they no sooner tooke shipping and hoysted sayle but there sodainly arose such a tempestuous storme that they were driuen to the coasts of Norway and there going on shore they were very strangely affrighted to see as to them it appeared certaine wild Monsters lik Men monstrous-men running on the tops of the mountaines Afterward they were told by the inhabitants that they were beasts and not men which did beare mortall hatred to mankind although they could not abide the presence of a mans countenance Hatred to mankind yet in darke nights when the reuerent visage of humaine creatures are couered they will come downe by troopes vpon the villages and except the barking of dogges driue them backe they breake open dores and enter houses killing and deuouring who soeuer they find for their strength is so vnresistable and great that they can pull vp by the rootes a tree of meane stature The great strength of these beasts and tearing the boughes from the bodye with the stocke or stem thereof they fight one with another Which when the Ambassad heard they caused a sure watch to be kept all night and withall made exceeding great fires and when the light appeared they tooke their farwell of those Monster-breeding-shores recouering with ioy the course which before they had lost by tempest Of the AEGOPITHECVS Diuers shaps in apes VNder the Equinoctiall toward the East south there is a kind of Ape called Aegopithecus an Ape like a Goate For there are Apes like Beares called Arctopitheci some like Lyons called Leontopetheci The description of Pan. and some like Dogs called Cynocephali as is before expressed and manye other which haue a mixt resemblance of other creatures in their members Amongst the rest is there a beast called PAN who in his head face horns legs and from the loynes downwarde resembleth a Goat but in his belly breast and armes an Ape such a one was sent by the king of Indians to Constantine Nicephorus Calisthius which being shut vp in a Caue or close place by reason of the wildnesse thereof liued there but a season when it was dead and bowelled they pouldred it with spices and carried it to be seene at Constantinople the which beast hauing beene seene of the auncient Graecians were so amazed at the strangnesse thereof that they receiued it for a god as they did a Satyre and other strange beasts OF THE SPHINGA Or SPHINX The name of this Sphynx is taken from * Hermolaus binding Of the name and notation thereof as appeareth by the Greek notation or else of delicacie and dainty nice * Varrianus loosnesse wherefore there were certain common strumpets called Sphinctae and the Megarian Sphingas was a very popular phrase for notorious harlots hath giuen occasion to the Poets to faigne a certaine monster called Sphynx which they say was thus deriued Hydra brought foorth the Chimaera Chimaera by Orthus the Sphinx and the Nemoean Lyon now this Orthus was one of Geryons Dogges Hesiod This Sphinx they make a treble-formed monster a Maydens face a Lyons legs and the wings of a fowle Ausonius The description of the Poets Phinx or as Ausonius and Varinus say the face and hand of a mayde the body of a Dogge the winges of a byrd the voice of a man the clawes of a Lyon and the tayle of a Dragon and that she kept continually in the Sphincian mountaine propounding to all trauailers that came that way an Aenigma or Riddle The Riddle of the Sphinx which was this What was the creature that first of all goeth on foure legges afterwards on two and lastly on three and all of them that could not dissolue that Riddle she presently slew by taking them and throwing them downe headlong from the top of a Rocke At last Oedipus came that way and declared the secret that it was a Man who in his infancy creepeth on al foure afterward in youth goeth vpright vpon tvvo legs The solution of the Riddle by Oedipus and last of all in olde age taketh vnto him a staffe which maketh him to goe as it were on three legs which the monster hearing she presently threwe downe her selfe from the former rocke and so she ended Wherevpon Oedipus is taken for a subtill and wise opener of mysteries But the truth is Palaephatus The true History of Sphinx that when Cadmus had married an Amazonian woman called Sphynx and with her came to Thebes and there slew Draco their King and possessed his kingdom afterward there was a sister vnto Draco called Harmona whom Cadmus married Sphynx being yet aliue She in reuenge being assisted by many followers departed with great store of wealth into the Mountaine SPHINCIVS taking with her a great Dogge which Cadmus held in great account and there made daily incursions or spoiles vpon his people Now aenigma in the Theban-language signifieth an inrode or warlike incursion wherfore the people complained in this sort This Graecian Sphinx robbeth vs in setting vpon with an aenigma but no man knoweth after what manner she maketh this aenigma Cadmus hereupon made proclamation that he would giue a very bountifull rewarde vnto him that would kill Sphinx vpon which occasion the CORINTHIAN Oedipus came vnto her being mounted on a swift courser and accompanied with some Thebans in the night season slue her Other say that Oedipus by counterfaiting friendshippe slue her making shew to be of her faction and Pausanias saith that the former Riddle was not a Riddle but an Oracle of Apollo which cadmus had receiued whereby his posteritie should be inheritors of the Theban kingdome and whereas Oedipus being the sonne of Laius a former king of that countrey was taught the Oracle in his sleepe he recouered the kingdome vsurped by Sphinx his sister and afterward vnknowne married his owne mother Iocasta But the true morall of this poeticall fiction is by that learned Alciatus in one of his emblems deciphered that her monstrous treble-formed-shape signified her lustfull pleasure vnder a Virgins face her cruell pride vnder the Lyons clawes her winde-driuen lenitye vnder the Eagles or birdes feathers and I will conclude with the wordes of Suidas concerning such monsters Suidas Meaning this Poeticall Sphinx that the Tritons Sphinges and centaures are the images of those things which are not to bee founde within the compasse of the wholeworld The true Sphinx first described is of a fierce though a tameable nature and if a man doe first of all perceiue or discerne of these naturall Sphinges before the beast discerne or perceiue the man he shall be safe but if the beast first descrie the man then is it mortall to the man The nature of the Sphinx These Sphinges were of great account for their strangenesse with their image did Augustus signe all his grauntes Sueâ—onius The vse of Sphinges Herodotus Pausanias libels and Epistles afterward hee lefte that and signed with the Image of
The vertue of smelling called in Latine Sagacitas is attributed to these as to the former hunting Hound of whom we will first of all discourse and for the qualities of this sence which maketh the Beast admirable Plautus seemeth to be of opinion that it receiued this title from some Magitians or sage wisards called Sagae for this he saith in Cureull What smelling or sagacity in Dogs is speaking of this beast Canem hanc esse quidem Magis par fuit nasum aedepoll sagax habet It is also attributed to Mise not for smelling but for the sence of their palate or tast and also to Geese In a Dogge it is that sence which searcheth out and descryeth the roustes fourmes and lodgings of Wilde Beasts as appeareth in this verse of Liuius Andronicus Cumprimis fida canum vis Dirige odoriesquos ad certa cubilia canes And for this cause it hath his proper Epithets as Odora canum vise promissa canum vis naribus acres vtilis Pincianus called this kind Plaudi for so did Festus before him and the Germans Spurhund and Leidthund Iaghund because their eares are long thin and hanging down and they differ not from vulgar dogs in any other outward proportion except onely in their cry or barking voice The nature of these is being set on by the voice and Words of their leader to cast about for the sitting of the Beast and so hauing found it with continuall cry to follow after it till it be wearied without changing for any other so that sometime the hunters themselues take vp the beast at least wise the hounds sildome faile to kil it They sildome barke Bellâ—sariâ— except in their hunting chase and then they follow their game throgh woods thickets thornes and other difficult places being alway obedient and attentiue to their leaders voice so as they may not goe forward when he forbiddeth nor yet remayne neere to the Hunters whereunto they are framed by Art and discipline rather then by any naturall instinct The White Houndes are said to be the quickest-sented and surest nosed and therefore best for the Hare the blacke ones for the Boare and the red ones for the Hart and Roe but heereunto I cannot agree because their colour especially of the two later are too like the game they hunt although there can be nothing certaine collected of their colour yet is the blacke hound harder and better able to endure cold then the other which is white In Italy they make account of the spotted one especially white and yellowish for they are quicker nosed they must be kept tyed vp till they hunt yet so as they be let loose now and then a little to ease their bellies for it is necessary that their kennell be kept sweete and dry It is questionable how to discerne a hound of excellent sence yet as Blondus saith the square and flat Nose is the best signe and index thereof likewise a small head The choyce of a hound of the best nose hauing all his Legs of equall length his brest not deeper then the belly and his backe plaine to his taile his eies quicke his eares long hanging but sometime stand vp his taile nimble and the beake of his Nose alway to the earth and especially such as are most silent or bark least There are some of that nature who when they haue found the beast they will stand still vntill their Hunter come to whom in silence by their face eie and taile Zenophon Omni bonus Oppianus they shew their game Now you are to obserue the diuers and variable disposition of Houndes in their findidg out the beast some when they haue found the footesteps goe forward without any voice or other shew of eare or taile Againe another sort when they haue found the footings of the beast pricke vp their eare a little but either barke or wag their tailes other will wag their taile but not moue their eares other again wring their faces and draw their skins through ouer much intention like sorrowfull persons and so follow the sent holding the taile immoueable There be some againe which do none of these but wander vp and down barking about the surest markes and confounding their own foot steps with the beastes they hunt or else forsake the way and so runne backe againe to the first heade but when they see the Hare they tremble and are affraid not daring to come neare her except she runne away first these with the other which hinder the cunning labors of their colleagues trusting to their feet and running before their betters deface the best marke or else hunt counter as they terme it take vp any false scent for the truth or which is more reprehensible neuer forsake the high waies and yet haue not learned to hold their peace vnto these also you may adde those which cannot discerne the footings or prickings of the Hare yet will they runne speedily when they see her or else at the beginning set forth very hot and afterward tyre and giue ouer lazily all these are not to be admitted into the kennell of good hounds But the good and aproued hounds on the contrary when they haue found the Hare make shew therof to the hunter by running more speedily and with gesture of head eyes ears and taile winding to the Hares muse neuer giue ouer prosecution with a gallant noise no not returning to their leaders least they loose aduantage these haue good and hard feet and are of stately stomacks not giuing ouer for any hate and feare not the rockes or other mountaine places as the Poet expresseth Quae laus prima canum quibus est audacia praeceps Quae nunc elatis rimantur naribus auras Et perdunt clamore feram domiunque vocando Insequitur tumulosque â—anis camposque per omnes Venandi sagax virtus viresque sequendi Et nunc demisso quaerunt vestigia rostro Increpitant quem si collatis effugit armis Noster in arte labor positus spes omnius in illa c. And therefore also it is good oftentimes to lead the hounds to the mountaines for exercise of their feet when you haue no Hare or other beast And whereas the nature of this Hare is sometimes to leape and make headings sometime to tread sofâ—ly without any great impression in the earth or sometimes to lie downe and euer to leape or iumpe out and in to hir owne forme or sitting the poore hound is so much the more busied and troubled to retaine the small sauour of her footings which she leaueth behind her for this cause also it is to be noted that the hound must be holpe noâ— onely with the voyce â—he best 〈◊〉 oâ— hunting eye and hand of the hunter but also with a seasonable time for in frosty weather the sauour congealeth and freezeth with the earth so as you cannot hunt with any certainty vntil a thaw thereof or till the sunne arise Likewise if raine fall
to make them more gentle they are swift litle and fierce but very stubborne and vntamed neither doeth Circo scituate neare Siciliâ— breed horsses inferior to the Spanish as Vegetius writeth The Epirotan and Siculian horses are not to be despised if they were well bred and educated they want not comelinesse and good qualities The Siculian horsses are most swift Litlybaeum is a promontory of Sicilia lying towards Lybia which a certaine verse maketh more plain but as I vnderstand it is the three-clifttopt-mountaine Aetna which casteth forth fire and couereth the carcasse of Euceladus the Gianut lyeng there vnder whereof Oppianus writeth and some others also But saith he the Armenians and Parthians haue swifter coursers by farre then the Siculians Now let vs heare Gratius himselfe discoursing of the Siculian horsses as wel as of the Lybycan Sic strymonio fâ—cilis tutela Bisaltae Possent Aetnaeas vtinam seferre per artes Quiludus Siculis quid tum si turpia colla Aut tenuis dorso curuatur spina per illos Cantalus Graijs Agragas vict aeque fragosum Ne broden liquere ferae O quantus in armis Ille meis cuius docties pecuaria faetus Suffâ—cient queis Chaontas contendere contra Ausit vix merita signat Achaia palma But as for Gratius I suspect the place to be vnperfect for Agragas is a mountaine of Sicilia hauing a towne scituate in the top of it bearing the same name where their auncestors wâ—re wont to nourish and bring vp the best horsses There is also in Sicilia a mountain called Mebrodes Hebrodon which some thinke to be so called by reason of the plentie of dear but they haue no author for it and as for the printed booke of Gratius I finde it expresseth it not so wel as Virgill setteth it downe saieng that Agragas was a breeder of most couragious and notable horsses but yet Serutus saith according to Pindarus that the Agrigentines in times past sent their horsses to the iusting or combates of Graecia returning with victorie from thence and we haue also read that in Cappadocia whole troopes of horsses haue bin destroyed The men of Delphos by the answere of Apollo got herds and great store of horses from Agrigentine and those were excellent Aristophanes calleth those great Aetnean horsses Canthiari either of the greatnesse of the mountaine or else great Canthars are bred in it or of the horsses of Aetna being notable for swiftnesse and running The horses that are bred in Creet and Cappadoeia are also most excellent In Greece there are most notable horsses of Thessalie which Absyrtus saith be the best in all Greece The words of Gratius the Poet speaking of the Thessalian horsses are before recited The mares of Admetus were the most excellent Strabo but as Homer reporteth the Thessalian were before them The Solitude or wildernes of Arcauanus is as commodious to feed horsses as Thessalia It is certaine that Thessalia excels with horsses from whence Xerxes is said to haue made a combat that he might try his horsses there where he vnderstoode the best breed of Greekish horsses to be and from whence this prouerbe arose Decernetur equa Thessalia Viz let the Thessalian Mare be tried by battaile a prouerbe of excellent worth because in old time the chiefest praise was of the Thessalian Mares which is very apparant by the Oracle that was deliuered to the Aeginensians Suidas relateth but I know not out of what author that Thessalia hath excelent horsmen Thrasia expert shooters and India light armor so hath likewise Creet and Caria Erasmus writeth that Thessalia is most fit to feed horsses who do far excel the Arcadians and Epidaures as Strabo witnesseth lib. 8. Caesar was said when he was dictator to haue made the first shew among the Romaines of the Horsses fighting against buls Textor and killing them whereof Lucianus writeth thus Thessalius sompes bellis feralibus omen That is to say the Thessalian horsse is profitable for fence and deadly conflicts There is also in Thessalia a citty named Pella from whence I deeme the Pellaean horsses are so called of Gratius yet there be other places called Pella as Macedonia and Achaia wherof Gratius writeth thus Spadices vis Pellaei valuere Cerauni Et tibi deuotae magnum pecuaria Cyrrae Phaebe decus nostras agere in sacraria tousas Which Cerani are mounts of Epirus and Cyrrha is a Towne of Phocis scituate at the foot of the hil Parnassus where Appollo Cyrrhaeus was worshipped The Tyrrheans being excellent warriors are commended of Oppianus out of the Islands of the Tyrrhenean sea especially Corsica and Sardinia there be very short horsses but they are of good courage and gentle withall The Thracian horsses are foule and ill-shapen being rough al ouer their bodyes Volatteran and hauing very great shoulders which in the Greeke is named Calomysten such a one as wil cast downe the rider on the ground from off his backe they are crook-backt or bunched out or els of diuers kinds and therefore they haue an vnsure and reeling pace and their course is yery vnconstant Absyrtus saith the Thracian horsses are the best The Thuringean horsses are neighbors to Hessis which Pliny and Volatteranus supposed are called Mediterranean Cimbri There be some that suppose the Venetians to discend from a people of Paphlagonia called Venetaus which after the destruction of Troy came to these places and by these they make an argument coniecturing it to be good in regard they are wholy imployed about breeding horsses which at this time faileth altogether but in former daies they were very careful to follow their businesse about the training vp of young mules whereof Homer writeth And Dyonisius the Tirant of Sicilia ordained that the breede of horsses should be fetcht from hence to make warlike combats with them that among the Graecians the excellencie of the Venetian breede should remaine and that a great while after that breed of horsses got the praise Vuallachus this daie is called of the Saxones a gelded horse brought out of that countrie which sometimes was called Dacia The Lycospades and Lycophotians shal be spoken of heerafter Of the choice of good Horsses PAladius aduiseth to obserue foure things in choyse of a Stallion horsse the forme or outward proportion the colour the merrit and the beauty all which are necessary to be obserued in the choise of Coltes or elder Horsses that they may be of a generous race hauing soft legs lofty paces gentâ—e treading such as will lead the way and be not affraid of any water The members of an eligble horsse bridge nor suddain noises hauing a gentle necke a sharpe head a short belly a fat backe a dapple colour nimble eares thicke mane lying on the right side a dubble bone discending by his loins a sounding hoofe and legs that cannot stand stil which Virgill expresseth in these words Nec non pecori est idem delectus equino Tu modo quos in spem
same often with their teeth which truely so soone as they shal touch or come vnto they shal presently dye But they vse a kind of incantation which is this that followeth I do adiure all ye mice which do remaine or abide heare that yee do not offer me wrong or suffer me to be wronged of any other For I do assigne and appoint you this fielde then he nameth the fielde in which if I should supprize you hereafter I cal Luno to witnesse I wil teare euery one of you into seuen pieces when as thou hast write this charme binde paper fast to the place wherein the Mice haunt and that before the rising of the Sunne so that the charecters or markes may appeare on the outside cleaning to a naturall stone of that place I haue written this saith the Author lest any thing should seeme to be ouerskipped neither doe I allow or proue such thinges can be done but I rather counsell al men that they do not set their mind to any of these which are more worthy of derision then imitation If thou shalt fill the passages of these rusticall or field-mice with the ashes of an Oak he shall be possessed with a feruent desire to it often touching it and so shall die Marcellus The medicines of field mice Scholiastes These countrey Mice that is to say those Mice which are founde in the fieldes being bruised and burned to ashes and mingled with fresh honey doeth comfort or restore the sight of the eies by diminishing the darkenesse or dimnesse thereof in what fielde soeuer you shall find any thing dig them vp by the rootes with a little stake or post OF THE WOOD-MOVSE PLiny doeth oftentimes make mention of this woode-mouse or rather a Mouse belonging to the wood The description but he doth it onely in medicines but that it doth differ from this country or field-mouse we haue shewen in the Chap. going before because it doth not habit or dwell in Countries or tilled places as the Countrey or field-mice doe but doth inhabit in Woodes and forrests The wood-Mouse is called in Greeke as the Countrey-mouse but I thinke it to bee a kinde of Dormouse which proceedeth from the kind of wood-mouse Pliny truely doth make the same remedy or medicines of a Dormouse as he doth of a Wood-mouse as I will a little after rehearse or recite vnto you Also I should haue thought that a Sorex had bin the same because it is a wood-mouse but that that one place of Pliny did hinder me where he commendeth the ashes of a Wood-mouse to be very good for the clearenesse of the eies and by and by after did shew or declare that the ashes of the Sorex were good also in the same vse as I will recite or rehearse below in the medicines or remedies of the wood-mouse Agricola a man of great learning doth interpret or iudge the wood-mouse to bee that mouse to the which they do appoint the name deriued from Auellana but hee doth account that to be the Sorex which I will shew or declare beneath to be the Shrew I do vnderstand that there are properly two kinds of the wood-mouse spoken of before The one of them that which Albertus doth write saying that there is a certain kind of Mouse which doth builde or make her habitation in trees and of a browne or swart colour and hauing also black spots in her face which onely is called by the vniuersal name of a wood-Mouse Of the same kind Pliny doth meane if I be not deceiued when he writeth that the mast of a beech-tree is very acceptable to Mice and therefore they haue good successe with their young ones The other which is peculiarly named the Sorex which saith Pliny doth sleep all the winter time and hath a taile full of haire whose shape or forme we propose and set euidently before you But that I may more distinctly handle those thinges which Pliny hath shewed to vs concerning the wood-Mouse I will write her downe seperately or by it selfe and afterwards concerning the Mouse which hath her name deriued from Filburds which the Germans haue left in writing and which I my selfe haue considered or obserued and last of all I wil write concerning the Sorex peculiarly and seuerally from the ancient writers The ashes of a wood-mouse being mingled with hony doth cure al fractures of bones the braines also spread vpon a little peece of cloth and couered with wooll is good also The medicines of the Woodmouse Pliny but you must now and then spread it ouer the wound and it doth almost make it whole and strong within the space of three or foure daies neither must you mingle the ashes of the wood-mouse with hony to late hony also being mingled with the ashes of earth-wormes doth draw forth broken bones Also the fat of these beastes being put to kibes is very good but if the vlcers are corrupt and rotten by adding wax to the former things doth bring them to cicatrising The oyle of a burned Locust is also very good Marcellus and also the oile of a wood-mouse with Hony is as effectuall as the other They say also that the heads and tailes of Mice mixed with the ashes of them and annointed with Hony doth restore the clearenesse of the sight but more effectually being mingled with the ashes of a Dormouse or a Wood-mouse Of the Nut-Mouse Hasell-Mouse or Fildburd Mouse THis beast is a kind of Sorex and may be that which the Germans tearme Ein gros haselmus a great Hasell-mouse so called because they feed vpon hasell-Nuts and Filburds The Flemings call it Ein Slaperat that is a sleeping Rat and therfore the French call it by the name Lerot whereby also we haue shewed already they vnderstand a Dormouse For this sleepeth like that and yet the flesh thereof is not good is to be eaten The colour of this Mouse is redde like the Hasell and the quantity full as great as a Squirrell or as a great Rat vpon the backe and sides it is more like a Mouse and vpon the head more red His eares very great and pilled without haire The belly white so also are his legs The neather most of his taile towards the tip white His Nostrils and feete reddish The taile wholy rough but most at the end with white haires The eyes very great hanging out of his head and all blacke so that there is not in them any appearance of white The beard partly white and partly blacke both aboue and beneath his ears and about his eies and the vpper part of his taile next his body all blacke Vppon his forefeete hee hath foure clawes or distinct toes for hee wanteth a Thombe But vpon his hinderfeete he hath fiue I meane vpon each seuerally The outside of his hinder Legges from the bending to the tip of his nails is altogether bald without haire And the sauor of all this kind is like the smell of the vulgar Mice
