For they doe take with their females a part of the care and paine that they must haue of their egges young For they kepe the eggs when nede is Also they feede their young And when the female tarieth ouer long in the feeldes they flappe them with their winges and compel them to come vnto their young Tobias All husbandes and wiues and all fathers and mothers of families do not agree so well together to bring vp their children and to keepe in good order their housholdes For it happeneth often tymes that the one layeth al the charge vpon the other For howe many husbandes are there whiche are euill housholders whiche haue no care at all of their housholdes neyther of their wyues and children but leaue al the charge vnto their wiues Howe many also are there of women that do the like towardes their husbandes But this is yet worse when that neyther the one nor the other do their dutie but let al alone not caring for any thing Ierome The svvallovves Plutarke The Swallowes also haue this propertie among other byrdes that they teach their yong so that they know howe to cast out their donge from their nest Tobias I thinke the other byrdes do the like Ierome It is very true that they are not so filthie as men and their yonge are not so defiled with their doung and fylth as the yong children are with theirs But yet neuerthelesse the Swallowe hath one singuler propertie herein more then the other birdes haue if we will geue credite vnto those whiche haue writtē of the nature of them Tobias We may better knowe that which the swallowe doth in suche a case then we may knowe of other byrdes because they dwel not so nere as the Swallowes Ierome It is very true And as touching the industrie to keepe their yong The partridge Plutarke the partridges vse in the same a great subtiltie For al the while that their yong ones cānot yet fly for their yong age they accustom thē to lye vpon their backes to couer thē with mosse or leaues or with some other thing when the hunters are hard by them and in the meane tyme they leade the hunters to the other side and turne and flye as though it were paynefull vnto them and make as though they could not runne and they do it so long vntill they haue retyred and drawen the hunters very farre from their yongones Tobias Beholde a great subtiltie ioyned with a greatloue and care towardes her yong-ones Ierome That which we reade of the Hares The hares Plutarke to that same purpose is no lesse worthie to be wondred at For the hares before they betake them selues to their formes do carie their yong one in one place another in another place And some-times they seperate them a good forlong the one from the other to the ende that if paraduenture their come eyther man or dogge they are not al of them in like dāger And after that they haue made great scraping with their feete making a great leape they keepe them selues there and take their rest Tobias I would neuer haue thought that the hares had been so wyse and subtyl to keepe their yong-ones Ierome The hedge-hogs If the hare be wyse and subtil in keeping of her yong the Hedg-hogges are no lesse not onely for to prouide for theirs but also for to saue and defend them selues And therefore here what Plutarke hath written First he sayth that the subtiltie of the Hedg-hogge hath geuen place vnto this prouerbe A prouerbe of the fox of the hedg-hog The Fox hath many wyles but the Hedg-hogge knoweth one exellent Tobias It is also sayde that the Cat is more wylie then the Fox Ierome There is more reason of the saying of the Hedg-hogge For when the Fox pursueth him the Hedg-hogge rowleth him selfe as men say within his prickles as
them to yeelde their fruit or els because that the lakes and riuers are lesse daungerous because of the beastes and also because they maye best nourishe their fruites Wherefore many bring forth and cast their fruites in the Eginian sea For it hath not in it any whalles but onely little Dolphus little sea-calues And the great riuers that run into it giue a sweete and gentle temperatenes and most pleasaunt to the fishes Tobias Behold a good foresight it wanteth a great deale that mē know so well to prouide for their families in such a case Ierome And by and by after Plutarke saith And although that peraduenture that is common vnto all mothers to haue care of that whiche they haue engendred yet neuerthelesse the males doe not murther and kill their younge as Aristotimis hath sayd But which is more they take such great care that they wil not stur from them and do geather and heap to geather the egs as Aristotle sayth There be also some which follow the females and sprinkle the egges with the genitall seed because without the same nothing can growe excellent and perfect but wil abide imperfect and wil not growe as it ought to do Commonly the fishes whiche we call Phyces Phyces hauing made as it were a knot of an hearbe whiche we call Algue put it about their yong and it defendeth them from the tempestes But the lampries do beare the bel The lamprey and do merite the crowne aboue all other fishes in case of fatherly loue and indulgence