Achilles but the famous and notorious among all was Lycaon the king of Arcadia the son of Titan and the earth whose Daughter Calisto was deflowered by Iupiter and by Iuno turned into a beare whom afterwards Iupiter pittying placed for a sign in heauen and of whom Virgil made this verse Pleiadas Hyadas claramque Lycaonis arcton Ther was another Lycaon the son of Pelasgus which built the Citty Lycosura in the Mountaine Lycaeus this man called Iupiter Lycaeus On a time he sacrificed an infant vpon his altar after which sacrifice he was presently turned into a wolfe Ther was another Lycaon after him who did likewise sacrifice another child and it was said that he remained ten years a wolfe afterwards becam a man again wherof the reason was giuen that during the time he remained a beast he neuer tasted of mans flesh but if he had tasted therof he shold haue remained a beast for euer I might adde hereunto Lychophron Lycastus Lycimnius Lysinus Lychomedes Lycurgus Lycus and of womens names Lyca Lyce Lycaste Lycoris Lycias and many such others besides the names of people as Irpini of Mountaines places as Lycabetus Lyceus Lycerna Lycaonia Lycaspus Lyceum Aristotles schoole Of flouds and Riuers as Lycus Lycormas Of plants as wolfe bane Lupum salictarium lupinus Lycantheum Lycophrix Lycophone Lycopsis Lycoscytalion and many such others whereof I haue onely desired to giue the Reader a tast following the same Method that we haue obserued in other beasts And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of the names of this beast Contries breeding wolues The countries breeding wolues are for the most part these that follow The inhabitants of Creet were wont to say that there was neither wolues Beares nor Vipers cold be bred in their Island because Iupiter was borne there yet there is in a city called Lycastus so named for the multitude of wolues that were abiding therein It is likewise affirmed of Sardinia and Olimpus a Mountaine of Macedonia that there come no Wolues in them The wolues of Egypt are lesser then the wolues of Greece for they exceede not the quantity of Foxes Affrica likewise breedeth small wolues they abound in Arabia in Sweuia Rhaetia Athesis and the earldome of Tirol in Muscouia especially that part that bordereth vppon Lithuania The wolues of Scanzia by reason of extremity of cold in those parts are blind loose their eies there are no wolues bred in Lumbardy beyond the Alpes if any chance to come into that countrey presently they ring their bels and arme themselues against them neuer giuing ouer till they haue killed him or droue him out of the countrey In Norway there are 3. kind of wolues and in Scandinauia the wolues fight with Elkes It is reported that ther are wolues in Italy who when they looke vpon a man cause him to be silent that hee cannot speake The French-men call those Wolues which haue eaten of the flesh of men Eucharnes Among the Crotoniatae in Meotis diuers other parts of the world wolues do abound there are some few in France but none at al in England except such as are kept in the Tower of London to be seene by the Prince and people brought out of other countries where there fell out a rare accident namely a mastiue dog was limed to ashe wolfe and she thereby conceiued and brought forth sixe or seuen young Whelpes which was in the yeare of our Lord 1605. or there abouts There are diuers kinds of wolues in the world The seuerall kinds of wolues whereof Oppianus in his admonition to sheapheards maketh mention of fiue the first is a swift wolfe and runneth fast called therefore Toxeuter that is Sagitarius a shooter The second kind are called Harpages and these are the greatest raueners to vvhom our sauiour Christ in the gospell compareth false prophets when he saith Take heed of false prophets which come vnto you in sheeps clothing but are inwardly Lycoy harpages rauening wolues and these excel in this kind The third kind is cald Lupus aureus a golden wolfe by reason of his colour then they make mention of two other kinds called Acmonae and one of them peculiarly Ictinus The first vvhich is svvift hath a greater head then other vvolues and likewise greater legs fitted to run white spots on the belly round members his colour betwixt red yellovv is very bold howleth fearefully hauing firy-flaming eies and continually wagging his head Oppiâ—â—us The second kind hath a greater and larger body then this being swifter then all other betimes in the morning he being hungry goeth abroad to hunt his prey the sides and taile are of a siluer colour he inhabiteth the Mountaines except in the winter time wherein he defendeth to the gates of Citties or Townes and boldly without feare killeth both Goates and sheepe yet by stealth and secretly The third kind inhabiteth the white Rocks of Taurus and Sylicia or the tops of the hill Amanus and such other sharp and inaccessible places being worthily for beauty preferred before the others because of his Golden resplendant haires and therefore my Author saith Non lupus sed lupo praestantior fera That he is not a wolfe but some wilde Beast excelling a wolfe He is exceeding strong especially being able with his mouth and teeth to bite asunder not only stones but Brasse and Iron He feareth the Dog star and heate of summer reioycing more in cold then in warme weather therfore in the Dog daies he hideth himselfe in some pit or gaping of the earth vntill that sunny heat be abated The fourth and fift kinds are cald by one common name Acmone now Acmon signifieth an Egle or else an Instrument with a short neck it may be that these are so called in resemblance of the rauening Eagle or else because their bodies are like to that instrument for they haue short necks broad shoulders rough Legs and feet and small snouts and little eies herein they differ one kind from the other because that one of them hath a backe of a siluer colour and a white belly and the lower part of the feet blacke and this is Ictinus canus a gray Kite-wolfe the other is black hauing a lesser body his haire standing continually vpright and liueth by hunting of Hares Now generally al Authors do make some two some 3. some 4. and some fiue kinds of Wolues all which is needlesse for me to prosecute and therefore I will content my selfe with the only naming of such differences as are obserued in them and already expressed except the Thoes and the sea-wolfe of whom there shal be somthing said particularly in the end of this History Olaus Magnus writeth in his History of the Northerne regions that in the Mountaines cald Doffrini which doe deuide the kingdoms of Swetia and Norway there are great flockes or heardes of wolues of white colour whereof some wander in the Mountaines and some in the vallies They feed vpon little small and
they by reason of their swiftnes take easily and hauing taken it teare it in peeces and rost it in the Sun they can swim safely ouer any waters and therefore among he Aegiptians they signifie swimming tThey are euill manered and natured wherfore also they are picturd to signifie wrath Their nature in perticular they are so vnapeasable The Latins vse them adiectiuely to signifie any angry stubborn Their loue of garments froward or rauening man They will imitate all humaine actions louing wonderfully to weare garments and of their owne accord they cloth themselues in the skinnes of wilde beasts they haue killed they are as lustfull and venereous as goats attempting to defile all sorts of women and yet they loue little children and their females will suffer them to sucke their brests if they be held to them and some say they will sucke womens brests like little children There was such a beast brought to the French king his heade being like a Dogs and his other parts like a mans hauing legs hands and Armes naked like a mans and a white necke he did eate sodde flesh so mannerly and modestly An History lib. de naturae rerum taking his meat in his hands and putting it to his mouth that any man woulde thinke he had vnderstood human conditions he stood vpright like a man and sate downe like a man He discerned men and women asunder and aboue all loued the companie of women and young maidens his genitall member was greater then might match the quantity of his other parts he being moued to wrath would rage and set vpon men but being pacified behaued himselfe as meekly and gently as a man and was ouercome with fair words shewing himselfe well pleased with those that sport with him The Nomades people of Aethiopia and the nations of Menitimori liue vpon the milke of Cynocephals keeping great heards of them killing all the males except some few preserued for procreation A TARTARINE THere was at Paris another beast called a Tartarine and in some places a Magot much like a Baboun Theod. Beza as appeareth by his naturall circumcision beeing as great as a Grey-hound walked for the most part on two legs being clothed with a souldiors coat and a sword girded to his side so that the most parte thought him to be some Monster-little-man for being commaunded to his kennell he would go and tarry there all night and in the day time walke abroade to be seene of euery man it was doubtfull whether he wer of the Munkey kind or the Baboon his voice was like the squeeking of a Mouse but his aspect and countenance was fierce truculent and fearfull as his image is heere deciphered THE SATYRE AS the Cynocephall or Baboun-Apes haue giuen occasion to some to imagine though falsly there were such men so the Satyres a most rare and seldome seene beast Superstitious errour of Satyres hath occasioned other to thinke it was a Deuil and the Poets with their Apes the Painters Limmers and Caruers to encrease that superstition haue therefore described him with hornes on his head and feet like Goates whereas Satires haue neither of both And it may be that Deuils haue at some time appeared to men in this likenes as they haue done in the likenes of the Onocentaure and wilde Asse and other snapes it being also probable that Deuils take not any daenomination or shape from Satyres but rather the Apes themselues from Deuils whome they resemble for there are many things common to the Satyre-apes and deuilish Satyres as their human shape their abode in solitary places their rough-hayre and lust to women wherewithall other Apes are naturally infected but especially Satyres Wherefore the auncient Graecians coniecture their name to be deriued as it were of Stathes signifying the yarde or virile member Their name and it is certain that the deuils haue excercised their praestigious lust or rather their imagination of lust vpon mankind whereof commeth that distinction of Fauni that some are Incubi defilers of Women and some Succubi defiled by men Peraduenture the name of Satire is more fitly deriued from the hebrew Sair Esa 34. wherof of the plurall is Jeirim Esa 13. which is interpreted monsters of the Desart or rough hairy Fawnes and when issim is put to seir it signifieth Goats The Satyres are in the Islands Satiridae which are three in number Ptol 2 7. Countries of breed standing right ouer against India on the farther side of Ganges of which Euphemus Car rehearseth this history that when he sayled into Italy by the rage of winde and euill weather they were driuen to a coast vnnauigable where were many desart Islandes inhabited of wilde men and the Marriners refused to land vpon some Islands hauing heretofore had triall of the in humaine and vnciuill behauiour of the inhabitants so that they brought vs to the satirian Islands where we saw the inhabitants red and had tayles ioyned to their back not much lesse then horsses These being perceiued by the Marriners to run to the shippes and lay hold on the women that were in them the ship-men for feare Their lustfull disposition tooke one of the Barbarian women and set her on the land among them whom in most odious and filthy maner they abused not onely in that part that nature hath ordained but ouer the whole body most libidinously whereby they found them to be very bruit beasts There are also Satires in the Eastern mountaines of India Pliny in the country of the Cartaduli and in the prouince of the Comari and corudae but the Cebi spoken of before bred in Ethiopia are not Satyres though faced like them nor the Prasyan Apes Paul venet which resemble Satyres in short beards There are many kindes of these Satyres better distinguished by names then any properties naturall known vnto vs. Diuersitie of kindes Such are the Aegipenae befor declared Nymphes of the Poets Fawnes pan sileni which in time of the Gentiles were worshipped for gods and it was one part of their religion Pliny to set vp the picture of a Satyre at their dores and gates for a remedy against the bewitching of enuious persons the statuë of Priapus in the agalma of a Satyre in their gardens for which cause we read of many pictures made of Satyres Pliny Antiphilus made a very noble one in a Panthers skin calling it Aposcopon that is Wri-faced Another Painter of Aristides painted it crowned with a drinking cup signifiyng therby the beastlines of drunkards Miron had one painted hearing and admiring pipes Hermolaus and another called Periboetos at Athens as is reported and that Praxitelus was wonderfully in loue therewith wherupon beeing at supper with Phryne the noble harlot who had begged of him the best piece of worke he had consented with this condition that he would not tell hir which he loued best wherupon shee to satisfie hirselfe priuily suborned one of
beast one resembling a Dog in his feet which is cald Canine the other a hog in his clouen hoofe and is cald Swinish also these dissoâ—â—â— the fashion of their snowt Diuersitie of kindes one resembling the snowt of a Dog the other of a swine and in their mear the one eating flesh and carrion like a Dogge the other rooâ—s and fruâ—â— like a hog as both kinds haue bene found in Normandy and other parts of France and 〈◊〉 This beast diggeth her a den or caue in the earth and there liueth neueâ— comming forth but for meat and easement which it maketh out of his den wheÌ„ they dig their den after they haue entred a good depth for auoiding the earth out one of them falleth on the backe and the other laieth all the earth on his belly and so taking his hinder feet in his mouth draweth the belly-laden-badger out of the caue A secret in their manner of digging Isidorus Albertus which disburdeneth her cariage and goeth in for more till all be finished and emptied The wily Foxe neuer maketh a Denne for himselfe but finding a badgers caue in her absence layeth his excrement at the hole of the denne the which when the Gray returneth if she smell as the sauour is strong she forbeareth to enter as noisome and so leaueth her elaborate house to the Fox These badgers are verie sleepie especiallie in the day time and stirre not abroad but in the night for which cause they are called Lucifuga that is Their meate Auoyders of the light They eat honie and wormes and hornets and such like thinges because they are not verie swift of foot to take other creatures They loue Orchards vines and places of fruits also and in the autumne they grow therewith verie fat They are in quantitie as big as a Fox but of a shorter and thicker bodie their skin is hard but rough and rugged their haire harsh and stubborn of an intermingled grisard colour sometime white sometime blacke his backe couered with blacke and his bellie with white his head from the top thereof to the ridge of his shoulder is adorned with strakes of white and blacke being blacke in the middle and white at each side He hath verie sharpe teeth and is therefore accounted a deepe-biting beast His back is broad his legs as some say longer on the right side then on the left and therefore he runneth best when he getteth to the side of a hill Cardanus or a cart-road-away His taile is short but hairy and of diuers colours hauing a long face or snowt like the Zibethus his forelegs being a full spanne long and the hinder legs shorter short eares and little eies a great bladder of gall a body verie fat betwixt the skin and the flesh and about the heart and it is held that this fat increaseth with the Moon and decreaseth with the same being none at all at the change his forelegs haue verie sharp nailes bare and apt to dig withall being fiue both before and behind but the hinder verie short ones and couered with haire His sauour is strong and is much troubled with lice about his secrets the length of his bodie from the nose which hangeth out like a hogges nose to the taile or rumpe is some thirtie inches and a little more the haire of his backâ— three fingers long his necke is short and a like a Dogs both male and female haue vnder their hole another outwardlie Her defence against Hunters theyr Dogs but not inwardlie in the male If she be hunted out of her denne with hounds she biteth them greeuouslie if she lay hold on them wherefore they auoide her carefully and the hunters put great broade collars made of a Graies skinne about their Dogges necke to keepe them the safer from the Badgers teeth her manner is to fight on her backe vsing thereby both her teeth and her nailes and by blowing vp her skinne aboue measure after an vnknowne manner she defendeth her selfe against the strokes of men and the teeth of Dogges wherefore she is hard lie taken but by deuises and ginnes for that purpose inuented with their skinnes they make quiuers for arrows and some shepheards in Italy vse thereof to make sacks wherein they wrappe themselues from the iniury of raine Badgâ— eaten Platina In Italy and Germany they eate Grayes flesh and boile with it peares which maketh the flesh tast like the flesh of a Porcupine Medicine made of Bad. The flesh is best in September if it be fat and of the two kindes the swinish badger is better flesh then the other There are sundry vertues confected out of this beast for it is affirmed that if the fat of a badger mingled with crudy hony Gratius and annointed vpon a bare place of a horsse where the former haires are pulled off it will make new white haires glowe in that place Brasanolus and it is certaine although the Graecians make no reckoning of Badgers grease yet it is a verie soueraigne thing to soften and therefore Serenus prescribeth it to annoint them that haue feuers or inflamations of the bodie Albertus Nec spernendus adeps dederit quem hestia melis And not to be dispised for other cures as for example the easing of the paine of the raines if it be giuen in a glister and likewise the fat of a dogge and a badger mingled togither doe loosen contracted sinnewes The ashes of a badger is found to helpe the bleeding of the stomacke and the same sod and drunke preuenteth daunger by the biting of a mad dogge and Brunfelsius affirmeth that if the blood of a badger be instilled into the hornes of cattell with salt it keepeth them from the murrain and the same dryed and beat to pouder doth wonderfully help the leprosie The braine sod with oyle easeth all aches the liuer taken out of water Bottillus helpeth swellings in the mouth and some affirme that if one weare soleâ— made of Badgers skins in their Shooes it giueth great ease vnto the gowt The biting of this beast is venemous bicause it feedeth vpon all venemous meates which creepe vpon the earth Brasanolus although Arnoldus be of a contrary iudgement and of this beast I can report no other thing worth the noting saue that the Noble family of the Taxons in Ferraria tooke their name from this creature OF THE BEARE A Beare is called in the Haebrew Dob and plurally Dobiâ—â— of the Arabians Dubbe of the Chaldeans Duba Aldub and Daboube Of the name of the Graecians Arctos of some Dasyllis because of the roughnes of his haire of other Beiros and Monios signifieth a solitary Beare The Latines call him Vrsus which some coniecture to be tanquam orsus signifieng that it is but begunne to be framed in the dammes belly and prefected after the littering thereof The Italians call it Orso so also the Spaniards the French Ours the Germans Baer and Beer the
secret but beares forefeet are held for a verie delicate and vvell tasted foode full of svveetnes and much vsed by the German Princes The skinnes of Beares are vsed in the farre Northerne regions for garmentes in the Winter time which they make so artificially The skinnes couering themselues with them from the crowne of the head to the feete that as Munster affirmed some men deceiued with that appearaunce deemed the people of Lapponia to be hairy all ouer The souldiors of the Moores weare garments made of Lyons pardals and beares skinnes and sleepe vppon them and so is it reported of Herodotus Megarensis the Musitian who in the day time wore a Lyons skin and in the night lay in a Beares skin The constitution of the body of a Beare is beyond measure Phlegmatique because he fasteth in the Winter time so long without meate His voyce is fierce and fearefull in his rage but in the night time mournefull being giuen much to rauening If a Beare doe eat of Mandragoras hee presently dieth except he meete with Emmets by licking of whome he recouereth so likewise if he be sicke of a surfet A Beare is much subiect to blindnesse of the eyes and for that cause they desire the hiues of Bees not onely for the hony but by the stinging of the bees their eies are cured It hath not bene seene that a female Beare was taken great with young which commeth to passe by reason that they goe to their Dennes so soone as they are conceiued and come not out thence till they haue littered And because of the fiercenesse of this beast they are seldome taken aliue except they be very young Taking of Beares so that some are killed in the Mountaines by poyson the Country being so steepe and rocky that hunters cannot followe them some taken in ditches of the earth and other ginnes Oppianus relateth that neare Tygris and Armenia the inhabitauntes vse this Stratigem to take Beares The people go often to the Wooddes to finde the Denne of the Beare following a leam-hound whose nature is so soone as he windeth the beast to barke whereby his leader discouereth the prey and so draweth off the hound with the leame then come the people in great multitude and compasse him about with long nets placing certaine men at each end then tie they a long rope to one side of the net as high from the ground as the small of a Mans belly whereunto are fastned diuers plumes and feathers of vultures swannes and other resplendant coloured birdes which with the wind make a noise or hissing turning ouer and glistering on the other side of the net they build foure little houels of greene boughes wherein they lay foure men couered all ouer with greene leaues then all being prepared they sound their Trumpets and wind their horns at the noise whereof the beare ariseth and in his fearefull rage runneth too and fro as if he sawe fire the young men armed make vnto him the beare looking round about taketh the plainest way toward the rope hung full of feathers which being stirred and haled by them that holde it maketh the beare much affraid with the ratling and hissing thereof and so flying from that side halfe mad runneth into the nets where the keepers entrap him so cunningly that he seldome escapeth When a Beare is set vpon by an armed man he standeth vpright and taketh the man betwixt his forefeet but he being couered all ouer with yron plates can receiue no harm and then may easily with a sharpe knife or dagger pierce thorough the heart of the beast If a shee beare hauing young ones be hunted shee driueth her Whelpes before her vntill they be wearied and then if she be not preuented she climbeth vppon a tree carrying one of her young in her mouth and the other on her backe A Beare will not willinglie fight with a man but being hurt by a man he gnasheth his teeth and licketh his forefeete and it is reported by an Ambassador of Poland that when the Sarmatians finde a beare they incloâ—â— the whole Wood by a multitude of people standing not aboue a cubit one from another then cut they downe the outmost trees so that they raise a Wall of wood to hemme in the Beares this being effected they raise the Beare hauing certaine forkes in their hands made for that purpose and when the Beare approacheth they with those forkes fall vpon him one keeping his head another one leg other his body and so withforce muzzle him and tie his legges leading him away The Rhaetians vse this policy to take Wolues and Beares they raise vp great posts and crosse them with a long beame laded with heauy weightes vnto the which beame they fasten a corde with meat therein whereunto the beast comming and biting at the meat pulleth downe the beame vpon her owne pate The inhabitants of Heluetia hunt them with mastiffe Dogges because they should not kill their cattell left at large in the fielde in the day time They likewise shoote them with gunnes giuing a good summe of money to them that can bring them a slaine beare The Sarmatians vse to take Beares by this sleight vnder those trees wherein bees breed they plant a great many of sharpe pointed stakes putting one hard into the hole wherein the bees go in and out whereunto the Beare climbing and comming to pull it forth to the end that she may come to the hony and being angry that the stake sticketh so fast in the hole with violence plucketh it foorth with both her forefeet whereby she looseth her holde and falleth downe vpon the picked stakes whereupon she dieth if they that watch for her come not to take her off There was reported by Demetrius Ambassador at Rome from the King of Musco A History that a neighbor of his going to seek hony fell into a hollow tree vp to the brest in hony where he lay two days being not heard by any man to complain at length came a great Beare to this hony and putting in his head into the tree the poore man tooke hold thereof wherat the Beare suddenly affrighted drew the man out of that deadly daunger and so ranne away for feare of a worse creature But if there be no tree wherein Bees doe breed neere to the place where the Beare abideth then they vse to annoint some hollow place of a tree with hony whereinto Bees will enter and make hony combes and when the Beare findeth them she is killed as aforesaide In Norway they vse to saw the tree almost asunder so that when the beast climbeth it she falleth downe vpon piked stakes laid vnderneath to kill her And some make a hollow place in a tree wherein they put a great pot of Water hauing annointed it with hony Herus at the bottome whereof are fastened certaine hookes bending downeward leauing an easie passage for the beare to thrust in her head to get the honie but impossible to pull
hide is so hard and thicke that of it the Scithians make breast-plates which no dart can pierce through His colour for the most part like an Asses but when he is hunted or feared he changeth his hew into whatsoeuer thing he seeth as among trees he is like them among greene boughs he seemeth greene a myracle in his colour amongst rocks of stone he is transmuted into their colour also as it is generally by most writers affirmed as Pliny Solinus among the auncient Stephanus and Eustathius among the later Writers This indeed is the thing that seemeth most incredible but there are two reasons which draw me to subscribe hereunto first because we see that the face of men and beasts thorough feare ioy anger and other passions doe quickly change from ruddy to white from blacke to pale and from pale to ruddy againe Now as this beast hath the head of a Hart so also hath it the feare of a Hart but in a higher degree and therefore by secret operation it may easily alter the colour of their haire as a passion in a reasonable man may alter the colour of his face The same thinges are reported by Pliny of a beast in INDIA called Lycaon as shall be afterward declared and besides these two there is no other among creatures couered with haire that chaungeth colour Another reason forcing me to yeeld herunto is that in the sea a Polypus-fish and in the earth among creeping things a Chamaeleon doe also change their colour in like sort and fashion whereunto it may be replyed that the Chamaeleon and Polypus-fish are pilled or bare without haire and therefore may more easily be verse-coloured but it is a thing impossible in nature for the haire to receiue any tincture from the passions but I answer that the same nature can multiply and diminish her power in lesser and smaller Beastes according to hir pleasure and reserueth an operation for the nayles and feathers of Birds and finnes and scales of Fishes making one sort of diuers colour from the other and therefore may and doth as forcibly worke in the haires of a buffe as in the skinne of a Chamaeleon adding so much more force to transmute them by how much farther off they stand from the blood like as an Archer which setteth his arme and bow higher to shoote farther and therefore it is worthy obseruation that as this beast hath the best defence by her skin aboue all other so she hath the wakest and most timerous heart aboue all other These Buffes are bred in Scithia and are therefore called Tarandi Scithic Countries of Buffes they are also among the Sarmatians and called Budini and neere Gelonis and in a part of Poland in the Duchy of Mazauia betwixt Oszezke and Garuolyin And if the polonian Thuro before mentioned haue a mane whereof I am ignorant then will I also take that beast for a kind of Bison In phrygia there is a territory called Tarandros Stephanus and peraduenture this beast had his name from that Contrey wherein it may be he was first discouered and made knowne The quantity of this beast exceedeth not the quantity of a wild Oxe The quantity or stature of a Buffe whereunto in al the parts of his body he is most like except in his head face and hornes his Legges and hoofes are also like an Oxes The goodnesse of his hide is memorable and desired in all the cold countries of the world wherein onely these beasts and all other of strong thicke The hide is most profitable to man hides are found for the thinnest and most vnprofitable skinnes of beastes are in the whot and warmer partes of the world and God hath prouided thicke warme most commodious and precious couers for those beasts that liue farthest from the Sunne Whereupon many take the hides of other beastes for Buffe for being tawed and wrought artificially they make garmentes of them as it is daily to be seene in Germany Of the vulgar Bugill A Bugill is called in Latine Bubalus and Buffalus The seuerall names in French Beufle in Spaninsh Bufano in German Buffell and in the Illirian tongue Bouwoll The Haebrewes haue no proper word for it but comprehend it vnder To which signifieth any kind of wild Oxen for neither can it be expressed by Meriah which signifieth fatted oxen or Bekarmi which signifieth oxen properly or Iachmur which the Persians call Kutzcohi or Buzcohi and is vsually translated a wild-asse For which beast the Haebrewes haue many wordes neither haue the Graecians any proper word for a vulgar Bugill for Boubalos and Boubalis are amongest them taken for a kind of Roe bucke The originall of the term Bubalus So that this Bubalus was first of all some moderne or barbarous terme in Affrique taken vp by the Italians by them attributed to this beast and many other for whom they knew no proper names For in the time of Pliny they vse to call strange beastes like Oxen or Buls Vri as now a daies lead with the same errour or rather ignorance they call such Bubali or buffali The true effigies of the vulgar Bugill was sent vnto me by Cornelius Sittardus a famous Physitian in Norimberge and it is pictured by a tame and familiar Bugill such as liueth among men for labour as it seemeth to me For there is difference among these beastes as Aristotle hath affirmed both in colour mouth horne and strength This vulgar Bugill Of the vulgar Bugill hir parts is of a kinde of Wilde Oxen greater and taller then the ordinary Oxen their body being thicker and stronger and their lims better compact together their skinne most hard their other partes very leane their haire short small and blacke but little or none at all vpon the taile which is also short and small The head hangeth downward to the earth and is but little being compared with the reasidue of his body and his aspect or face betokeneth a tameable and simple disposition His forehead is broad and curled with haire his hornes more flat then round very long bending together at the top Pollonius Vse of their hornes as a Goates doe backward insomuch as in creete they make bovves of them and they are not for defence of the beast but for distinction of kind and ornament His necke is thicke and long and his rump or neather part of his backe is lower then the residue descending to the tayle His Legs are very great broad and strong but shorter then the quantity of his body would seeme to permit They are very fierce being tamed but that is corrected by putting an Iron ring through his Nostriles Erasmus whereinto is also put a cord by which he is lead and ruled as a horse by a bridle for which cause in Germany they call a simple man ouerruled by the aduise of another to his owne hurt a Bugle lead with a ring in his Nose His feete are clouen and with the formost
thus vsed it looketh very white after the same manner may be vsed the fat of Lyons Leopards Panthers camels Boares and Horsses The fat kall about the gutts melted in a frying pan and annoynted vpon the genitals and brest helpeth the Dysenterie The marrow of a Bull beaten and drunke cureth the payne in the small of the belly and Rasis sayth that if it be melted at a fire and mingled with one fourth parte of Myrrhe and oyle of bayes and the handes and feete bee therewithall annoynted and rubbed morning and euening it helpeth the contractions of the Nerues and sinnewes The fat of a dormouse of a hen and the marrow of a Bull melted togither and poured warme into the eares easeth their paine very much and if the liuer of a Bull be broiled on a soft fire and put into ones mouth that hath the tooth-ache the paine wilâ— goe away so soone as euer the teeth touch it The gall of a bull is sharper then an Oxes and it is mingled with honey for a wound-plaster and in all outward remedies against poison It hath also a quality to gnaw the deadnes or corruption out of wounds and with the iuyce of leekes and the milke of Women it is applyed against the Swine pox and fistulaes but the gal alone rubbed vpon the biting of an Ape cureth that Malady Likewise the vlcers in the head both of men women and children And if the woole of a hare be burned to ashes and mingled with oyle of myrtles Buls gall and beaten alume and so warmed and annointed vppon the heade it stayeth the falling away of the haire of the head With the gall of a Bull and the white of an Egge they make an eye-salue and so annoint therewith dissolued in water foure dayes togither but it is thought to bee better with hony and balsam and instilled with sweet new wine into the eares it helpeth awaye the paines of them especially running-mattry eares with womans or Goats milke It being taken with hony into the mouth helpeth the cliftes and sores therein and taken with the water of new coloquintida and giuen to a woman in trauel causeth an easie child birth Galen was wont to giue of a buls gall the quantity of an almonde with two spoonefuls of wine called Vinuus Lynghatum to a Woman that hath her childe dead within her body which would presently cause the dead Embrion to come forth The genital of a red bull dryed to pouder and drunke of a Woman to the quantity of a golden Noble it maketh her to loath al maner of copulation but in men as the later Phisitians affirme it causeth that desire of lust to increase The dung of a bul layed too warm helpeth al hardnesse and burnt to pouder helpeth the member that is burnt The vrine or stale of buls with a little Nitre taketh away scabs and Leprosies Of another Beast called Buselaphus THere was saith D. cay a clouen footed beast brought out of the deserts of Mauritania into England of the bignesse of a hinde in forme and countenance betwixt a hinde and a cow The description of this strange beast and therefore for the resemblance it beareth of both I will call it Buselaphus or Boniceruus or Moschelaphus or a cow hart hauing a long and thinne head and eare a leane and slender Leg and Shinne so that it may seeme to bee made for chase and celerity His taile not much longer then a foote The name but the forme thereof very like a cowes and the length like a harts as if nature seemed to doubt whether it should encline to a cow or a hart his vpper parts were yellowish and smooth his neather partes blacke and rough the haire of his bodye betwixt yellow and red falling close to the skinne The seuerall parts but in his forehead standing vppe like a Starre and so also about the hornes which were blacke and at the top smooth but downward rough with Wrinkles meeting on the contrary part and on the neerer side spreading from one another twice or thrice their quantity These hornes are in length one foote a hand bredth but three hand bredthes thicke at the roote and their distance at the roote was not aboue one fingers bredth so arising to their middle and a little beyond where they differ or grow asunder three hands bredth and a halfe then yeeld they together againe a little and so with another crooke depart asunder the second time yet so as the tops of the hornes do not stand asunder aboue two hands bredth three fingers and a halfe From the crowne of the head to the Nostrils there goeth a blacke strake which is one foote two palmes and one finger long in bredth aboue the eyes where it is broadest it is seuen fingers in thicknesse one foote and three palmes it hath eight teeth and wanteth the vppermost like a cow Pausamas and yet cheweth the cud it hath two vdders vnder the belly like a heyghfer that neuer had calfe it is a gentle and pleasant beast apt to play and sport being not onely swift to runne but light and actiue to leape It will eate any thing either bread broath salted or pouldred beefe grasse or herbes and the vse heereof being aliue is for hunting and being dead the flesh is sweete and pleasant for meate OF THE OXE and COVV And Bucalus or Bos Nouellus for a little oxe Schor in Haebrew signifieth a Bull or oxe Bakar heards or a cow Thor in the Chalday hath the same signification with Schor and among the latter Writers you may find Tora a masculine and Torata a feminine for a Bull and a cow accustomed to be handled for labour The Graecians call then bous boes the Arabians bakar and it is to be noted that the holy scriptures distinguish betwixt tzon signifieng flockes of sheepe and Goates bakar for heards of cattel and Neate and Meâ—a is taken for Bugils or the greatest oxen or rather for fatted oxen for the verbe Mara signifieth to feed fat Egela is interpreted Ierem 46. for a young cow and the Persians Gosalai It is very probable that the Latin Vacca is deriued from the haebrew bakar as the Saracen word baccara so in Haebrew Para is a cow and Par a Steere and ben bakar the sonne of an oxe or calfe and wheras the Haebrews take Parim for oxen in general the chaldees translate it Tore the Arabs Bakera the Persians Nadgaeah or Madagaucha the Itallians call it bue the French beuf the Spaniard buey the Germanes Ochs and Rind the Illirians wull Of the name of a Cow The Italians call a cow Vacca at this day the Gaecians bubalis and Damalis or Damalai for a cow which neuer was couered with Bul or tamed with a yoake and Agelada The French Vache the Spaniardes Vaca the Germanes Ku or Kuhe and the cittizens of Altina ceua from which the English word cow seemeth to be deriued the Latine word is a young heighfer
that so he may depart with a conceit of victory after the fight tie him vp fast and suffer him not to straggle loose abroad but feed him thus tyed vp so shall he in short time prooue a strong defender and eager combatant against all men and beasts which come to deale with him Of this sort they nourish many in Spaine and in other places Such an one was the Dogge of Phaereus the tyrant of Thessalye Blondus Of defeÌ„ding dogs being a very greate and fierce beast and hurtfull to all except them who fed him dayly He vsed to set this Dogge at his chamber dore to watch gard him when he slept that whosoere was afraid of the Dog might not aproach neare without exquisite torments Angcas gaue one of these to the Poet Eupolis who taught him by many signes and gestures for the loue of his meate to obserue his seruant Ephialtes if at any time he stole money from him And at the last the wily Dog obserued the seruant so narrowly that he found him robbing his maisters coffers wherefore he instantly fell vppon him and tore him in pieces The which Dog afterward died for sorrow of his maisters death wherupon Aelianus saith that the place of his death in Aâ—gina was called the place of mourning to the day of his writing Nicomedes king of Bythinia had one of these Molosssian great Dogs which he norished verie tenderly Tzetzes Aâ—rianus and made it very familiar with him selfe it fell out on a time that this king being in dalliance with his wife Ditizele in the presence of the Dog and she againe hanging about the kings necke kissing and prouoking him to loue with amorous gestures the Dog thinking she had beene offering some violence to his maister the king presently â—lew vpon her and with his teeth pulled her right shoulder from her bodie and so left the amorous Queen to die in the armes of her louing husband which thing caused the king to banish the Dogge for euer out of his sight A cruel murther of a Q. by a Dogge for sorrow whereof he soone after died but the Queene was most nobly buried at Nicomedia in a golden sepulcher the which was opened in the raigne of the Emperour Michaell sonne of Theophilus and there the womans body was found whole and not putrified being wrapped in a golden vesture which taken off and tried in furnace yeilded aboue an hundred and thirteen pounds of pure gold When a Dragon was setting vppon Orpheus as he was occupied in hawking by his Dogs his life was saued and the Dragon deuoured And when Caelius one of the Senators of Placentia being sicke was set vpon by certaine lewd fellowes he reeceiued no wounde till his Dog was slaine A most memorable story of the dog of Rhodes There was neuer any thing more strange in the nature of Dogs then that which hapned at Rhodes besieged by the Turke for the Dogges did there descerne betwixt Christians and Turkes for toward the Turkes they were most eager furious and vnappeasable but towards Christians although vnknowne most easie peaceable and placidious which thing caused a certaine Poet to write thus His auxere fidem quos nostro fulua sub aere Arua Carpathij defendit littora ponti Pectora thoracum tunica sacrumque profano Miratur nutritque Rhodos custodibus illis It noctes animosa Phalanx innexa trilici Seligit blande exceptum deducit ad vrbem There were two hundred of these Dogges which brought the king of Garamants from banishment Aelianus rescuing him from all that resisted The Colophonian and Castabalensian or Caspian Dogges fought in all their battels Textor so likewise the Cimbrian Hircanian and Magnesiaâ— Dogs Pliny Pet. Martyr these also the Spaniards vsed in India to hunt out the naked people falling vppon them as fiercely as euer they would vpon Bores or other wilde beasts being pointed vnto by their leaders finger And for this cause was it that Vaschus the Spaniard caused Paera an Indian Lord Deserued punishment of vnnatural copulation and three other his wicked companions to be cast vnto Dogs for their vnnaturall lust but the inhabitants of Caramair and Carib doe driue away the Dogges for through their admirable actiuitie in casting dartes they pierce the Dogges ere euer they come neare them with poysoned arrowes And thus much for the greate warlike defensiue Dogs The Shepheards Dog In the next place followeth the Shepheards Dog called by Virgill Pecuarius Canis and this cannot properly be tearmed a dumbe keeper for there is no creature that will more stirre barke and moue noise then one of these against thiefe or wilde beast They are also vsed by Heards-men Swine-heards and Goate-heards to driue away all annoyances from their Cattell and also to guide and gouerne them in executing their maisters pleasure vpon signes giuen them to which of the stragling beastes they ought to make force Neither is it requisite that this Dog be so large or nimble as is the Greyhounde which is apointed for Deer and Hares But yet that he be strong quick ready and vnderstanding both for brauling fighting so as he may feare away and also follow if need be the rauening Wolfe and take away the prey out of his mouth wherefore a square proportion of body is requisite in these beasts and a tolerable lightnes of foot such as is the village dog vsed onely to keep houses and hereof also they are the best who haue the greatest or lowdest barking voices Columella are not apt to leape vpon euery straunger or beast they see but reserue their strength till the iust time of imployment They approue also in this kind aboue all other the white colour because in the night time they are the more easily discernd from the Wolfe or other noisome beast Blondus for many times it falleth out that the Shepheard in the twy-light Fronto striketh his Dog insted of the Wolfe these ought to be well faced blacke or dusky eies and correspondent Nostrils of the same colour with their eies blacke ruddy lippes a crooked Camoyse nose a flat chap with two great broches or long straight sharpe teeth growing out thereof couered with their lips a great head great eares a broad breast a thicke necke broad and solide sholders straight legs yet rather bending inward then standing outward great and thick feet hard crooked nailes a thicke taile which groweth lesser to the end thereof then at the first ioynt next the body and the body all rugged with haire for that maketh the dog more terrible and then also it is requisite that he be prouided of the beast breede neyther buy him of a hunter for such an one will be gone at the sight of a Deer or Hare nor yet of a Butcher for it will be sluggish therefore take him yong Strabo and bring him vp continually to attend sheepe for so will he be most ready that is trained vppe
among Shepheards They vse also to couer their throat and necke with large broad collars pricked throgh with nailes for else if the wilde beast bite them in those places the dogge is easily killed varro Fronto Ths loue of dogs to the cattell they attend but being bitten at any other place he quickly auoideth the wound The loue of such to the cattel they keepe is very great especially to sheep for when Publius Aufidius Pontianus bought certaine flockes of Sheepe in the farthest part of Vmbria and brought Shepherds with him to driue them home with whome the dogs went along vnto Heraclea and the Metapontine coasts where the drouers left the cattell the dogs for loue of the Sheepe yet continued and attended them without regard of any man and forraged in the fields for Rats and Mice to eat vntill at length they grew weary and leane and so returned back againe vnto Vmbria alone without the conduct of men to their first maisters being many daies iourney from them It is good to keep many of these together at the least two for euery flock that so when one of them is hurt or sick the herd be not destitute it is also good to haue these male and female yet some vse to geld these thinking that for this cause they will the more vigilantly attend the flocke howbeit I cannot assent hereunto because they are too gentle and lesse eager when they want their stones They are to be taken from their dam at two moneths old and not before and it is not good to giue them hot meate for that will encrease in them madnes neither must they tast any of the dead carkasses of the Cattell lest that cause them to fal vpon the liuing for when once they haue taken a smatch of their blood or flesh you shal sildom reclaim theÌ„ from that deuouring appetite The vnderstanding of these Shepherds dogs is very great especially in England for the Shepherds wil there leaue their dogs alone with the flocks and they are taught by custome to keepe the sheep within the compasse of their pasture and discern betwixt grasse and corn for when they see the sheep fall vpon the corne they run and driue them away from that forbidden fruit of their own acord and they likewise keep very safely their maisters garments victuals from all annoyance vntill their return Ther is in Xenophon a complaint of the sheep to the shepherds concerning these dogs we maruel said the sheep at thee that seeing we yeeld thee milk lambs and cheese wherupon thou feedest A pretty fable of the Sheep the Dogge neuertheles thou giuest vnto vs nothing but that which groweth out of the earth which we gather by our own industry and whereas the dog doth none of al these him thou feedest with thine own hand bred from thine own trencher the dog hearing this complaint of the sheep replyed that his reward at the shepherds hand was iust and no more then he deserved for saide hee I looke vnto you and watch you from the rauening Wolfe and pilfering theefe so as if once I forsake you then it will not bee safe for you to walke in your pastures for perrill of death whereunto the sheepe yeelded and not replyed to the reasonable answer of so vnreasonable a beast and this complaint you must remember was vttered when Sheepe could speake as well as men or else it noteth the foolish murmuring of some vulgar persons against the chiefe ministers of state that are liberally rewarded by the princes owne hands for their watchfull custody of the common-wealth and thus much for the shepheards Dogge OF THE VILLAGE DOGGE or house-keeper THis village Dogge ought to be fatter and bigger then the Shepheards Dog of an elegant square and strong body being blacke coloured The colour of this Dog and great mouthed or barking bigly that so he may the more terrifie the Theefe both by day and night for in the night the beast may seize vpon the robber before he discerne his blacke skinne and therefore a spotted branded party-coloured Dogge is not approued His head ought to be the greatest part of his body hauing great eares hanging downe and blacke eies in his head a broade breast thicke necke large shoulders strong Legs a rough haire short taile and great nailes his disposition must not be to fierce nor yet to familiar for so he will fawne vpon the theife as well as his maisters friend Yet is it good that sometime he rise against the house-hold seruantes and alway against strangers and such they must be as can wind a stranger a farre off and descry him to his maister by barking as by a watch-word and setting vpon him when he approcheth neere if he be prouoked Blondus commendeth in this kinde such as sleepe with one eie open and the other shut Of marriners dogs on shipboard so as any small noyse or stirre wake and raise him It is not good to keepe many of these curst Dogs together and them fewe which bee kept must bee tyed vppe in the day time that so they may be more vigilant in the night when they are let loose There are of this kind which Marriners take with them to Sea to preserue their goodes on ship-board they chose them of the greatest bodyes and lowdest voice like the Croatian Dog resembling a Wolfe in haire and bignesse and such as are very watchful according to the saying of the Poet. Exagitant lar turba Dianiae fures Peruigilant que lares peruigilant que canes Vegetius And such also they nourish in Towers and Temples in Towers that so they may descry the approching enemy when the Souldiers are asleepe for which cause Dogs seene in sleepe Aâ—temdorus signifie the carefull and watchfull wife seruants or Souldiers which foresee dangers and preserue publique and priuate good There was in Italy a Temple of Pallas wherein were reserued the axes instruments and armour of Diomedes and his colleages Aristotle â—râ—ldus 〈◊〉 keepers 〈…〉 Dâ—â—â— Chriso the which temple was kept by Dogges whose nature was as the Authour saith that when Graecians came to that Temple they would fawne vpon them as if they knew them but if any other countrey men came they shewed themselues Wild fierce and angry against them The like thing is reported of a Temple of vulcan in Aetna wherein was preserued a perpetuall and vnquencheable fire for the watching whereof were Dogges designed who would fawne and gently flatter vpon all those which came chastly and religiously to worship there leading them into the Temple like the familiars of their God but vpon wicked and euill disposed leude persons they barked and raged if once they endeauored so much has to enter either the Wood or temple but the true cause hereof was the imposture of some impure and deceiteful vnclean diabolical spirits 〈…〉 And by the like instinct Scipio Affricanus was wont to enter into the Capital and commaund