goodnes and gentlenes towardes their yong-ones First they do lay their egges and then the litle ones But they do not cast forth their yong as other fishes do but nurrish them in their bellies as though they engendred them twise And when they are growen then they cast them foorth and teach them to swymme play about them And afterwardes they receiue them agayne into their bellies in at their mouthes and geue vnto them their bodies for to dwell in geuing them place meate and refuge vntil such time as they knowe that they are able to helpe themselues Tobias If it be so as thou saiest the sea beastes doe surmount and passe the beastes of the earth in that loue care towards their fruite young Ierome Thou wilt maruaile more of this that the same Aucthour hath written touching this matter touching the Tortic of which he speaketh thus The tortice The care also that the Tortice hath to nourish keep her yongons is worthy of great admiration for leaping alitle out of the sea she bringeth forth her yong And because that she cannot continue long out of the sea and stay vpon the lande shee layeth first her egges vpon the sand and afterwards she couereth them with fine sande after that she hath couered them wel as some say she marketh the place and signeth it with her feet so that she may finde it agayne or as others say the femall being ouerturned by her male printeth vpon the sande the carecter and forme of her owne shel After-wardes whiche is a thing greatly to be maruayled fortie daies being past she cōmeth agayne for so long time the yong muste bee shut vp And when the male and female are come euery one of them knowing their treasure vncouereth it more ioyfully and cherefully then men vncouer the holes and places in whiche they haue hid vp their treasures Plutarke calleth the treasure of the Tortice their eggs their yong because that there is no man so careful of his treasures and which loueth them so much as the Tortice loueth and is careful of her yong Tobias It is sayd in a common prouerbe A prouerbe that those that come from farre haue greater libertie to tell what they list then others And because that one cannot easily gainesay that which they speake they haue the greater licence to lye We may say the lyke of those which speake of the sea and of the Sea beastes vnto those which knowe not what they are Ierome I require thee not that thou shouldest beleeue as the Gospell al that I shall rehearse vnto thee of Aristotle Plinie and of Plutarke and of such other But yet neuerthelesse I do not thinke but that those worthie men hauing writtē those things that they haue writtē but that there are some things therein trew that they haue had some experience or els some good witnesses thereof Fot seing that they were learned men and of great aucthoritie and renowme we must not thinke that they haue written at all aduenture for to cause them selues to be mocked at knowing wel that their writinges shoulde be well examined by many learned men and which haue tryed and proued the thinges whereof they haue written Wherefore we must not by and by reiect as fables all that which we our selues haue not sene which is straunge vnto vs. For God is maruailous in his creatures and in his workes the whiche he woulde not haue them to be altogether couered and kept secret And therefore he would be serued of the Painims which haue enquired of the secretes of nature for to manifest vnto vs many of his maruailes to the ende we might alwayes haue more matter to glorifie him in thē and in his prouidence And therefore to conclude this matter I wil yet declare vnto thee touching this matter that which Plutark hath written of the sea-keyne The sea-keine after this sorte The sea-kyne sayth he do bring foorth their young vpon the sande And when they waxe something great they carrie them into the sea as for to taste of it afterwards they bring them agayne vpon the sande and do so many tymes vntyll such time as they know that they can helpe thē selues to take pleasure in the sea Quintilian saith that if one would fill at ones a Phiole or glasse whiche hath a narrowe necke Quintillian instit reth◠lib. 1. and would powre in at once the liquore that he would put into it it will not enter but will sprinkle abroade heere and there But if one would fill it by litle and litle and as drop by drop he shall fill it easiely and shall loose nothing of that hee powreth into it Quintilian vseth this comparison for to giue vs to vnderstand that it is requisite to vse such beginning The meanes that vve must vse in teaching in the instruction of those whom we haue to teach and chiefely of young children For they cannot comprehende at once all that one can teach them Wherefore we must goe by litle and litle On the other side it is in lyke maner very harde to vse them selues sodainely to one thing to the which they haue not been vsed vnto and chiefely when it is newe and strange Wherefore it behoueth to keepe meanes and to do by litle and litle that that one cannot doe at once Tobias There be a great many which haue not yet that discretion wisedome For they