already are manifested to accompany a mad Dog and that more often in Summer then in winter Albertus Albert. Liber Aetius When a Foxe feeleth himselfe sicke nature hath taught him to eate the gum of Pine-trees wherewithall he is not onely cured but also receiueth length of daies They are also vexed with the falling away of their haire called therefore Alopecia because Foxes are most commonly vexed therewith and as we see in plantes that some of them drye and consume through want of moysture to feede them other are suffocated and choaked by aboundance and as it were drowned in humidity so it happeneth in haire which groweth out of the body of beastes and the heades of men no otherwise then plants out of the earth and are therefore to be nourished by humours which if they faile and waxe drye the haire also shorteneth with them and as it were rotteth away in length but if they abound and ouerflowe then do they loosen the rootes of the haire and cause them to fall off totally This disease is called Alopecia and the other Ophiasis because it is not generall but only particular in one member or part of the body or head there it windeth or indenteth like a Serpents figure Mychaell Ferus affirmeth that sometime the liuer of the Foxe inflameth and then it is not cured but by the vlcerous blood flowing to the skin and that euill blood causeth the Alopecia or falling away of the haire for which cause as is already said a Foxes skin is little worth that is taken in the summer time The length of the life of a Foxe is not certainely knowen yet as Stumpsius and others affirme The length of their life it is longer then the life of a Dog If the vrine of a Foxe fall vpon the grasse or other Herbs it drieth and killeth them and the earth remaineth barren euer afterward The sauour of a Foxe is more strong then of any other vulgar beast he stincketh at Nose and taile Varinus for which cause Martiall calleth it Olidam Vulpem an Olent or smelling beast Hic olidam clamosus ages in retia vulpem Touching the hunting or taking of Foxes I approue the opinion of Xenophon who auoucheth The hunting and taking of Foxes leporum capturam venatico studia quam vulpium digniorem that is the Hunting of the Hare is a more noble game or pastime then the hunting of the Foxe This beast is more fearefull of a Dogge then a Hare for the onely barking of Dogges causeth him to rise many times from his denne or lodgings out of the earth or from the middle of bushes Aelianus briars and brambles wherein he hid himselfe and for his hunting this is to be obserued Oppianus that as in hunting of a Hart it hath beene already related the Hunter must driue the beast with the winde because it hindereth his refrigeration so in hunting of a Foxe he driue him againe the winde and then he preuenteth all his crafty and subtill agitations and diuises for it stayeth his speede in running and also keepeth his sauour fresh alway in the Nose of the Dogs that follow him Dellisarius for the Dogges that kill a Fox must be swifte stronge and quicke sented and it is not good to put on a few at once but a good company together for be assured the Foxe will not loose his owne blood till hee hazzard some of his enemies and with his taile which he windeth euery way doth hee delude the hunters when the Dogs are pressed neere vnto him and are ready to bite him Textâ—r he striketh his taile betwixt his Legs and with his owne vrine wetteth the same and so instantly striketh it into the dogs mouths whereof when they haue tasted so many of them as it touched will commonly leaue off and follow no farther Their teeth are exceeding sharp and therefore they feare not to assault or contend with beasts exceeding their stature strength and quantity Somtime he leapeth vp into a tree and there standeth to be seene and bayed at by the Dogs and Hunters Oppianus like as a Champion in some fort or Castle and although fire be cast at him yet will he not discend down among the dogs yea he endureth to be beaten and pierced with Hunters speares but at length being compelled to forsake his holde and giue ouer to his enemies downe he leapeth falling vpon the crew of barking Dogs like a flash of lightning and where he layeth hold there he neuer looseth teeth or aswageth wrath til other dogs haue torne his limbs and driuen breath out of his body If at any time he take the earth then with Terriour dogges they ferret him out of his den againe In some places they take vpon them to take him with nets which sildome proueth because with his teeth he teareth them in pieces yet by Calentius this deuise is allowed in this verse Et laqueo Vulpes decipe casse foïnas But this must be wrought vnder the earth in the caues dennes or furrowes made of pur-which is to be performed two manner of waies one by placing the gin in some perch of Wood so as that assoone as the beast is taken by the Necke it may presently fly vp and hang him for otherwise with his teeth hee will sheare it asunder and escape away aliue or else that neere the place where the rope is fastened to slippe vppon the heade of the Foxe there bee placed some thicke collor or brace so as hee can neuer bite it asunder The French haue a kind of Ginne to take them by the Legges which they call Hausepied and I haue heard of some which haue found the Foxes Legge in the same Gin A noble instance of a Foxes coragâ— bitten off with his owne teeth from his body rather putting himselfe to that torment with his owne teeth then to expect the mercy of the Hunter and so went away vppon three feet and other haue counterfeited themselues dead restraining their breath and winking not stirring any member when they saw the Hunter come to take them out of the Ginne The subtlery of a Fox take in a snare who comming and taking his Legge forth not suspecting any life in them so soone as the Foxe perceiueth himselfe free away hee went and neuer gaue thankes for his deliuerance for this cause Blondus saith truely that onely wise and olde Hunters are fit to take Foxes for they haue so many deuises to beguile men and deliuer themselus that it is hard to know when he is safely taken vntill he be throughly dead They also vse to set vp Ginnes for them bayted with Chickens in Busnes and Hedges but if the setter be not at hand so soone as the Foxe is insnared it is daungerous but that the beast will deliuer it selfe In some places againe they set vp an iron toyle hauing in it a ring for the foxe to thrust in his head and through that sharpe pikes at
hircum factus es ipse caper The Mendesians worshipped Goates both males females Gyraldus because as they imagine they were like to their God Pan. The Egyptians also deified the male goate for his genitall members as other nations did Priapus The Gentiles had also a brazen goate whereupon Venus rode in brasse which picture they called Pandemon and Venus Epitragia I thinke that lust could not be better described then by this emblem for venereous persons will suffer their whoores to doe any disgrace vnto them for their carnall pleasure And thus much for these male and female goates now follow the stories of the wilde goates and the kids in order OF THE GOATE CALLED by PLINY a DEERE THere is no man that shall see this beast but will easily yeeld vnto my opinion that it is a goate not a deere the hair beard and whole proportion of body most euidently demonstrating so much neither is there any difficultie herein except for the horne which turne forward at the point and not backward which thing yet swarueth not so much from a goate as from a deare and therefore can be no good reason to alter my opinion There are of this kinde as Doctor Cay affirmeth in the Northerne part of England and that figure which is engrauen at Rome in a marble piller being a remembrance of some Triumphe which Pliny setteth forth differeth in no part from this beasts description and proportion Yet I take it that it may be brought into England from some other nation and so be seene in some Noble mans house but that it should be bred there I cannot finde any monument of authoritie but rather I coniecture the same to be bred in Spain Of these kinds there are three Epigrams in martiall whereby is declared their mutuall fights killing one another their feare of dogges and their flesh desired both of men and beasts The first Epigram describing their wilfull fight one killing another and so sauing a labour to the hunter for they kill themselues to his hand is thus Frontibus aduersis molles concurrere damas Spectauere canes praedam stupuitque superbus Vnde leues animae tanto caluere furore Aspicis imbelles tenent quam fortia damae In mortem paruis concurrere frontibus audent Vidimus fati sorte iacere pari Venator cultro nil superesse suo Sic pugnant Tauri sic cecidere viri The second Epigram is a Dialogue speaking to the Emperour who tooke care to encrease his game seeing not onely men were enemies to them but they also to one another wherevpon he writeth this distichon Praelia tam timidis quanta sit ixa feris Vis Caesar damis parcere mitte canes The thirde Epigram is a complaint of their weake and vnarmed state hauing neither teeth like Bores not hoenes like Harts to defend themselues but lie open to the violence of all their enemies Dente timetur Aper defendunt cornua ceruum Imbelles damae quid nisi preda sumus These are of a whitish yellow colour on the back and are nourished sometime for the pleasure and somtime for the profit of their possessors for they wil suffer hunting like a Deere and also be tamed for milke like a Goat And heere of I finde no other especiall mention among Authors beside that which is already rehearsed OF THE WILDE GOAT AND THE figure of the Heluetian Alpian wilde or Rocke-Goat WIlde-goats are transfigured into many similitudes and also dispersed into many countries beyond the seas and in the Alpes the picture of the Alpine wilde Goat is heere set down They are also to be found in Italy in the mountaines of Fiscela and Tetrica Varro insomuch as the tame goats which are nourished there are said to be deriued of these wilde goats these are calld Cinthian Goats because they are bred in the mountaines of Delos called Cinthus There are of these which are found in the tops of the Libian mountaines as great as Oxen whose shoulders and legges abound with loose-shaggy haire their shinnes small their faces are rounde their eies are hollowe and hard to be seene Their hornes crooking backward to their shoulders not like other Goats for they stand farre distant one from another and among all other Goats they are indued with a most singuler dexterity of leaping for they leap from one top to another standing a great way asunder and although many times they fall downe vpon the hard rocks which are interposed betwixt the Mountaines yet receiue they no harme for such is the hardnesse of their members to resist that violence and of theyr hornes to breake their fals that they neither are offended thereby in head nor legs Such are the Goates of Soractum as Cato Writeth which leape from Rocke to rocke aboue threescore foote of this kind are those Goates before spoken off in the History of the tame Goat which are thought to breath out of their eares and not out of their Nostrils they are very swift and strong horned the loue betwixt the Dammes and the Kids in this kind is most admirable for the Damme doth most carefully educate and nourish her young the younge ones againe doe most thankefully recompence their mothers carefulnesse much like vnto reasonable men which keepe and nourish theyr owne parents in their old decrepit age which the loue of God and nature doth enioyn them for satisfaction of there owne education so doe these young wild Goates toward their owne mothers for in their age they gather their meate and bring it to them and likewise they runne to the riuers or watering places and with their mouthes sucke vp water which they bring to quench the thirst of their parentes and when as their bodies are Ruffe and vglye to looke vppon the younge ones licke them ouer with their tongues so making them smooth and neate And if at any time the Damme be taken by the Hunters the young one doth not forsake her till he be also insnared and you would thinke by the behauiour of the imprisoned Damme towards her young Kids and likewise of the Kid towards his Damme that they mutually contend one to giue it selfe for the other for the dam forseeing her yong one to houer about her in the handes of her enemies and continually to follow with sighes and teares seemeth to wish and perswade them to depart and to saue themselues by flight as if they could say in the language of men Fugite filij infestos venatores ne me miseram capti materno nomine priuate that is to say Runne away my sons saue your selues from these harmefull and greedy Hunters least if you be taken with me I be for euer depriued of the name of a mother The young ones againe on the other side wandering about their mother bleate forth many a mournefull songe leaping to the Hunters and looking in their faces with pittifull asspects as if they said vnto him we adiure you oh Hunters by the maker of vs al that you
which drinke the blood of this goat comming hot out of his body immediately after the wound giuen against that sicknes The fat milke of a wilde goat mingled together haue cured one long sick of the Ptisick The wilde goats of Creet being wounded with poysoned Dartes runne presently and eate of the hearbe Dittani by the vertue and iuice whereof they not onely auoid the arrow which sticketh in their skin but also death and cure the poyson OF THE KYD. HAuing formerly discoursed of seuerall kindes of Goates Of the name now it followeth that we should also intreat of the Kid which is the yssue of a Goat and first of the seuerall names therof It is called in Haebrew Egedi which because it signifieth also a Lambe they put vnto it Haissim and the plurall masculine is Gedaijm and the feminine Gedioth Gen. 35. where the Caldean translation hath Gadeia the Persian Bus-kahale or else Cahali busan for the Persians render Cahale for Sheter in Haebrew Busan for Issim The Septuagints render Erifon and vulgarly at this day the Grecians cal him Eriphoi but the truth is that Eriphoi are kids of three or foure months old and after that time vntill their procreation Varinus they are called Chimaroi the Latines cal him Hoedi ab edendo from eating as Isidorus saith for then their flesh is tender and fat and the tast therof pleasant The Italians call it Cauretto or Capretto and Ciauerello the Rhetians which speak Italian Vlzol the Spaniardes Cabrito the French Chereru the Germans Gitse or Kitslain the Polonians Koziel It was a question whether nature would finish her parts vpon a young one out of the dams belly wherefore a triall was made vpon a kid which neuer saw his dam for vpon a season a dissexion was made vpon a Female-goate great with young and out of her belly was her young one taken aliue so as it could neuer see the mother the same kid was put into a house where were many boales full of wine oyle milke and Hony and other lyquid thinges there also lay beside him diuers kindes of fruits both of the vine of corne and of plants at last this kid was seene to arise and stand vpon his feete and as if somebody had told him that his Legges were made to walke vpon he shooke off all that moistnesse which he brought with him out of his mothers belly afterwardes he scratched his side with his foote and then went and smelled at all the former vessels and at last comming to the milke-boule he supped and licked thereof which when the behoulders saw they all cryed out that Hipocrates rule was most true Animalium naturas esse indoctas that is to say the natures of creatures are not formed by Art but of their owne inclination There is nothing more wanton then a Kid whereupon Ouid made this verse Splendidior vitro tenero lasciuior hoedo They often iumpe and leape among themselues and then they promise faire weather Aelianuâ— but if they keep continually with the flocks and depart not from their mothers or continually sucke and licke vp their meat also they for-shew a storm and therfore they must be gathered to their folds according to the Poets saying si sine fine modoque Pabula delbent cum tutas vesper adire Compellat caulas monstrabunt ad fore nimbos If Geese swallow the haires of Kids or Goats they die thereof Kids are not to be separated from their Dammes Aâ—atolius Varro or weaned till they be three months old at which time they may be ioyned to the flockes they are nourished when they are young after the same manner as they be at a year old except that they must be more narrowly looked vnto least their lasciuiousnesse ouerthrow their age and besides their Milk you must giue vnto them three leaued-grasse Palladius Iuy and the toppes of lentiles tender leaues or small twigges of trees and whereas commonly they are brought forth in twinnes it is best to choose out the strongest headed kid for the flock and to sel the other away to the Butchers Out of the rennet of the Calues or Kids is the Coagulation There was a certaine law as appeareth by Baifyus in the bookes of the ciuill Lawyers that shooes should be made of the skinnes of Kids as appeared by auncient Marble monuments at Rome which thing Martiall approueth in his verses to Phebus shewing how time altereth al things and that the skins of kids which were wont to couer bald heads are not put vpon bare legs the verses are these that follow Oedina tibi pelle Contegenti Nudae tempore verticemque caluae Fefliue tibi phebe dixit ille Qui dixit câ—put esse calciatum Albertus Out of the hide of a Kid is made good glue and in the time of Cicero they stuffed beddes with Kids haire their flesh hath been much esteemed for delicate meat for that cause dressed and trimmed sundry waies the best Kids for meate haue been said to come from Melos or Vmbratia or Viburtinum which neuer tasted grasse but haue more milke in them then blood according to the saying of Iuuenall De viburtino veniet pinguissimus agro Hoedulus toto grege mollior nescius herbae Hâ—c dum ausus virgas humilis mordere falicti For this cause they may safely be eaten all the yeare long while they sucke both of men of temperate and whot constitution Arnoldus for they are lesse hurtfull then the Rammes and doe easily disgest and nourish temperately for they engender thinne and moyst blood and also helpe all whot and temperate bodies and they are at the best when as they are neither too olde that is aboue sixe monthes nor two younge that is vnder two monethes The red or sandy coloured are the best yet is their flesh hurtfull to the Collicke Simeon Sethi affirmeth that if a man eate a kids liuer before he drinke in the morning he shal not be ouer drunke that day Celtus also prescribeth it in the sickenesse of the Holy-fire They are wholesome sod roasted or baked but the ribs are best sodde Platina teacheth one way whereby it was dressed in his time for a delicate dishe they tooke some fielde Herbes and fat broath twoe Whites of an Egge well beaten together with twoo heades of Garlike a little Saffron and a little Pepper with the Kiddes flesh put all together into a dish rosted before at the fire vpon a spitte with Parsely Rosemary and Lawrel leaues and so serud out with that sauce and set it on the table but if they did not eate it before it was colde it weakened the eyeâ—sight and raised vp venerial lust The bloode also of a Kid was made into a bludding and giuen to be eaten of them which haue the bloody-flixe They haue also deuised to dresse a Kidde whot and to fill his belly with Spices and other good things likewise it is sod in Milke with Lawrell with diuers other
watery or sweating whole-footed and many such others both among the Greekes and Latines which howsoeuer they may containe diuers Alegories in them and therefore may seeme to be figuratiuely set downe yet I thought good being of other opinion to reckon them heere in the beginning that so the reader may consider that I would be vnwilling to omit any thing in this story which might any way tend to the dignity of the subiect we intreat of or the expressing of his nature Wherefore wee will firste of all beginne with the description of the naturall partes of a good Horsse The haire of a horsse falleth off euery yeare the neather eye lid or browe hath no long haires growing vpon it and therefore Nicon that famous painter of Greece when hee had most curiously limbed forth a horsses perfection faild in no part of nature or art The naturall outward and inward parts of Horsses but onely in placing haires vnder his eie for that onely fault hâ—e receiued a disgracefull blame The haire of the manes ought to be long that part which groweth betwixt the eares vpon the Temples hanging downe betwixt the eyes the Graecians tearme Procomion the Latines Caprona and in English it may be called a fore-top which is graunted to horsses not onely for ornament sake but also for necessitie to defend their eies Aelianus The horsses are naturally proud of these lockes and manes as may appear by those mares which are kept for procreation of mules by copulation with Asses which at the first despise to ingender with those shaueling and short haired Stallions Wherefore their keepers shaue off their manes and their fore-tops afterwards leading them to the waters wherein while the Mares behold their owne deformity they grow so shamed deiected and discouraged that euer after they admit with quietnesse the Asses to couer them Therefore it is neuer good to cut the mane or the fetter-lockes except necessity require for the mane and fore-top is an ornament to the Necke and head and the fetter lockes to the Legges and feete and he that keepeth horsses must as well regard to haue them comely for outward grace as stronge and able for necessary labour Many vse to cut the Neckes of their riding Horsses euen as they doe of their drawing Horsses which thing although it may seeme to be done for greater encrease and farther groweth of haire yet is it vnseemely for an honest rider some againe cut it to stand compasse like a bow and many vse the Armenian fashion cutting the mane by rowes leauing some longer then other as it were the batlements of a Church but the best fashion of all is the Persian cut whereby the one halfe of the thicknesse is cut away on the left side and the other on the right side smoothly turned ouer and combed according to the saying of Virgill Densa iuba dextro iactata recumbit in armo But if the Horsse be double maned and so the haire fall halfe on the one side and halfe on the other then cut all the middle haires away and leaue both the sides whole for such was the inuention of the Parthians In a Coult or young foale the hinder part is hier then the fore part but as he grows in yeares so likewise the forepart groweth higher then the hinder This beast hath two bones in his head and other two discending from his forehead to the Nostrils two inferior Gumbes or Cheeke-bones forty teeth that is to say foure and twenty grynders foure canyne and twelue biting teeth there are seauen crosse ribbes in his Necke and seuen from his raines to his hole his taile hath twelue commisures and two Ragulae in his fore-shoulders from his shoulders to his Legges other two from his Legges to his knees two moe in his knees there are twoo supporters and from the shin to the Articles two mo there are sixteene small bones in the bottome of his hoofe and but one in his brest in the inward parts there are six and twenty ribs from the hinder parts to the top of his reynes Veâ—etius the two grinding bones and from them to the hinder part of the head there are two moe and two little ribbes from the vpper part of the thigh to the Gamba and from thence to the haire of the pasternes there are two and the little ones to the hooues sixteene so all the bones in number are accounted a hundred and seuenty Now it followeth to declare the measure and number of the members there are twelue steps or degrees in the roofe of his mouth his tongue is halfe a foot long the vpper lip hath twelue ounces the vnder lip fiue euery one of the cheeks ten from the fore-locke to the Nostrils he hath one foot in length his two eares containe six ounces and his eies foure ounces a peece From his fore-locke to the Mercurius there are contained 8. ynches the backbone containeth three and thirty crosse ribs From the conuulsial of the reines to the top of the taile are twelue commissures the length of his Sagula containeth also twelue ounces from his shoulders to his legges six from his legs to his knees a foote in length from the Articles to the hooues foure ounces in his whole length sixe feete And this is the stature of a couragious and middle horsse for I know there are both bigger and lesser The quality and the measure of the nerues of sinnewes is this from the middle nostrils through the heade necke and backe bone is a dubble file or thred to the toppe of the taile which contayneth twelue foot in length The two broad sinnews in the necke do containe foure-foot from the shoulders to the knees there are two sinnewes from the knee to the bottome of the foot there are foure sinnewes in the fore-legs there are ten sinnews in the hinder legges there are other ten sinnewes from the reynes to the stones there are foure sinnewes so the whole number of them amounteth to thirty foure Consequently the number of the vaines is to be declared In the pallet or roofe of the mouth there are two vaines vnder the eies other two in the brest other two and in the legges other two foure vnder the pastrones two in the ancles foure in the crowne of the pastrones foure out of the thighes two out of the loines two out of the Gambaes one out of the tayle and two in the wombe or Matrix so the whole number is nine and twenty There are certaine vaines aboue the eies which are diuided in horsses wherin they are let blood by making to them small incisions the blood also is taken out of the vaines in the pallet or roofe of the mouth There was an auncient custome of letting horsses blood vpon Saint Steuens day by reason of many holy daies one succeeding another but that custome is now growne out of vse Also some take blood out of the Matrixe vaines but that is not to be admitted in geldings because
sustaine the vndergoing or compassing of iourneyes neither are they slender bodied or subiect to leannesse but they are nothing nimble for course as shall appeare by the words of the Authors following neither are they spurred when they are ridden Ruellius from their growing euen to their middle age they are pliant and easie to be handled afterward they waxe wilde and biting The Cappadocian horsse is renowned the like or the next triumph or victory haue the Spanish horsses in running the ring Neither doeth Siuilia yeeld horsses inferior for the ring then those and Affrica is accustomed to bring foorth the most swift Horsses by copulation with the Spanish bloode to the vse of the saddle Oppianus saith that their Iberan horsses are more excellent and do so much surre-passe other horsses in swiftnesse how much the Eagle or the winding Hawke in the ayre the Dolphin in the sea excelleth other birds and fishes but they are smal and of little strength and no corage although Absyrtus affirmeth if you read him well that they are of a great stature of bodie they being rid but a little way do loose their swiftnes of pace they are of a comely body but their hooues are not hollow or hard The Spanish horsses are desired of great Princes and Peers Camerarius the Maguates because their opinion is that they are swift and nimble and out of Spaine they are respected for lightnes and elegancy The iudgement of the auncients for the general breed of horsses was this that the greatest horsses are bred from the third climat to the end of the sixt and most of al in Spaine yet we haue seene stronger and bigger horsses bred in the seuenth climat and those more able to indure labor then those that are vnder the thirde or fourth climat The Horsses of the Celliberans somewhat a dusty colour and they chaung if they bee transported into the farther Spaine Albertus and the Parthian Horsses are like them in regard they excel in nimblenes and dexterity of running wherof Martial writeth thus Videbis altam liciane Bilbilim equis armis vobilem which Bilbilis is a Citty of Celiberia Of the Callacians and Genntes we will speake also in the Spanish Horsses that are bred in the Calpian Mountaine afterward Strabo when wee entreate the differences of Horsses according to their degree The Hunnes bring vp their Horsses hardly able to indure cold and hunger and they haue great and crooked heads staring eies straight Nostrils broad chappes and strong and rough Neckes and long manes downe to their Legges great ribbes straight backs bushy tailes strong shankes or Legges small feete full and wide hoofes their flankes hollow and all their whole body full of holes There is no fatnesse in their hanch or buttocks they haue no strings in their sinnewes or arteries and they exceede in length more then in highth hauing great bellies hanging downe big-boned and leannesse which is a deformitye in other Horsses in these it shewed their statelinesse their courage is moderate and wary and these are able to indure woundes These Hunnian Horsses else where he calleth them Hunnican Horsses and the same in times past Hunnes but they are called a daies Vngarian Horsses The companies or armies of Hunnes wandering vp and downe with most swift horses filled al things with slaughter and terror They are biting kicking horsses as most Pannonicks are for they call Panonia at this day Hungaria of which there is a prouerbe of Malignity sprung vp Non nisi irritati aut opinâ—one offensae metu ferociunt that is to say They wax not ferne or rage not Vegetius but either by opinion or fear of offense affirming that the Pannonians are very fit for War There is not any that can hold and constrain or draw the bridles in or loose them forth that rydeth an Indian Horsse when hee praunseth and runneth violently but such a one that hath beene trained vppe from his childhood in the skill of Horsses these men haue accustomed to hold them with the bridle and also to break their wilfulnesse by snaffles or bits and those that are well skilled in handling Horsses do compell them from their vnrulinesse and restraine them within a small cyrcuit Yet notwithstanding to make this circle and finish it it requireth the help of hands and it is a great skil belonging to horsemen They which are most skilfull of this art and cunning dooers of it know very wel how to bring their course into a circle whose compasse is not to be regarded chiefely when it can beare but two Souldiers fighting together at one time Aelianus There are among the Indian Psyllans for there are also other Affricks of that name Horsses bred no bigger then Rams and they say that in Indian there are Horsses with one horne of which horne drinking cups may be made hauing this vertue in them that if you put poyson into them and a man drinke thereof it shall not hurt him because the horne doth driue away or expell the euill or poyson Whereof you shall see more at large in the History of Monocerotes and Aelianus himselfe else where and Philes following him write the same thing of a cup made of the horne of an Indian Asse hauing one horne The Istrian Horsses are of good able feete very straight whole backt and hollow but swift of course Oppianus The Moores Horsses saith Oppianus are most excellent as well to holde out long courses as also to indure hard labours the Lybians next vnto these are of a most durable celerity they are shaped alike except that the Lybian horsses are big and of a longer body hauing thicker ribs and sides and their brest is larger before on their crest they can easily abide the heate of the sun and daily thirst Affrica hath beene accustomed to put the most swiftest horsses of the Spanish blood to the vse of the saddle and Liuius saith in Lib. 23. that it was a custome to the Numidians being in battell to leade two horsses together and in manner of vauters oftentimes in the most sharpe conflict could leap from the weary horsse to a fresh so great was the dexterity of the rider and the docibility of the beast From Tunis of Affrica Massalia and Numidia there are also brought very singular horsses passing for running which the common people call Barbary horsses The Massylians a people of Lybia haue verie good horsses which they gouerne with a rod without a bridles from whence Virgill in his fourth of his Aeneidos calleth them vntamed and wilde Numides and Siluis saith also The Numides a nation hauing no skil of the bridle do leap vp and downe here and there and euery where as Martiall writeth Hic passim exultant Numidae gens in scia freni Quis inter geminas per ludum nobilis aures Quadrupedem fllectit non cedens virga lupati Also the rod rules the Massilian horsse the same Nemesianus writeth of those which
statuis summittere gentis Precipuum iaminde a teneris impende laborem Continnue pecoris generosi pullus in aruis Altius ingreditur mollia crura reponit Primus Ãre viam fluuios tentare minaces Audet ignoto sese committere ponti Nec vanos horret crepitus illa ardua ceruix Argutumque caput breuis aluus obesaque terga Luxuriatque toris animo sum pectus honesti Spadices glaucique color deterrimus albis Et giluo tam si qua sonum procul arma dedere Stare loco nescit micat auribus traemit artus Collectumque praemens voluit subnaribus ignem Densa iuba dextro tactata recumbit in armo Ac duplex agitur perlumbos spina cauatque Tellurem solido grauiter sonat vngula cornu Varro sheweth that at the first foaling of a colt a man may obserue by certain signes how he will proue when he is in perfection signs to chuse a good Colt for if he be cheareful bold and not terrified at any strange sight if he run before the company be wanton and contend with his equales in course and ouer-run them if he leape ouer a ditch go ouer a bridge or through water and being prouoked appeareth meeke these are the most true signes of an elegiable Colt Also it is to be considered whether they rise quickly being stird from their rest and run away speedily if their bodies be great long full of muscles and sharpe hauing a little head blacke eies open aad wide nostrils sharpe pricked eares a soft and broad neck not long a thicke mane curled and falling on the right side a broad and ful breast large shoulders and shoulder-bones round ribs a little belly a dubble backe-bone or at the least not thin bunchie or extended his loines pressed downewards broad and well set little and smal stones a long taile with curled haire highe straighte and equal legges round knees not great nor bending inward round buttockes brawny and fleshy thighes high Columella Varro Albertus hard hollow and round hooues wel set to the crowne of their pasterne hauing vaines conspicuous and apparant ouer al his body That colt which at the time of his foaling hath the moste highest legges is likelyest by common reason to proue most able and noble in his age for of al the ioynts in the body the knees and legges grow least and they which haue flexible ioynts in their infancy wil be more nimble and flexible in their age Of the chois of a horse vn backed or neuer ridden And thus much for the parts of a colt Now in the next place we must likewise take consideration of a horsse vntamed and ready for the saddle For the outward partes of his bodie saith Xenophon yeeld euident signification of his minde before he be backed Plato willeth that the state of his body bee straight and articulate his head bony his cheekes little his eies standing out and not sunke into his head flaming like blood looking cruelly if the body be blacke but blacke eies if the body be white doe argue a gentler and better disposition short and little eares the crowne of his head greater then the residue broad Nostrils whereby he not onely looketh more terribly but breatheth more easily for when one Horsse is angry with another in their rage they are wont to stretch out their Nostrils vehemently The beake or snout of a Horsse ought not to stand out like a swynes but to bend downe a little crooked the head to be so ioyned to the necke as it may bend more commodiously that is if the necke be small next to the head so will the necke stand before the rider and his eies appeare before his feete and although he bee full of stomacke yet will he neuer be violent or stiffe necked It ought also to be considered whether his cheek-bones be sharpe tender or vnequall standing one aboue another for their imparity maketh the Horsses necke to be hard and stubborne The backe-bone aboue his shoulders higher commodious to set the saddle vpon his whole body the better compacted if the backe bone be duble and smooth for then shall the rider sit more easily and the forme of the Horsse appeare more delectable A large brest sheweth his comlinesse and strength making him fit to take longer reaches without doubling of his Legges because in a broad breast the Legs stand further asunder large side or ribbes swelling out aboue the belly for they shew the ability of the Horsse both to his food and worke a round euen belly and his loines being broad and short causeth the forlegs to be lifted vp more easily and the hinderlegs to follow for the smal loines do not onely deforme but enfeeble and oppresse the Horsse therefore the loines ought to bee duble the ribbes broad and fleshy agreeable to the breast and sides buttocks sollide and broad with a long taile reaching downe to the heeles of his hinder Legges Thighes full of sinnewes the bones of his Legges thicke like the postes of the whole body but that thicknesse ought neither to be of vaines nor flesh for then they are quickly inflamed and wounded when they trauile in rough and sharpe waies for if the flesh be cut a little the commissures parte asunder and causeth the Horsse to halte and aboue all other thinges haue a regard to his feet and therin especially to his hoof for being thick it is better then being thin likewise if they be hard causeth the pasterne to stand higher from the ground for so in their pace the soft and hard parts of the foote doe equally sustaine one another and the hard hoofe yealdeth a sound like a Simbal for the goodnesse of a horse appeareth by the sound of his feete Now on the contrary side it is good also to set downe the faults and signes of reprobation in Horsses and first of all therefore a great and fleshy head great eares narrow Nostrils hollow eyes a long necke a mane not hairy a narrow breast hollow shoulders narrow sides and little fleshy sharpeloines bare ribs hard and heauy Legges knees not apt to bend weake thighs not strong crooked legs thin full fleshy plaine and low hoofs all these things are to be auoided in the choise of your Horsse Of the choise of Stallions and breeding Mares NOw in the next place let vs consider the choise of Horsses and Mares appointed for breede and procreation and we haue shewed already that in a stallion we are principally to consider the colour forme merit and beauty This Stallion is called in Italy Rozzone in France Estalon in Germany Ein Springhengst and in Latine Admissarius quia ad generandam sobolem admittitur bicause he is sent to beget and engender The Graeci Anabates or Ocheutes Of the color First of all therefore to beginne with the colour that Horsse is best which is of one continued colour although oftentimes as Rufus saith Horsses of a despicable colour proue as
Noble as any other The cheefe colours are these bay white carnation golden russet mouse-colour fleabitten spotted pale and blacke of all these the blacke or bay is to be preferred Oppianus maketh distinction of Horsses by their colour in this manner the gray or blewish spotted is fittest for the hunting of the Hart the bright bay for the Beare and Leopards the blacke with flaming eies against the Lyons The naturall colour of the wilde Horsses are an ashe colour with a blacke strake from the head along the backe to the taile but among tame Horsses there are many good ones of Black White Browne Red and flea-bitten colour But yet it is to be remembred that seldome or neuer Coultes be foaled white but rather of other colour degenerating afterward by the increase of their age for such Horsses are more liuely durable and healthy then other of their kinde and therefor Plutarch commendeth a white Horsse of Sylla for his swiftnes of foot and stomacke among al colours â—â—râ—nus first the blacke then the bay next the white and last the gray are most commended Camerarius commendeth a certain colour cald in Latin Varius and may bee englished daple gray because of the diuers in-textures of colours which although many nations doe disalow yet vndoubtedly that colour saith he is a signe and argument of a good nature constituted and builded vpon a temporate commixture of humors Where black white and yellow haires appeare so that the sight of one of these is nothing inferiour to the equestriall party coloured caparisons Among Horsses which are diuers coloured they which haue stars in their forehead and one white foote were most commended such were the Thrasian Horsses not admitted in copulation of which Virgill speaketh in this manner Thracius albis Portat equus buolor moculis vestigia primi Alba peda frontemque ostentans arduus albam Blacke Horsses also which haue one russet or swart spot in their faces or else a black toung are highly commended for generation but the pale coloured Horsses are no waies to be admitted to couer Mares because their colour is of no acount likewise it is seldom seen that the Fole proueth better then the sire The bay colour hath bin receiued without exception for the best trauailers for it is supposed that Baudius amongst the Latines is deriued of Vadium quia inter coetera animalia fortius vadat because among other creatures he goeth most surelye It is also behoouefull that in a Stallion Horsse the mane bee of the same colour with the body Artificial â—eaneâ— to mâ—ke Mares conceiue the best colourd Colts Horsse-keepers haue deuised to make their Mares conceiue strange colours for when the Mares would go to the horse they paint a Stallion with diuers colours and so bring him into the sight and presence of the Mare where they suffer him to stand a good while vntill she perfectly conceiue in her imagination the true Idea and ful impression of those pictures and then they suffer him to couer her which being performed she conceiueth a Foale of those colours In like manner Pigeons conceiue younge ones of diuers colours The Germans to mingle the colour of horses haires especially to bring blacke among white take the roots of fearue and of sage and seeth them together in leigh and then wash their horsses all ouer therewith For the making of their horsses white they take that fat which ariseth from the decoction of a moule in an earthen pot and there withal anoint the places they would haue white Also they shaue off the haires and put vpon the balde place crude hony and Badggers grease which maketh the haires to arise white and many other meanes are vsed by horsse-leatches as afterward shal be shewed In the olde age of a horsse his hair doth naturally change white aboue all other beasts that we know and the reason is because the brain-pan is a more thin and slender bone then the greatnesse of his body would require which appeareth by this that receiuing a blow in that place his life is more indangered then by hurting any other member acording to the obseruation of Homer Et qua fetae haerent capiti laetaleque vuluus Precipae sit equis And thus much shall suffice for the colour of a Stallion now followeth the form or outward proportion of the body The forme which ought to be great and solide his stature aunswerable to his strength his sides large his buttockes round his breast broad his whole body full and rough with knots of muscles his foot dry and solide hauing a high hoofe at the heele The parts of his beauty are these a little dry head the skin almost cleauing to the bons short pricked eares The beautye of a Stallion great eies broad nostrils a long and large mane and taile with a solid and fixed rotundity of his hoofes such an one as thrusteth his head deepe into the water when he drinketh his ribs and loines like an Oxes a smooth and straight backe his or hippes long broad and fleshy his Legges large fleshy and dry the sinnewes and ioynctures thereof great and not fleshy neare the hoofes that the hinder part of his body be higher then his forepart like as in a Hart and this beauty better appeareth in a leane body then in a fat for fatnesse couereth many faults the former parts are thus expressed by Horace Regibus hic mos est vbi equos mercantur opertos Inspiciunt nesi facies vt saepe decora Molli fulta pede est emptorem inducat hiantem Quod pulchri clunes breue quod caput ardua ceruix If you will make triall of your stallion whether he be fit for procreation Hipparchus teacheth you this experiment presse the genytall member with your two fingers and with lockes of Woll draw out his seede which being so drawne out if it cleaue and hang together so as it will not be cut nor easily parted it is a demonstration of a good Stalion but if it hang not together like birdlime but easily go asunder like milke or whay such a Horse is not to be admitted to couer your Mares The age of a Stallion When Horsses be olde among other faultes they engender Foales lame in their feete and therefore they are to be kept and not to be admitted to copulation nor War for his rage is like a weake fire among wet stuble according to these verses Morbo grauis aut segnior annis Deficit abde domo nec turpi ignosce senecta Frigidus in venerem senior frustraque laborem Ingratum trahit si quando ad praelia ventum est Vt quondam in stipulis magnus sine viribus ignis In cassum furit Therefore it behooueth that a Stalion Horsse be not vnder three yeares old when he couereth a Mare and it is best for him to beginne at fiue Collumella for so he will indure in generation not onely till he be twenty
thinner and better blood and therefore it is to be preferred only the measure of the prouender is lefte to the discretion of the horsse-keeper and there is no meate more wholsome for a horsse than barly and chaffe because it wil make him ful of life and also able to indure labor yet not ouer fat In England in many placeâ— they giue their horsses bread made of Fitches beans and pease When one is to make a iourney on horsse-back let him not giue his horse to much prouinder the noone before but somewhat the more hay and bread steeped in wine and also let him serue him sooner at night than ordinary that so the beast may take the more rest There be which refuse to giue horsses wet prouender or steeped bread because they conceiue that it will breed in them loathsomnesse of meat but the truth is a reasonable horsse-keeper preuenteth that mischeefe and besides the meat of a horsse is altogither so drie that the beast himselfe is indangered to be sicke of that disease and therefore it is as safe to giue him moistened foode sometimes as well as to giue him bread mingled with salt Camerarius When a horsse is weary or sweateth let him not drinke nor eat prouender but after he is walked a litle while giue him hay first of al couering him with a large cloath and remember that hay is not to be cast before a horsse as it is out of the reeke but first of all it must be pulled and shaken betwixt the handes for the auoiding of dust and other filth Restrain the horsse as much as you may from eating the litter vnder his feet for euen the best meat so defiled is vnholsome It is also good sometimes to suffer him to picke vp his meat on the ground betwixt his forelegs that will make his necke to grow thinner leanner and more comely Let his necke be fast bound in the stable with a Letherne collar and bind with a manicle his fore-legge to the hinder leg on the contrary side and so shal his legs be preserued in more health because they cannot mooue out of their place but with difficulty Concerning the drinke of horsses something more is to be added in this place and namely brackysh and troubled water such as runneth softly as in great pondes is fittest for horsse because that water being hot and thicke nourisheth better but the swift Water is colder Râ—sâ—ius and therefore more vnholsome but yet in hot times as in Summer the sweet and clearer water is more conuenient if custome bee not against it And because a horsse except he drinke freely can neuer be fat let his mouth oftentimes be washed within with salt and wine and that will make him eat and drinke more liberally and yet the running water is more wholsome for horsses because whatsoeuer is moueably fluent is lesse subiect to poyson then that which standeth still but if a horsse sweat or be weary it is not safe to let him drinke any thing except he first stale for in such cases followeth distention And it is better to turne or lead forth your horsse to water then to bring it vnto them And if at any time necessity cause this to be done then let the Water be very cleare and fresh His stable or lodging ought to be ordered as neither it offend him by cold in winter nor yet thorough heat in Summer for both these extremeties are pernicious and therfore when the weather is extreame colde then must the horsses backe and belly be couered with a cloath and when on the contrary it exceedeth in heat then must his litter be taken away Also in heate he must bee couered with linnen to auiode flies and in cold with woollen to helpe nature likewise it is good toward night to picke cleanse and open his hooues with some artificiall instrument and to thrust into the hollow cow-dung or in defect thereof horse-dung with a little strawe that so he may not shake it out againe but this is not good to be done euerie daye but rather euery second day and it is good to mingle therewith sewet or greace or els a new laide Egge with warme â—shes In auncient time they vsed not to shoo their horsses with yron vntill the daies of Catullus who remembreth this custome saying Ferream vt soleam tenaci in voragine mula So that it seemeth that this deuise was first of al inuented for mules These horsse-shooes ought to be round like his feet and not heauy least the horsses nimblenes be thereby hindered great care must be had in nailing or seting theÌ„ on least the tender and fleshy part of the foot be thereby pierced Pollux Another charge of a horsse-keeper is to keepe his horsses lippes soft tender and gentle so as he may more sencibly feele his bit and for this cause let him often rub them with his hands and warme Water and if neede require with oyle also and in handling of a horsse this must be obserued for a generall rule that neither he come to the horsse right before his face nor behind his taile because both these are dangerous to the rider least by his heeles or mouth hee harme him but on his side he may safely set vpon him or handle his horsse and when he leadeth him he must likewise goe on his side Likewise good and painefull dressing of a horsse is no small meanes to retaine him in in sound and perfect health and therfore he must often be touched with the curry-comb and afterward with a handfull of strawe so as the hand may follow the stroke to lay the haire smooth and their fashion was in old time to brush ouer their horsses with a little tone linnen instrument made like a sword whereby they excusse all dust from the beast and heerein it is wisedome to beginne at the head and mane and so to descende to other parts and to touch the horsses backe gently he may wash the head and mane because it being so bony it is daungerous least the combe offend and greeue the beast except it be layed on very tenderly but it is not good to wash the legges because daily washing softneth the hoofe by sliding downe of the Water and therefore it is sufficient onely to stroke them downe with his hands The neather part also of the belly is not to be kept ouer clean for the more it is clensed with water the more is the horsse pained therein Camerarius when a horsse is dressed it is good to bring him out of the stable that so in the open ayre hee may be tyed in a longer halter and seeme to be at liberty whereby he shall be brought to more cleannesse and tractable gentlenesse standing vppon some smooth stones till all the dust and loofe haires both by the combe and brush be driuen away and in the meane time the stable be emptied and this is to be performed before the horsses watering You must also
and full of bunches like Harts no where smooth but in the tops of the speers and where the vaines run to carry nutriment to their whole length which is couered with a hairye skin they are not so rough at the beginning or at the first prosses specially in the for part as they are in the second for that onely is full of wrinckles from the bottom to the middle they growe straight but from thence they are a little recurued they haue onely three speers or prosses the two lower turne awry but the vppermost groweth vpright to heauen yet sometimes it falleth out as the keepers of the saide beast affirmed that either by sicknes or else through want of food the left horn hath but two branches In length they are one Roman foot and a halfe and one finger and a halfe in bredth at the roote two Roman palmes The top of one of the hornes is distant from the top of the other three Roman feet and three fingers and the lower speere of one horne is distant from the lower of the other two Roman feet measured from the roots in substance and collor they are like to Harts hornes they waied together with the dry broken spongy-bone of the forehead fiue pound and a halfe and halfe an ounce I meane sixteene ounces to the pound they fall off euery yeare in the month of Aprill like to Harts and they are not hollow The bredth of their fore-heads betwixt the hornes is two Roman palmes and a halfe the top of the crown betwixt the horns is hollow on the hinder part and in that siecel lieth the brain which discendeth downe to the middle region of the eies Theyr teeth are like Harts and inwardly in their cheekes they grow like furrowes bigger then in a Horsse the tooth rising out sharp aboue the throat as it should seeme that none of his meate should fall thereinto vnbruised This beast in his young age is of a mouse or Asse colour but in his elder age it is more yellowish especially in the extreame partes of his body the haire smooth but most of all on his legges but vnder his belly in the inner part of his knee the top of his Neck breast shoulders and back-bone not so smooth In heigth it was about 22. handfuls and three fingers being much swifter then any horse the female beareth euery yeare as the keeper said in Norway two at a time but in England it brought forth but one The flesh of it is blacke and the fibere broad like an Oxes but being dressed like harts flesh and baked in an Ouen it tasted much sweeter It eateth commonly grasse but in england seldome after the fashion of horsses which forbeare hay when they may haue bread but leaues rindes of trees bread and Oats are most acceptable vnto it It reacheth naturally thirty hand breadths high but if any thing be higher which it doth affect it standeth vp vpon the hinder legs and with the forelegs there imbraseth or leaneth to the tree and with his mouth biteth off his desire It drinketh water and also English Ale in great plenty yet without drunkennesse and there were that gaue it wine but if it drinke plentifully it became drunk It is a most pleasant creature being tamed but being wilde is very fierce and an enemy to mankind persecuting men not only when he seeth them by the eie but also by the sagacity of his nose following by foote more certainly then any horse for which cause they which kept them neare the high waies did euery yeare cut off their hornes with a saw It setteth both vpon horse and foot-men trampling and treading them vnder foot whom he did ouermatch when he smelleth a man before hee seeth him hee vttereth a voice like the gruntling of a Swine being without his female it doth most naturally affect a woman thrusting out his genital which is like a Harts as if it discernd sexes In Norway they cal it an Elke or Elend but it is plaine they are deceiued in so calling it because it hath not the legges of an Elke which neuer bend nor yet the hornes as by conference may appeare Muchlesse can I beleeue it to be the Hippardius because the female wanteth hornes and the head is like a Mules but yet it may be that it is a kind of Elke for the hornes are not alwaies alike or rather the Elke is a kind of Horsse-hart which Aristotle calleth Arrochosius of Arracotos a region of Assya and heerein I leaue euery man to his iudgment referring the reader vnto the former discourses of a Elke and the Tragelaphus OF THE SEA-HORSE THe Sea-horsse called in Greeke Hippotomos and in Latine Equus Fluuiatilis It is a most vgly and filthy beast so called because in his voice and mane he resembleth a Horsse but in his head an Oxe or a Calfe in the residue of his body a Swine for which cause some Graecians call him somtimes a Sea-horsse and sometimes a Sea-oxe which thing hath moued many learned men in our time to affirme that a Sea-horsse was neuer seene whereunto I would easily subscribe saith Bellonias were it not that the auncient figures of a Sea-horsse altogether resembled that which is heere expressed and was lately to bee seene at Constantinople from whom this picture was taken It liueth for the most part in Nilus yet is it of a doubtful life for it brings forth and breedeth on the land and by the proportion of the Legges it seemeth rather to bee made for going then for swimming for in the night time it eateth both Hay and frutes forraging into corne fieldes and deuouring whatsoeuer commeth in the way And therefore I thought it fit to be inserted into this story As for the Sea-calfe which commeth sometimes to land onely to take sleepe I did not iudge it to belong to this discourse because it feedeth onely in the waters This picture was taken out the Colossus In the Vatican at Rome representing the Riuer Nylus and eating of a Crocadile and thus I reserue the farther discourse of this beast vnto the History of Fishes adding only thus much that it ought to be no wonder to consider such monsters to come out of the Sea which resemble horsses in their heads seeing therein are also creatures like vnto Grapes and swords The Orsean Indians do hunt a beast with one horne hauing the body of a Horsse and the head of a Hart. The Aethiopians likewise haue a beast in the necke like vnto a Horsse and the feet and legs like vnto an Oxe The Rhinocephalus hath a necke like a Horsse and also the other parts of his body but it is said to breath out aire which killeth men Pausanias writeth that in the Temple of Gabales there is the picture of a Horsse which from his breast backwards is like a whale Lampsacenus writeth that in the Scythian Ocean ther are Ilands wherein the people are called Hippopodes hauing the bodyes of men but the feete of Horsses and
some grosse or tough vapor entred into the braunches of the sinnewes which maketh them to swell like a Lute string in moyst weather which though it be very painefull for the time yet it may bee soone driuen away by chafing or rubbing the member grieued with a warme cloath And this kind of conuulsion or cramp chanceth also many times to a Horsses hinder Legs standing in the stable For I haue seene some my selfe that haue had one of their hinder Legges drawne vp with the crampe almost to the belly so stiffe and hard as no man hath beene able to stir it neither could the Horsse himselfe set it0 down to the ground of a long season which I think might be soone remedied first by continuall chafing fretting or rubbing his Legs with a good wispe and then by tying vp the other hinder Legge or else the forelegge on the fore side when by he should be forced to set down the pained Leg. Thus far I haue discoursed of the conuulsion of sinnewes and of the causes therof according to the opinions of the learned Physitians Now I wil briefly shew you the causes signes and cure thereof according to the doctrine of mine Authors that write of horseleach-craft Absirtus saith that this disease doeth come either by driuing the Horsse into a sweate when he halteth or for that he hath troden vpon some naile or by taking cold after iournying and sweating in Winter season whereby his lippes are clung together or by long lying and rest after sweating whereby the sinnewes of his forelegges be nummed or by hauing some stripe of his priuy members or by long trauelling in the colde Mountaines where snowe and Ise doth abound For Theomnestus Writeth that comming out of Paonia with the King and his army and passing ouer the Mountaines to goe into Italy there fell such aboundance of snow as not onely many Souldiers dyed sitting still on their horses backs with their Weapons in their handes being so starke and stiffe and cleauing so fast to their Saddles as they cold not easily be pulled out of them but also diuers horsses in their going were so nummed as they could not bow their legs yea and some were found sâ—arke dead standing stil on their feete and few Horsses or none escaped at that time free from this conuulsion of sinnewes insomuch that Theomnestus his owne Horsse which he loued dearely was sore vexed therewith The signes to know whether a Horsse bee troubled with the conuulsion in the sinnewes or not bee these His head and necke will be so stiffe and starke as hee can bow it no manner of way his eares wil stand right vp and his eies will be hollow in his head and the fleshy parts therof in the great corners will be turned backward his lips will be clung fast together so as hee cannot open his mouth and his tongue so nummed as he can neither eate nor drinke his backbone and taile wil be so stiffe as he cannot moue it one way nor other and his Legs so stiffe as they will not bow and being layed hee is not able to rise and specially on his hinder Legges but falleth downe on his buttockes like a Dogge when hee sitteth on the ground and by meanes of the conuulsion in his backe his bladder also for neighbourhoode sake suffereth whereby the Horsse cannot stale but with great paine The cure Put him into a sweat either by burying him all saue the head in some warme dunghill or if he be a horsse of price cary him into a hot house where is no smoak and let him sweat there Then annoint all his body heade necke legges and all with oyle of Cypres and oile of Bay mingled together Or else with one of these ointments Take of Hogs-greace two pound of Turpentine halfe a pound of Pepper beaten in powder one dramme of new Wax one pound of olde Oyle two pound boile all these together and being made very warme annoint all his body therewith Or els with this ointment Take of new wax one pound of Turpentine foure ounces of oile de Bay as much of Opopanax two ounces of Deeres sewet and oile of Storar of each three ounces melt al these together and annoint all his body therewith It is good also to bath his head with the decoction of Fitches or els of Lupines and make him this drink Take xx graines of long Pepper finely beaten into powder of Cedar two ounces of Nitre one ounce of Lacerpitium as much as a Beane and mingle all these together with a sufficient quantity of white Wine and giue him thereof to drinke a quart euery Morning and Euening for the space of three or foure daies or else this drink Take of Opopanax two ounces of Storar three ounces of Gentian three ounces of Manna Succâ—rie three ounces of Myr one scruple of long Pepper two scruples giue him this with old Wine or make him a drinke of Lacerpitium Cumin Annis seed Fenegreeke Bay berries and old oyle In old time they were wont to let him bloode in the Temples which Absirtus doth not alow saying that it will cause the sinnewes of his lips to dry vp so as the horsse being not able to moue them shall pine for hunger As touching his diet giue him at the first warm mashes and such soft meat as he may easily get down and wet haie bringing him to harder food by little and little And in any case let him be kept very warme and ridden or walked once a day to exercise his legges and lims Theomnestus cured his horsse as he saieth by placing him in a warm stable and by making a cleer fire without any smoak round about him and the horsse not being able to open his iawes of himselfe hee caused his mouth to be opened and put therein sops dipt in a confection called Entrigon conditum and also annointed al his bodie with a medicine or ointment called Acopum the making whereof herafter followeth dissolued in Cypres oile which made him to fal into a sweat and being before halfe dead and more brought him againe to his feeling and mouing so as he did rise and eat his meat Of the Crampe or convulsions of the Sinnewes or Muscles A Convulsion or cramp is a forcible drawing together of the sinnewes sometimes vniuersally ouer the whole body as I haue seene one horsse in my life time and sometimes but in one part or member as I haue knowne and helpt diuers These convulsions haue two grounds namely either natural or els accidental natural as proceeding of cold windie humours ingendred in the body and dispersed into those partes worke there the effects of greeuance Accidental is by wounding or pricking the sinnews of which immediatly ensueth a convulsion If it be naturall and the disease generally dispersed then the cure is thus dig a great deep hole in some old dunghil there bury him all saue the head so he may sweate there for the space of two houres at the least then take
his head with such perfumes as haue beene shewed you before in the Chapter of the Glanders and also to giue him alwaies Coleworts chopt small with his prouender Some would haue him to drinke the warme blood of sucking pigs new slaine and some the iuyce of Leekes with oile and wine mingling together Others praise wine and Frankincense some oyle and Rue some would haue his body to be purged and set to grasse Of the consumption of the flesh and how to make a leane Horse fat MArtin saith that if a Horse take a great cold after a heat it wil cause his flesh to wast and his skin to wax hard and dry and to cleaue fast to his sides and hee shall haue no appetite vnto his meat and the fillets of his backe wil fal away and all the flesh of his buttocks and of his shoulders will be consumed The cure whereof is thus Take two sheepes heads vnflead boile them in three gallons of Ale or faire running water vntill the flesh be consumed from the bones that done strain it through a fine cloth and then put thereunto of Sugar one pound of Cinamon two ounces of conserue of Roses of Barberries of Cherries of each two ounces and mingle them together and giue the Horsse euery day in the morning a quart thereof lukewarme vntil all be spent and after euery time he drinketh let him be walked vp and downe in the stable or else abroade if the weather be warme and not windy and let him neither eate nor drinke in two houres after and let him drinke no cold water but lukewarme the space of fifteene daies and let him be fed by little and little with such meate as the Horse hath most appetite vnto But if the horse be nesh and tender so wax lean without any apparant griefe or disease then the old writers would haue him to be fed now and then with partched Wheat and also to drinke Wine with his water and eate continually wheate bran mingled with his prouender vntill hee waxe stronge and hee must be often dressed and trimmed and lye softe without the which things his meat will do him but little good And his meat must be fine and cleane and giuen him often and by litttle at once Russius saith that if a Horsse eating his meat with good appetite doth not for al that prosper but is stil leane then it is good to giue him Sage Sauin Bay berries Earth-nuttes and Boares greace to drinke with wine or to giue him the intrals of a Barbell or Tench with white Wine He saith also that sodden Beanes mingled with Branne and Salt will make a leane Horsse fat in very short space Of griefe in the breast Blundevile LAurentius Russius writeth of a disease called in Italian Grauezza di petto which hath not beene in experience amongst our Ferrers that I can learn It coms as Russius saith of the superfluity of blood or other humors dissolued by some extreame heat and resorting down the breast paining the Horsse so as he cannot well go The cure whereof according to Russius is thus Let him bloode on both sides of the breast in the accostomed vaines and rowell him vnder the breast and twice a daye turne the rowells with your hand to mooue the humours that they may yssue forth and let him goe so roweled the space of fifteene daies Of the paine of the heart called Anticor that is to say Contrary to the heart THis proceedeth of aboundance of ranke blood bred with good feeding ouermuch rest which blood resorting to the inward parts doth suffocate the heart and many times causeth swellinges to appeare before the breast which will grow vpwarde to the necke and then it killeth the Horsse The signes The Horse will hang downe his head in the manger forsaking his meate and is not able to lift vp his head The cure according to Martin is thus Let him blood on both sides aboundantly in the plat vaines and then giue him this drinke take a quart of malmesie and put thereunto halfe a quarterne of Sugar and two ounces of Cinamon and giue it him lukewarme then keepe him warme in the stable stuffing him well about the stomach that the wind offend him no manner of way and giue him warme water with mault alawies to drinke and giue him such meate as he will eate And if the swelling do appeare then besides letting him blood strike the swelling in diuers places with your fleame that the corruption may goe forth and annoint the place with warme Hogs greace and that wil either make it to weare away or else to grow to a head if it be couered and kept warme Of tired Horsses BIcause we are in hand heere with the vitall partes and that when the Horsses be tyred with ouermuch labour their vitall spirits wax feeble I thinke it best to speak of them euen heere not with long discoursing as Vegetius vseth but briefely to shew you how to refresh the poore Horsse hauing neede thereof which is doone chiefely by giuing him rest warmth and good feeding as with warme mashes and plenty of prouender And to quicken his spirits it shall be good to poure a little oyle and vineger into his Nostrils and to giue him the drinke of sheeps heads recited before in the Chapter of consumption of the flesh yea and also to bath his Legges with this bath take of Mallowes of Sage of each two or three handfuls and a Rose-cake boile these things together and being boyled then put vnto it a good quantity of butter or of Sallet-oyle Or else make him this charge take of Bole Armony and of Wheat-flower of each halfe a pound and a little Rozen beaten into powder and a quart of strong vineger and mingle them together and couer all his Legs therewith and if it be summer turne him to grasse Of the diseased parts vnder the midriffe and first of the stomacke THe old Authors make mention of many diseases incident to a horses stomacke as loathing of meat spewing vp his drinke surfetting of prouender the hungry euil and such like which few of our Ferrers haue obserued and therefore I wil breefely speake of as many as I thinke necessary to bee knowne and first of the loathing of meate Blundevile Of the loathing of meat A Horsse may loath his meat through the imtemperature of his stomack as for that it is too hot or too cold If his stomacke be too hot then most commonly it will either inflame his mouth and make it to breake out in blisters yea and perhaps cause some cancker to breed there The cure of all which things hath beene taught before But if he forsake his meat onely for very heat which you shall perceiue by the hotnesse of his breath and mouth then coole his stomack by giuing him cold water mingled with a little Vineger and oile to drinke or else giue him this drinke Take of milke and of wine of each one pinte and put
Pomgranate and taken in drinke is very profitable to cure the inconueniâ—nces or paine of a womans secret parts The genitall of a male Hyaena dryed and beaten to powder being mingled with a certaine perfume doth cure and help those which are troubled with the crampe and conuulsion of the sinnewes Dioscorides The feete of an Hyaena being taken doth heale and cure those which are sand-blind and such as haue botches and sores breaking through the skin and flesh and also such as are troubled with inflamations or breedings of winde in their bodies only by touching and rubbing them ouer The durt or dung which is found in the interior partes of an Hyaena being burned and dryed into powder and so taken in drinke is very medicinable and curable for those which are grieued with painful excoriatious and wringings of the belly and also for those which are troubled with the bloody-flixe And the same being mingled with Goose-grease and annointed ouer all the body of either man or woman wil ease them of any paine or griefe which they haue vpon their body whatsoeuer The dung or filth of an Hyaena also being mingled with certaine other medicins is very excellent to cure and heale the bites and stingings of crocodiles and other venemous Serpents The dung it selfe is also very good to purge and heale rotten wounds and sores which are full of matter and filthy corruption OF THE IBEX. To returne therefore vnto the Ibex although I doe not dislike the opinion of them which take it to be a wilde-goat Their Countries of breed and partes of their body yet I haue reserued it into this place because of many eminent difference as may appeare by the storie First these are bred in the alpes and are of an admirable celerity although their heades bee loaded with such hornes as no other beasts of their stature beareth For I do read in Eustathius that their hornes are sixteene palmes longe or fiue spannes and one palme and sometimes seauen spans such was the horne consecrated at Delos being two cubits and a span long and six and twenty pounds in weight This beast saith Polibius in his necke and haire is like a Bucke-goat beating a beard vnder his chin of a span long as thicke as a colts taile and in other partes of his body resembleth a Hart. It seemeth that his Haebrew name Iaall The places of their abode is deriued of climbing and Isidorus saith that Ibices are quasi Auices that is like Birdes because like Fowles of the ayre they enhabite the toppes of cliftes Rockes and Mountaines farre from the viewe and sight of men Their hornes reach to their Buttockes or Hippes so that if at anye time hee doe chaunce to fal he cowcheth his whole bodie betwixt his hornes to breake the stronge force and violence of his owne weight and also hee is able to receiue vppon his horns the stroks of great stones which are shot or cast at him they are knotty and sharp and as they encrease in age so do their horns in strongnesse and other qualities vntil they be twenty yeares old These beasts inhabit and keepe their abode in the tops of those Mountaines Stumptius where the yee neuer thaweth or dissolueth for it loueth cold by nature otherwise it would be blind The benefite of cold for cold is agreeable to the eie-sight and beauty It is a Noble beast and very fat In the small head and leane Legges it resembleth a Hart the eies are very faire and bright Their seueral members the colour yellowish his hoofe clouen and sharpe like wilde Goates It farre excelleth a wilde Goate in leaping for no man will beleeue how farre off or what long space it will leape except he saw it For there is no place so steep or cragged that if it affoord him but so much space as his foot may stand on but he will passe ouer it with a very few iumpes or leapes Their taking The Hunters driue them to the smooth and high rockes and there they by enclosing them take them in ropes or toyles if they cannot come neere him with shot or Swords When the beast seeth his Hunter which descendeth to him by some Rocke he obserueth very diligently and watcheth if he can see any distance or space betwixt him and the rock yea but so much as his eye-sight can pierce through and if he can then he leapeth vppe and getteth betwixt the Hunter and the rocke and so casteth him downe headlong and if he can espy no distance at all then doeth he keepe his standing vntill hee be killed in that place The hunting of this beast were very pleasant but that it is encombred with much labour and many perils and therefore in these daies they kil them with Gunnes The inhabitants of Valois neere the Ryuer Sedunus take them in their infancy when they are young and tame them and vntill they be old they are contented to goe and come with the tame Goates to pasture but in their older and riper age they returne to their former Wilde nature Aristotle affirmeth that they couple or engender together not by leaping vpoÌ„ each other but standing vpright vpon their hinder Legs whereunto I cannot consent Their copulation because the ioynts and Nerues of their hinder Legges will not be stretched to such a copulation and it may be that he or his relatour had seene them playing together as Goates doe standing vpright and so tooke that gesture in their pastime for carnall copulation The female hath lesse hornes then the male but a greater body and her hornes are very like to a Wilde Goates When this beast feeleth infallible tokens of her death Their behauiour at their death and perceiueth that her end by some wound or course of nature approcheth and is at hand it is reported by the hunters that she ascendeth to the toppe of some Mountaine or high rocke and there fasteneth one of her hornes in the same steepe place going round continually and neuer standing still vntill she haue worne that horne asunder whereby she stayeth her selfe and so at length at the instant or point of death breaking her horne falleth down and perisheth And because they dye among the rockes it falleth out seldome that their bodyes are found but many times when the snow falleth from the Mountaines in great and huge Masses it meeteth with a liuing Ibex and other wilde beastes and so oppressing them driueth them down to the foot of the hils or Mountaines as it doth trees and small houses which are built vpon the sides of them Pelagonius In Creete they make bowes of the hornes of these beastes the vse of their hornes And concerning their taking it is not to be forgotten how the hunter which pursueth her from one rocke to another is forced many times for the safegard of his own life to forsake his standing and to obserue the beast when it maketh force at him and to
thereof it is blacke The price of a Lynxes skin These skinnes are sold for three Nobles a peece and sometime for six and sometimes for lesse according to the quantity of the skinne and countrey wherein it is sold And vnto this description do Bellonius and Bonarus agree For Bellonius at Constantinople saw two Lynxes Countries of Lynxes much like vnto cats and Bonarus had oftentimes seene them hunted in Moschouia Littuania Pollonia Hungaria and Germany But he commendeth aboue al other the Linxes of Scotland and Swesia as most beautifull hauing Triangular spots vpon theyr skinnes But the Indian and Affrican Linxes he saith haue round spots sharpe-bristly-short-haire and full of spots on all parts of their body and therefore they are not so delicate as the Linxes of Europe which with good cause he coniectureth to be the Linxe that Pliny speaketh of and not vnlike to that which is bred in Italy There are Linxes in diuers countries as in the for named Russia Littuania Pollonia Hungary Germany Scotland so also they are most abundant in Scandinavia in Swesia so also about Hyelsus and Helsyngia likewise in all the Regions vpon the Alpes and in Sylua Martia they are also very plentiful in Aethiopia in France and Italy about the riuer Padus and in the Island Carpathus and thus hauing discoursed of their country and proportion whereby their differences and kindes may bee discerned we will leaue euery one of them to their particular and proceed to the treatise and description of their general natures There is no great difference betwixt their outward shapes and proportion for both the smaller and the greater haue bright eies diuers coloured skins a little head Their outward shape and seueral partes a nimble and cheareful face and Albertus saith that their body is longer then the body of a Wolfe but their legges shorter mistaking the Linxe for the Thoes Their eyes stande forth of their heads very far their tongue like the toong of a Serpent and Textor affirmeth that they haue pappes or vdders in their Breastes but surely hee taketh Linxe for Sphinx Their meat goeth into the belly straight through the maw without staying and therein is a note of their insatiable voracity for none but insatiable beasts or birds are so affected as in birds the Cormorant It hath no ankle bone but a thing like vnto it the nails are very long as you may see in two of the former pictures but hee hideth them within his skin til he be angry ready to fight or climbe or otherwise affected as you may see by the picture of the Linx taken in the Tower of London The inward proportion and anatomy of their bodies is like vnto a mans and therefore Galen giueth this lesson to students in Phisicke Praestat simiarum homini quam similimarum artus dessicare cum te in exemplo exercere institues sin ea non detuo aliquam ei proximam delegito aut si nulla omnino Simia reperiatur Cynocephalum vel Satyrum vel Lincem summatim ea omnia quibus artuum extrema indigitos quinque discreta sunt That is to say It is good to discect those bodies which are likest to a man when one would instruct himselfe in anatomy and if he cannot find an Ape let him take a Baboone a Satyre or a Linx and generally any creature the extremity of whose sinnewes and ioynts are diuided into fiue fingers or toes There be some that haue thought that Panthers Pardals Linxes or Tygers hadde bin all of the kind of cats because of a mutuall resemblance in the greatnesse and strength of their nailes in the distinction of their skinnes which are partye coloured and faire hauing also a round head a short face a long taile a nimble body a wilde mind and gette their meat by hunting but heerein I leaue euery man to his owne best liking and opinion for when we haue done our best to expresse their natures and seuerall properties it shal be ydle to spend time about disputation to what ranke or order euery beast ought to be referred For euery one that readeth our story and seeth our pictures may either bee satisfied The 〈…〉 or els amend our labour The Linx therefore biteth most cruelly and deepe and therefore is accounted Rap aâ— animal instar lupi sed callidius a Beast as rauening as a wolfe but more crafty they get vp into trees and from them leape downe vppon very great beastes and destroy them beeing enemies both to men and beasts and at their pleasure according to necessity set vppon both the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 They are taken somtimes in Germany in the dutchy of Wertinberg and that it was once credibly affirmed one of them leaped downe from a tree vppon a countrey man as he passed vnder the same tree but being weary and hauing an axe on his necke he receiued her on the sharp edge thereof and so killed her otherwise she woulde soone haue killed him 〈◊〉 meat or foode They liue in the mountaines also where they are killed by poison or else hunted by armed men on horse-back and included with multitudes for their hunting is perilous and therefore they must be inclosed with great company Some take them with ditches as we heard before Lyons were taken others in snares or ginnes laide vppon the rockes and stones and whensoeuer they are hunted with Dogs they run directly to the woods or to the next trees wherein they are killed by gun-shot In the Summer time they are very weake and liue among the Rockes neuer strayinge farre from their owne lodging hurting no man vntill the autumn They hunt wilde goats whom they follow from Rocke to rocke leaping as fast or faster then the Goates They hunt also wilde cats and Hares and some other little beasts but the greatest Linxes hunt Hartes and Asses Olaâ—â— mag and their manner is as wee haue saide already to get vp into trees and there to ly in waite for their prey vntill they espy it vnder the boughes and then suddenly leape into the necke thereof whether it be a man or a great Beast wherein they fix their clawes so fast that no violence can shake them off but with the sharpenesse of their teeth bite into the scull and eate out the braines to the vtter destruction of the man or beaste whomsoeuer they light vpon but if it be a small beast they eate the whole body thereof and not onely the braines A singular note of forgetfulnesse Yet this is a wonderfull secret in their nature that although they belong afflicted with hunger yet when they eate their meate if they heare any noise or any other chaunce cause them to turne about from their meat out of the sight of it they forgette their prey notwithstanding theyr hunger Pliny and goe to seeke another bootey neuer remembring that which they had before them Solinus nor yet returne backe againe to eate thereof The voice of this beast
three peeces of woode being thus made ready thou shalt erect a little piller so that the wedge may be downeward whereby the mouse may see the meate euery where and let the meate be hung in the former corner of the piller so if the mouse shall touch the meate he shall bee pressed downe with the fall of the board Mice also by the fall of a cleft board are taken which is held vp with a piller and hauing a little spattular of wood whereon the meate shall lye so made that the piller doth not open being parted except when the mouse commeth to touch the meate and so by that meanes she is taken There is also another manner of mouse-trap vsed among vs which is let there bee a hole made and compassed about with a boord of a foot long and fiue or six fingers broad the compasse whereof must be foure fingers into this hole let there be put a vessell made of wood the length of ones fist but round and very deepe and in the middle of each side of this vessell let there be made a hole wherein there is put in a thread made of yron with meat and let it be compassed about with a small thread which must be fastned ouerthwart the hole and the part of the thread which hangeth downe must be crooked that the meat may be fastned thereto and there must bee a peece of the thread without to the which may be tyed a stronger peece of wood which is the thread whereon the meat is hanged by the which the mouse is taken by putting her head into the vessel to ketch at the meat And also mice are taken otherwise with a great Cane wherein there is a knot and in the top of it let there be made a little bow with a lute string and there sticke a great needle in the middle of the pole of the Cane and let the pole be made iust in the middle and let there be bound a peece of flesh beneath so prepared that when the mouse shall bite and mooue the skin that then the string slippeth downe and so the needle pearceth through his head and holdeth him that he cannot run away But among all the rest there is an excellent peece of workmanship to ketch mice which I will heer set down Take a peece of wood the length of both thy fists one fistbroad and two fingers thicke and let there be cut off about some two fingers a little beyond the middle of halfe the breadth And that breadth where it was cut ought to be more declining and lower after the manner of this letter A. And you must put to the side of this a peece of wood halfe a circle long bending and in the middle part of each side holes pearced through so that the halfe circle may be streight and plainely placed to the foundation of the woode that the trap being made it may rest vpon the same halfe circle and vpon this halfe circle let there be placed iron nailes very sharp so that the instrument by falling downe may couer the irons of the halfe circle as soone as euer they touch the same Furthermore there is another manner of trap when a vessell out of which they cannot escape is filled halfe vp with water and vpon the top thereof Otmell is put which will swim and not sinke making the vppermost face of the water to seeme white and solid whereunto when the mouse commeth she leapeth into the oate-mell and so is drowned And the like may be done with chaffe mingled with oat-mell and this in all traps must be obserued wherein mice are taken aliue that they be presently taken forth for if they make water in the place their fellowes will for euer suspect the trap and neuer come neareâ—t till the sauour of the vrine be aholished Palladius saith that the thicke froth of oyle being infused into a dish or brasen caldron and set in the middle of the house in the night time will draw all the mice vnto it wherein they shall sticke fast and not be able to escape Anatolius Pliny saith that if a mouse be gelded aliue and so let go she will driue away all the residue but this is to be vnderstoode of the Sorex If the head of a mouse be flaied or if a male mouse be flaied all ouer or her taile cut off or if her legge be bound to a post in the house or a bell be hung about her necke and so turned going she will driue away all her fellowes And Pliny saith that the smoke of the leaues of the Ewe-tree because they are poyson will kill mice so also will libbards-baine and henbaine-seede and Wolfe baine for which cause they are seuerally called Myoctonos and the rootes of Wolfe bane are commonly sold in Sauoy vnto the Country people for that purpose In Germany they mingle it with oat-mell and so lay it in bals to kill mice The fume of wall-wort calcauth parcely origanum and deaths-hearb doe also kill mice you may also driue them away with the fume of the stone Haematites and with greene tamarisk with the hoofe of a mule or of nitre or the ashes of a Weasell or a cat in water or the gall of an Oxe put into bread The seede of Cowcumbers being sod and sprinckled vpon any thing mice will neuer touch it likewise wilde coucumber and coloquintida kill mice To keepe mice from corne make morter of the froth of oyle mingled together with chaffe and let them well dry and afterwards be wrought throughly then plaster the wals of your garnery therewith and when they are dry cast more froth of oyle vpon them and afterwards carry in your corne and the mice will neuer annoy it Cato Wormewood laid among cloathes and skinnes defend them from mice And also the water of wormewood sod sprinckled vpon cloathes hath the same operation Tragus Inke tempered with water wherein Wormewood hath beene washed or sod causeth that the Parchment and Paper written therewith shall neuer be eaten or touched with mice Auicen Anatolius and Tarentinus in the discourse of the grauery or barm do write that milk-thistle mingled with hony water and fine flower or mil-dust made into little balles and laied where mice my eat of it doth make them blind if they taste thereof White Hellebore mixed with pottage Paxausus or the seedes of wilde Cowcumber Coloquintida and meale mingled with blacke Hellebore and put into Cheese or bread or any kind of fat meat killeth both Rats and mice So likewise a white camelion sod in broth mingled with water and oyle killeth Dogges swine and mice The iuyce of the roote of the hearbe Camelion mixed with water and oyle draweth mice vnto it and killeth them by tasting thereof if they drinke not presently so also doth Henbane The roots of the bramble Tree mingled with Butter Breade or Honey Elecampaine and sea Onions Scamoney wild Sparradge Arsenicke Mug-wort otherwise cald mouse-wort mingled
so vsed to mixe them with oyle of Lawrell and to rubbe the haires which are like to fall or shed with garlicke and to put them altogither into a Frontlet or fore-head cloath and daily to keepe the same medicine or plaister vnto them vntill the haire do grow fast and they be ridde of that disease There is also another remedy for the same disease which is this To burne a mouse and beate him into powder and then to mingle the same with hony and the greace of a Beare and so to annoint the head Galen and this is accounted for a very speedy and effectuall cure The dust or powder of mice being mixed with hony and oyle of Roses and so baked or boyled together and afterward distilled into a cleare water and so powred into the eares of any one which is deafe or troubled with any paine in his eares Pliny and it will quickly bring him helpe and remedie The dust of a dryed mouse being also mingled with hony and rubbed vpon the teeth of any one which is troubled with a stinking breath will presently take away the sauour thereof Marcellus If the vrine of a man or woman be too fluent and aboundant let them take the dust or powder of a dryed mouse being beaten and stamped and mix it with wine or with goates milke and so drinke it vp and he shall speedily haue remedie Galen The grieuous and violent inflammation or turning of the eye-lids is cured after this manner First they take the flesh of the mice as soone as euer it is beaten small and mingle it with the yolke of an egge and mollifie it into a salue or plaister like vnto waxe and then put it into a linnen cloath and so wrap it vpon the eye lides in the time of sleepe and it will easily bring helpe and remedy There is an excellent remedy for the ouerspreding of the eyes or to cure the disease in them called the pin and the web or to helpe them which are altogether blind which is this To take the blood of a mouse the gall of a Cocke and some part or quantitie of womans milke and to take of each of them alike and then to mingle or mixe them together being well wrought or kneaded vntill it come to an ointment to rubbe or spread it vpon the eyes and this will in very short space helpe them vnto their sight For it hath beene tryed and hath helped many Galenus Paral. 3.16 The skinne of a mouse being burned or dryed and beaten into powder and so mingled with vinegar and then annointed vpon the head of any one who is pained or troubled with the heade-ache it will presently ease and helpe him The heade of a mouse being also born or carried in a linnen cloth doth cure the same disease The heads of mice being burned Pliny Galenus and beaten into small powder and then mixed or mingled with hony and so annointed vpon the legges or feete of them which are troubled with the gowte are excellent good and wholesome for the curing of that grieuous disease The same vertue hath the tailes or bodies of Mice being vsed in the aforesaid maner in them Some doe thinke that the aforesaid disease is more speedily and effectually cured after this manner First Pliny to take a Beetle or horse-flye and stampe it all to peeces and then to mingle it with soft and liquid pitch the skinne being prepared or made ready with nitre but there must be great care taken that it eate not too farre in the flesh then to take the head of a mouse and the gall and dung of a mouse and mingle them together with ling-worte and pepper and so to annoint them and spread them vpon the aforesaid eaten or launced woundes and this is very much commended for a very good and medicinable cure for the aforesaid disease Sextus The heads of Mice dryed and beaten into powder or dust and then mixed with hony and so annointed vpon the eyes for the space of ten daies together will clarifie the eyes and expell all paine or blemishes from them Of the heads of Mice being burned is made that excellent powder Pliny for the scowring and cleansing of the teeth called tooth-soape vnto which if spikenard be added or mingled it will take away any filthy sent or stronge sauour in the mouth The braines of a Mouse being taken and put or steeped in wine and stamped Marcellus and beaten small and annointed vpon the brow or forehead of any one who is troubled with a paine or ache in the head and he shall soone finde ease and remedy If any man shall but touch or kisse with his mouth the snout or nostrils of a Mouse and be troubled with the disease called the rewme which falleth downe and stuffeth the nostrils he shall in very short space be eased of the same The Magi or wise men doe very much commend this medicine for the expelling of a quartaine Ague or feuer which is thus To take the nose or snowt of a Mouse as also the very tops of the eares and bruse them together and afterward tie them in a linnen cloath which hath had Roses or Rose leaues in the same Myrepsus and then bind them vnto the armes or wristes of him which is so troubled and they will very effectually and speedily cure and heale him For the rottennesse and deminishing of the teeth the best remedy is to take a liuing mouse and to take out one of her teeth whether the greatest or the least it is no great matter and hang it by the teeth of the party grieued but first kill the mouse from whom you had the tooth and he shall presently haue ease and helpe of his paine The hart of a liuing mouse being taken out and hanged vpon the left arme of any woman â—â—xtus is of such force and power as it will cause her neuer to conceaue The laps or fillets of the liuer of a Mouse being beaten small and mingled with foure drams of sower and vnpleasant wine is an excellent remedy for those which are troubled with quakings in their ioynts as also for feauers and shaking agues Galenus A mouse being cut or parted in the coniunction of the sun and the Moone and the liuer pulled out and roasted or boyled and giuen to one which is troubled with the aforesaid disease to eate will very speedily and without any difficulty or paine cure and heale him of the same The gall of a Mouse being beaten very small and steeped or washed in Vineger Pliny and so poured or distilled into the eares of any one who is deafe or thicke of hearing or hath any ach or paine in the same is counted for the chiefest and most singular and chiefest remedy or cure which is vsed for the same Varro The dung or durt of a mouse being new made is very profitable for those which are troubled with
those whose eye-lids are pilled and bald Auicen to make haire to grow again vpon them being spreade or annointed thereuppon The dunge of mice being dryed and beaten into small dust or pouder and put into the teeth of any one which are hollow will presently expell away all paine from them Marcellus and also confirme and make the teeth strong The dust or pouder which proceedeth from mouse-dung is also very good to cure any disease in the fundament of either man or woman The vrine of a mouse is of such strong force that if it shal but touch any part of a mans body it will eate vnto the very bones The bitings of mice are healed by no other means but by greene figes and Garlike being mixed or mingled together and so annoynted thereupon OF THE RAT THere is no doubt that this beast belongeth also to the rank of mice The vulgar Rat or great domesticall Mouse the name thereof we haue shewed already is commoÌ„ both to the French Spanish Italian and English it may seeme to be deriued from the Greeke word Rastes or Heurex or Riscos for the Gretians vse al those words And this beast is 4. times so big as the commoÌ„ Mouse The quantity of Rats their parts being of a blackish dusky colour more whit on the belly hauing along head not much vnlike the head of the Martin short and round eares a resonable rough skin short legs and long clawes exceeding great eies such as caÌ„ see very perfectly in the darke night and more perfectly then by candle light with their nails they climbe vp steepe and hard wals their taile is very long almost naked void of haire by reason whereof it is not vnworthily counted venomous for it seemeth to partake with the nature of Serpents The quantity of their body is much like a weasels sometimes you shall see a Rat exceeding the common stature which the Germans cal Ratzen Kunig the king of Rats because of his larger greater body and they say that the lesser bring him meat and helieth idle But my opinion is that as we read of the Dormous she nourisheth hir parent when she is old so likewile the younger Rats bring food vnto the elder because through their age they are not able to hunt for themselues are also growne to a great and vnweeldy stature of body Sometimes you shal see white Rats as was once seene in Germany taken in the middle of Aprill hauing very red eyes standing forth of their head and a rough and long beard And at Auspurg in Germany about the Temple called the Church of S. Hulduic they abound in greater number then in other places They do not lye in the earth like Mice except in the vally of Ioachim where for the summer time they forsake houses and go into cony holes but in the winter time they returne to the houses againe They are more noysome then the little Mouse for they liue by stelth and feed vpon the same meat that they feede vpon and therefore as they exceede in quantity so they deuoure more and doe farre more harme They are killed by the same poysons and meates that the common Mice are killed except wolfe-baine for if they eate thereof they vomit it vp againe and are safe They are also taken in the same traps but 3. or foure times so big Their flesh is farre more hot and sharp then the flesh of the vulgar Mouse as we haue gathered by the dissection of it and therefore in operation it is very like that it expelleth and dryeth more then the other Medicins by Rats Poyson of Rats The excrements are also of the same vertue and with the dung of Rats the Physitians cure the falling off of the haire And it is saide also that when they rage in lust and follow their copulation they are more venemous and dangerous then at other times For if the vrine do fall vpon the bare place of a man it maketh the flesh rot vnto the bones neither will it suffer any scar to bee made vppon the vlcer and thus much of the vulgar Rat. OF THE WATER RAT SEeing there are two kinds of Rats one of the earth called Rattus terrestris Names of Water-Rats and the other of the water called Rattus Fluuiatilis of which we are now to entreat being also called of the Latins Mus aquaticus by the Germans Twassermaus and Wafferrat by the Italians Sorgomogange Meate of Water-Rats by the French Rat d eau This beast hunteth fishes in the winter and haue certaine caues in the water sides and bankes of the riuers or ponds For which occasion it being seene in the waters deceiueth their expectation which looke for the returne of it to the land And this beast hath beene forgotten by the ancients for they haue left of it no discription nor story because it liueth partly in the water and partly on the land and therfore he said true that spake of the habitation and place of aboade of this beast in this sort Ego non in fluuijs Places of water rats abod nec alijs aquis magnis sed paruis tantum riuis atque herbosis omnium â—ipis hoc animal frequentissimum versari audio That is to say That this beast doth not keepe in great waters or riuers but in small and little currents and pondes where aboundance of grasse and other weedes doe grow on the sides and bankes Pliny attributeth that to the warer-rat A wonder in the parts of a female Rat which is proper to the Tortise for indeed there is some similitude of natures betwixt these beasts with this exception that the females in this kind haue three visible passages for their excrements one for their vrine another for the dung and the third for the young ones that is a peculiare place for the littering of their young ones and this water-rat ouer and beside her common nature with other Rats doth swim ouer riuers and feed vpon herbs and if at any time she be hunted from her natiue biding accustomed lodging then also she goeth among vulgar common Rats and mice and feedeth vpon such as they eate and Bellonius saith that there are great store of these in Nilus and Strymâ—n and that in calme nights when there are no winds they walke to the shores get vp vpon the bankes eating and gnawing such plants as grow neare the waters and if they heare any noise they suddenly leape into the Waters againe He expresseth also the figure of this Rat which we haue omitted because it resembleth in all partes the common Rat excepting the snout or beake which is rounder blunter Among some of the ancients also there is mention made of this beast and no more Therfore Aristotle saith in the Arcadian Lusae which is a city so called as Stephanus writeth where Malampus did wash the daughters of Proetus and deliuered them from their madnesse There is
corruption Powder of Dormice or fielde-mice or yoong wormes being mixed with oyle doth heale those that haue kibes on their heeles or chilblaines on their hands The fatte of a Dormouse the fatte of a hen and the marrow of an Oxe melted together and being hot infused into the eares doth very much profit both the paines and deafenesse thereof Sextus The fatte of Dormice being boyled as also of field-mice are deliuered to be most profitable for the eschewing of the palsie That fat of a Dormouse is also very excellent for those which are troubled with a palsie or shaking of the ioynts The skinne and inward parts of a Dormouse being taken forth and boyled with hony in a new vessell and afterwards powred into an other vessell Pliny will very effectually heale all diseases which are incident to the eares being anointed thereupon The skinne of a Dormouse or a silke worme being pulled off and the inward parts thereof being boyled in a new brasen vessell with hony Marcellus from the quantitie of 27. ounces euen to three and so kept that when there is need of a certaine bathing vessell the medicine being made warme and powred into the eares doth helpe all paines deafenesse or inflammation of the eares The fat of a Dormouse is commended to be very medicinable for the aforenamed diseases The same is profitable for all paines aches or griefes in the belly The vrine of a Dormouse is an excellent remedy against the palsie And thus much shall suffice concerning the medicinall vertues of the Dormouse Of the Hamester or Cryetus the first figure taken by Mychaell Horus The second picture taken by Iohn Kentmant and it is her fashion and portracture to lie thus when she is angry for so doth her colour appeare both on the backe and belly THis beast is called in Latine Crycetus and in the Germaine toung Hamester Traner and Kornfaerle The names that is piggs of the corne It is a little beast not much bigger then a Rat dweling in the earth of the rootes of corne she is not drawne against her wil out of her caue at any time The description but by powring hot water or some other lickor The head of it is of diuers colours the backe red the belly white and the haire sticketh so fast to the skin that it is easier to pul the skin from the flesh then any part of the haire from the skin It is but a little Beast as we haue said but very apâ— to bite and fight and ful of courage and therefore hath receiued from nature this ornament and defence that it hath a bonie helmet couering the head and the braine when it standeth vp vppon the hinder legges It resembleth both in colour and proportion a Bear of the Arctomysâ— And for this cause some writers haue interpreted it to be the beast called Arctomys thus described by Saint Ierom. It is a creature saith he abounding in the regions of Palastina dwelling alwaies in the holes of rockes and caues of the earth not exceeding the quantity of a Hedgehogge and of a compounded fashion betwixt a mouse and a Beare But we haue shewed already that this is the Alpine mous and therefore wee will not stand to confute it here The name Crycetus seemes to be deriued from the Illirian word which we read in Gelenig to be Skuzecziek this beast saith he is common in the Northern parts of the world and also in other places in figure and shape it resembleth a Beare in quantity it neuer exceedeth a great Sorex It hath a short taile almost like no taile it goeth vpon two legs especially when it is mooued to wrath It vseth the fore-feete in steade of hands The voracity of the Cricetus and if it had as much strength as it hath courage it would be as fiercefull as any Beare For this little beast is not afraide to leape into the hunters face although it can doe no great harme either with teeth or nailes It is an argument that it is exceeding hot because it is so bold and eager In the vppermost chap it hath long and sharp teeth growing two by two It hath large and wide cheekes which they alwaies fill both carrying in and carrying out they eate with both whereupon a deuouring fellow such a one as Stasimus a seruant to Plautus was is called Crycetus a Hamster because he filleth his mouth well and is no pingler at his meate The fore-feete are like a Moulds so short but not altogether so broad with them he digeth the earth The making of his den and maketh his holes to his den but when he diggeth so far as he cannot cast the earth out of the hole with them then he carrieth it foorth in his mouth His den within he maketh large to receiue corne and prouision of fruite for his sustentation whereinto he diggeth many holes winding and turning euery way that so he may be safe both against beasts that hunt him and neuer be killed in his den And also if a man digge the earth he may find his lodging with more difficultie In the haruest time he carrieth in graine of all sorts and my Author saith Neque minus in colligendo industrius quam in eligendo conseruandoque est astutus optima enim reponit He is no lesse industrious in the gathering of his prouision then crafty and pollitike in the choice and keeping it for it laies vp the best and lest that it should rot vnder the earth it biteth off the fibres and taile of the graine laying vp the residue amongst grasse and stubble It lies gaping ouer his gathered graine euen as the couetous man is described in the Satyre sleeping vpon his money bagges It groweth fatte with sleepe like Dormice and Conies The holes into the caue are very narrow so that with sliding out and in they wear their haire The earth which commeth out of their holes doth not lie on heapes like mole-hils but is despersed abroad and that it fittest for the multitude of the holes and all the holes and passages are covered with earth but that hole which for the most part she goeth out at is knowne by a foote-pathe and hath no hinderaunce in it the other places at which she goeth out are more obscure and hid and shee goeth out of them backwardes The male and femal do both enhabit in one caue and their younge ones being brought forth they leaue their old den and seeke them out some new habitation In the male there is this perfidity that when they haue prepared al their sustenance and brought it in hee doth shut out the female and suffereth her not to approch nie it who reuengeth his perfidiousnes by deccipt For going into some adioyning caue she doeth likewise pertaâ—e of the fruits which were laid vp in store by some other secret hole in the caue the male neuer perceiuing it So that nature hath wonderfully foreseene the pouerty of al creatures
at the first then may she safly be permitted three or foure times together and it is obserued that except her eares hang downe flagging and carelessely she is not filled but reiecteth the seed but if her eares fall downeward and so hang all the time that the Boare is vpon her then is it a most certaine token that she is filled and hath conceiued with young After foure monthes as we haue saide the Sow farroweth her Pigs that is to say in the fifth month as it were in the seuenteenth weeke For so is this beast enabled by nature to beare twice in the yeare and yet to sucke her young ones two monthes together And there is no clouen-footed-beast that beareth many at a time except the Sow except in her age for then she beginneth to loose her Apria or purgation and so many times miscarrieth and many times beare but one Yet this is maruailous that as she beareth many so she engendereth them perfect without blindnesse lamenesse or any such other distresse although as wee haue saide before that in some places you shall see Swine whole hooued like a Horsse yet most commonly and naturally their feete are clouen and therefore is the wonder accounted the greater of their manifolde multiplycation and the reason thereof may arise from the multitude and great quantity of their foode for the humour cannot be so well auoyded and dispersed in so little a bodye as Swine haue as in Mares and Cowes and therefore that humour turneth to multiply nature and naturall kind and so it commeth to passe Niphus that by ouermuch humour turned into a naturall seede it breedeth much young and for little humour it bringeth forth a few Pigges and those also are not only perfect but also she is sufficiently furnished with Milk to nourish them till they be able to feed themselues For as a fat ground or soyle is to the plants that groweth on it euen so is a fruitefull Sow to the pigs which she hath brought forth Aristotle The number which a Sow beareth Their ordinary number which they bring forth and can nourishe is twelue or sixteene at the most and very rare it is to see sixteene brought vp by one Sow Howbeit it hath beene seene that a Sow hath brought forth twenty but far more often seuen eyght or ten There is a story in Festus of a Sow that brought forth thirty at a time his words be these The Sow of Aeneas Lauinius did bring forth thirty white Pigges at one time wherefore the Lauinians were much troubled about the signification of such a monstrous farrow at last they receiued answer that their Citty should be thirty years in building and being so they called it Alba in remembrance of the thirty white Pigges And Pliny affirmeth that the Images of those pigges and the Sow their damme were to be seene in his daies in publique places and the body of the Damme or Sowe preserued in Salt by the priestes of Alba to be shewed to all such as desired to bee certified of the truth of that Story But to returne to the number of young pigges which are ordinary and without miracle bred in their dammes belly which I find to be so many as the Sow hath dugges for so many she may well nourish and giue sucke vnto and not more and it seemeth a speciall worke of God which hath made this tame beast so fruitefull for the better recompence to man for her meate and custody By the first farrow it may be gathered how fruitfull she will be but the second and third do most commonly exceede the first and the last in old age is inferior in number to the first Iuuenal hath a comparison betwixt a white sow and an Heighfar Scropha foecundior alba more fruitefull then a white Sow but belike the white Sowes do bring more then any other colour Now the reason of the Poets speech was because that there was an Heighfar in the daies of Ptolomy the younger which at one time brought forth sixe Calues Whereuppon came the prouerbe of Regia Vaccula for a fruitefull Cow for Helenus telleth this to Aeneas Vpon the Sow and thirty pigges there is this aunswer of the Oracle to the Lauiniens concerning Alba Cum tibi sollicito secreti ad fluminis vndam Littoreis ingens inuenta sub ilicibus sus Triginta capitum foetus enixa iacebit Alba solo recubans alibi circum vbera nati Is lecus vrbis erit requies ea certe laborum And Iuuenal saith thus of it Conspicitur sublimis aper cui candida nomen Scropha dedit laetis phrygibus mirabile sumen Et nunquam visis triginta clara mamillis When the young one commeth forth of the Dammes belly wounded or imperfect by reason of any harme therein receiued it is called Metacherum and many times swine engender Monsters which commeth to passe oftner in little beastes then in the greatest because of the multitude of cels appointed for the receipt of the seede by reason wherof sometimes there are two heades to one body sometimes two bodies and one head sometime three Legges sometime two before and none behind such were the Pigges without eares which were farrowed at that time that Dionisius the Tyrant went to War against Dion for all their partes was perfect but their eares as it were to teach how inconsiderately against all good counsell the Tyrant vndertooke that voyage Such are commonly found to bee bred amonge them also now and then of an vnspeakable smalenesse like Dwarfes which cannot liue hauing no mouth nor eares called by the Latines Aporcelli If a Sow great with Pigge do eate aboundantly of Acornes it causeth her to cast her farrow and to suffer abortement and if she grow fat then is she lesse fruitfull in Milke Now for the choyce of a Pigge to keepe for store it must be chosen from a lusty and strong damme bred in the Winter time as some say for such as are bred in the heate of Summer are of lesse value because they prooue tender small and ouermoyst and yet also if they be bred in the cold of winter they are smal by reason of extream cold and their Dammes forsake them through want of Milke and moreouer bycause they through hunger pinch and bite their dugges so as they are very vnprofitable to be nourished and preserued in the Winter time rather they are fit to be killed and eaten young But this is to bee obserued for reconciliation of both opinions namely that in hot Countries such Hogges are preferred that bee bred in the Winter but in colde such as are bred in March or Aprill within tenne daies after their farrowing they grow to haue teeth and the Sowe euer offereth her foremost Dugge to the pigge that commeth first out of her belly and the residue take their fortune as it falleth one to one and another to another for it seemeth shee regardeth the first by a naturall instinct not so much to prefer it as that by
the head of a Dog being burned without the tongue and beaten into powder and so to be applyed after the manner of a Cataplasme And thus much concerning the medicines of the Bore OF THE TATVS OR GVINEAN BEAST THis is a foure-footed strange Beast which Bellonius saith he found in Turchia among the mounte-bankes and Apothicaries It is brought for the most part out of the new-found world and out of Guinia and may therefore be safely conueyed into these parts because it is naturally couered with a harde shell deuided and interlined like the fins of fishes outwardly seeming buckled to the backe like coat-armor within which the beast draweth vp his body as a Hedghog doth within his prickled skin and therefore I take it to be a Brasilian Hedghog It is not much greater then a little pig and by the snout ears legs and feet thereof it seemeth to be of that kind sauing that the snout is a litle broader shorter then a pigs and the tail very long like a Lizards or rats and the same couered al ouer with a crust or shel The gaping of the mouth is wider then a swines and one of these being brought into France did liue vpon the eating of seeds and frutes of the Gardens but it appeareth by that picture or rather the skinne stuffed which Adrianus Marcillius the Apothecary of Vlmes sent vnto Gesner from whence this pictture heere expressed was taken that the feete thereof are not clouen into two partes like swine but rather into many like Dogges for vpon the hinder feete there are fiue toes and vpon the forefeete fowre whereof two are so smal that they are scarse visible The bredth of that same skin was about seuen fingers and the length of it two spans the shell or crust vpon the backe of it did not reach downe vnto the rumpe or taile but broke off as it were vpon the hips some foure fingers from the taile The Merchants as I haue herd and Cittizens of London keepe of these with their Garden wormes Of the Aiochtochth THere is another beast that may bee compared to this whereof Cardanus writeth and hee calleth the name of it Aiotochth It is a strange creature found in Hispania noua neare the riuer Aluaradus being not greater then a Cat hauing the bil or snowt of a Mallard the feet of a Hedge-hog and a very long necke It is couered al ouer with a shell like the trappinges of a horsse diuided as in a Lobster and not continued as in an Oyster and so couered heere with that neither the necke nor head appeare plainely but onely the eares and the Spaniards for this cause call it Armato and Contaexto There be some doe affirme that it hath a voice like swine but the feet thereof are not indeed so clouen that they remaine vnequal but are like to a horses I meane the seueral cloues There are of these as I haue hearde to be seene in Gardens in London which are kept to destroy the Garden wormes OF THE TIGER The names of Tigers THe worde Tigris is an Armenian worde which signifieth both a swift Arrow and a great riuer and it should seeme that the name of the riuer Tigris was therefore so called because of the swiftnes thereof and it seemeth to be deriued from the Haebrew word Gir and Griera which signifie a dart Munster also in his Dictionary of three languages doth interpret Tigros for a Tiger and Alai In the 4. of Iob the word Laisk by the Septuagints is translated Murmeleon and by S. Ierom Tigris The Iewes call the same beast Phoradei which the Graecians call Tigris and al the people of Europe to whom this beast is a stranger call it after the Greeke name as the Italians Tigre and Tigra the French Vn Tigre and the Germaines Tigerthier Of the riuer Tigrys Now concerning the name of the riuer Tigris which because it ioyneth in affinity with this beast it is necessary that I should say something in this place because that wee finde in holy scripture that it is one of the foure riuers which runneth through Paradice which according to Iosephus maketh many compasses and windings in the world and at last fauleth into the redde sea and they further say that there is no riuer of the world that runneth so swiftly as this And therefore Tigris vocatur id est Sagitta quod iaculum vel Sagittam velocitate aequet That is It is called a Tiger a Dart or Arrow because it runneth as fast as an Arrow flyeth and for this cause wee finde in Theocritus that a riuer in Sicilia was called Asis thrt is Spiculum a dart First of 〈◊〉 â—herefore Tigers like Lyons are bred in the East South and hot countries Countries breeding Tigers because their generation desireth aboundance of heate such as are in India and neare the red Sea and the people called Asangae or Besingi which dwell beyond the riuer Ganges are much troubled and anoyed with Tigers Likewise the Prasians the Hercanians and the Armenians Apolonius with his companions traueling betwixt Hiphasis and Ganges saw many Tigers In Barigaza and Dachinabades which is beyond the Mediteranian region of the East there are aboundance of Tigers and all other wilde beastes as Arrianus writeth In Hispaniola Ciamba and Guanassa Peter Martyr saith by the relation of a Spaniard inhabiting there that there are many Lyons and Tigers The Indians say that a Tiger is bigger then the greatest horse Quantitie of Tigers and that for strength and swiftnesse they excell all other beastes There be some which haue taken them for Tigers which are called Thoes greater then Lions and lesser then the Indian Tigers as it were twice so bigge as Lyons but I rather agree to the relation of Arrianus Strabo Megastines Mearcus for they say that a Tyger feareth not an Elephant that one of them hath beene seene to flye vpon the head of an Elephant and deuour it and that among the Prasians when foure men led one of these Tigers tamed by the way they met with a Mule and that the Tiger tooke the Mule by the hinder legge drawing him after him in his teeth notwithstanding all the force of the Mule and his foure leaders which is vnto me a sufficient argument not onely of his strength but of his stature also and if any haue been seen of lesser stature they haue been mistaken either for the Linxes or for the Thoes The similitude of the body of this Beast is like to a Lionesses for so is the face and mouth The seuerall parts the lower part of the foreheade and gnashing or grinning teeth and all kinde of creatures which are rauening are footed like a cat their necke short and their skins full of spots not round like a Panthers nor yet diuers coloured but altogether of one colour and square and sometimes long and therefore this beast and the Panther are of singular note among all the foure-footed yet Solinus and Seneca seeme
of them haue one horn in the middle of the forehead secondly in that both of them are bred in India thirdly in that they are both about the bignesse of a Horsse fourthly in their celerity and solitary life fiftly and lastly in their exceeding strength and vntamable natures but herein they differ both in their feet and colours for the feet of the wilde Asses are whole and not clouen like the Vnicornes and their colour white in their body and purple on their head and Aelianus saith that the horne also differeth in colour from the Vnicornes for the middle of it is onely blacke the roote of it white and the top of it purple which Bellonius doth interpret that the superficies or vpper face of the Horne is all purple the inner parte white and the inward part or middle blacke but of this Indian wilde Asse we haue spoken already and therefore I will adde nothing in this place but the words of Philostratus in the life of Apolonius who writeth in this manner There are many wilde Asses which are taken in the Fens neare the riuer Hiphasis in whose forehead there is one horne wherewith they fight like Buls and the Indians of that horne make pots affirming that whosoeuer drinketh in one of those pots shall neuer take disease that day and if they bee wounded shall feele no paine or safely passe through the fire without burning nor yet be poysoned in their drinke and therefore such cuppes are only in the possession of their Kings neither is it lawfull for any man except the King to hunt that beast and therefore they say that Appollonius looked vpon one of those beastes and considered his nature with singular admiration Now there was one Damis in his company who asked him whether he did beleeue that the vulgar report of the Vnicorns hornes were true or no Appollonius made him this aunswer Ad hibeo si huius regionis immortalem regemesse intellexero qui enim mihi aut alteri cui quam poculum ita salubre potest dare nónne veri simile est ipsum quotidie illo vti ex eo cornu frequenter vel ad crapulam vsque bibere nemo enim vt puto illum caluminiabitur qui in tali poculo etiam inebrietur That is to say I would beleeue that report if I found in this country a king that were immortall and could neuer dye for if a man would giue me such a cup or any other man do not you thinke that I would beleeue he drunke in the same cup and who would blame a man if he drunke in such a cup till he were drunk for it were lawful to vse that horne vnto surfetting whereby we may gather the mind of that wise man concerning the Asses horn and the Vnicorns namely that they may giue one some ease against accidentall diseases although they cannot prolong a mans life the space of one day these things said he There be beastes saith Aristotle as the Oryx and Indian Asse which are armed vvith one horne and the clouen footed Orix is no other then the vvhole footed Asse for in the middle of their forehead they haue one horn by which both sides of their head are armed Cum mediū pariter comune vtrique extremo sit Because the middle is equally distant from both the extreames and the hoofe of this beast may wel be said to be clouen and whole because the horne is of the substance of the hoofe and the hoofe of the substance of the Horne and therefore the horne is vvhole and the Hoofe clouen for the cleauing either of the horne or of the hoofe commeth through the defect of nature and therefore God hath giuen to Horsses and Asses whole hooues because there is greatest vse of their Legges but vnto Vnicornes a whole and entire Horne that as the ease of men is procured by the helpes of Horsses so the health of them is procured by the horne of the Vnicorne The vse of a Vnicornes horne These things saith Aristotle And Strabo also writeth that there are Horses in India which haue Harts heades with one horne of which horne their Princes make Cups out of which they drinke their drinke against poyson and therefore by this which hath beene sayd it appeareth vnto me that either the Indian Asse is a Vnicorne or differeth from it only in colour and the obiection of the hooues is aunswered by Aristotle Vnto this discourse I will adde the trauailes of Ludouicus Roman wherein he saw two Vnicornes at Mecha in Arabia where Mauhomets Temple and Sepulcher is There are preserued saith he within the walles and Cloysters of that Temple two Vnicornes which by way of miracle they bring forth to the people and truely not without cause for the sight is worthy of admiration Now their description is on this sort one of them and the elder was about the stature of a Colt of two yeares and a halfe olde hauing a horne growing out of his forehead of two cubits length and the other was much lesse for it was but a year old and like a Colt of that age whose Horne was some foure spans long or there abouts The colour of them was like a Weaseled-coloured-horse the head like the head of a Hart the neck not long and the mane growing all on one side The Legges slender and leane like the Legges of a Hinde the hooues of the forefeet were clouen like a Goates feete and the hinder Legges are all hairy and shaggy with the outside the Beastes although they were wilde yet by Art or superstition they seemed to be tempered with no great wildnesse and it was saide that the King of Ethiopia did send them to the Sultan of Mecha with whom he is constrained to obserue perpetuall amity Now these Vnicornes are of another kinde then the Vnicornes of Pliny and Aelianus because their Vnicorn hath a whole Hoofe and this clouen but this obiection was answered before and although Pliny Aristotle do acknowledge no other Vnicorne then the Orix whose Horne is blacke as hard as Iron and sharp at the point yet it is cleare that there is another Vnicorne besides that Now Paulus Venetus saith that in the kingdome of Basman which is subiect to the great Cham that there are Vnicornes somewhat lesser then Elephants hauing haire like Oxen heads like Boares feet like Elephantes one Horne in the middle of their foreheads and a sharp thorny tongue wherewith they destroy both man and Beast and besides headdeth that they muddle in the durt like Swine Now if it were not for the Horne in the middle of the forehead I would take this Beast for a Rhinocerot but because the Horn of the Rhinocerot groweth out of the Nose I deeme this to be a second kinde of Vnicorne for there is no man that shall read this story but will thinke that the learned Authour had reason to discerne betwixt the eies and the forehead and therefore there can be no exception taken to my
to deface the colour of an adulterated Vnicornes horne being made by some with Iuory either macerated or boyled with certaine medicines by Set-foile as I suppose and other things by which meanes hauing scraped it I found within the true substance to be yuory Antonius Brasauolâ—s writeth that all men for the most part doe sell a certaine stone for Vnicornes horne which truely I deny not to be done who haue no certainty there in my selfe notwithstanding also it may come to passe that a very hard and solid horne about the point of a sword especially which part is preferred to inferior as also in Harts horns to which either stones or yron may yeild such as authors attribut to the Rhinocerot And other Vnicornes may bear the shape of a stone before it selfe For if Orpheus concerning Harts horns rightly doubted whether the same or stones were of greatest strength I think it more to be doubted in the kind of Vnicornes for the hornes of Harts are not onely solide as Aristotle supposed but also the hornes of Vnicornes as heere I haue said The horne of an Vnicorne is at this day vsed although age or longinquity of time bath quite abolished it from the nature of a horne There are some which mingle the Rhinoceros with the Vnicorne for that which is named the Rhinoceros horne is at this day in phisical vse of which notwithstanding the Authours haue declared no effectual force Some say that the Vnicornes horn doth sweat hauing any poison comming ouer it which is false it doth perhaps sometimes sweat euen as some solide hard and light substance as also stones and glasse some external vapor being about them but this doeth nothing appertaine to poison It is in like manner reported that a kind of stone called the serpents toong doth sweat hauing poison come ouer it I haue heard and read in a certaine booke written with ones hands that the true horne of a Vnicorne is to be proued in this maner To giue to two Pigeons poyson red Arsnick or Orpin the one which drinketh a litle of the true Vnicorns horne will be healed the other will die I do leaue this manner of tryall vnto rich men For the price of that which is true is reported â—â— this day to bee of no lesse vallew then Gold Some do sel the waight thereof for a floren or eight pence some for a crowne or twelue pence But the marrow thereof is certainely of a greater price then that which is of harder substance Some likewise do sel a dram thereof for two pence halfe penny so great is the diuersity thereof For experience of the Vnicornes horne to know whether it be right or not put silke vpon a burning cole and vpon the silke the aforsaid horne and if so be that it be true the silke will not be a whit consumed The hornes of Vnicorns especially that which is brought from new Islands being beaten and drunk in water doth wonderfully help against poyson as of late experience doth manifest vnto vs a man who hauing taken poison and beginning to swell was preserued by this remedy I my selfe haue herd of a man worthy to be beleeued that hauing eaten a poisond cherry and perceiuing his belly to swell he cured himself by the marrow of this horne being drunke in wine in very short space The same is also praised at this day for the curing of the falling sicknes and affirmed by Aelianus who called this disease cursed The ancient writers did attribute the force of healing to cups made of this horne wine being drunke out of them but because we cannot haue cups we drinke the substance of the horn either by it selfe or with other medicines I happily sometime made this Sugar of the horne as they call it mingling with the same Amber iuory dust leaues of gold Corall and certaine other things the horne being included in silke and beaten in the decoction of razens and Cinamon I cast them in water the rest of the reason of healing in the mean time not being neglected It is morouer commeÌ„ded of Physitians of our time against the pestilent feauer as Aloisius Mundella writeth against the the bitings of rauenous Dogs and the strokes or poyson some stings of other creatures and priuately in rich mens houses against the belly or mawe wormes to conclude it is giuen against all poyson whatsoeuer as also against many most grieuous diseases The King of the Indians drinking out of a cuppe made of an Indian Vnicorns horne and being asked wherefore he did it whether it were for the loue of drunkennesse made answer that by that drinke drunkennesse was both expelled and resisted and worser things cured meaning that it cleane abolished al poyson whatsoeuer The horne of an Vnicorn doth heale that detestable disease in men called S. Iohns euill otherwise the cursed disease The horne of an Vnicorne being beaten and boyled in wine hath a wonderful effect in making the teeth white or cleare the mouth being well clensed therewith And thus much shall suffice for the medicines and vertues arising from the Vnicorne OF THE VRE-OXE THis Beast is called by the Latins Vrus by the Germans Aurox The seueral names and Vrox and Grosse vesent by the Lituanians Thur the Scythians Bubri and these beastes were not knowne to the Graecians as Pliny writeth of whom Seneca writeth in this manner Tibi dant variae pectora tigres Tibi villosi terga Bisontes Latisque feri cornibus vri In outward proportion of the body it differeth little from the Bull It is very thick and his back somewhat bunched vp and his length from the head to the taile is short no waies answerable to the proportion of his stature and sides the horns as some say are but short yet blacke The seueral partes broad and thicke his eies red a broad mouth and a great broade head his temples hairy a beard vpon his chin but short and the colour thereof blacke his other parts as namely in the face sides legs and taile of a reddish colour These are in the wood Hercynia in the Pyreney Mountaines and in Mazouia neare Lituania Places of their abode They are cald Vri of Oron that is the Mountaines because their sauage wildnes is so great that they sildome discend from those sauegardes They far excell Buls and other wild Oxen comming neerer to the quantity or stature of Elephants then to the Bull. In resemblance a man would thinke them to be compounded of a Mule and a Hart for their outward resemblance so seem It is said they could neuer be tamed by men although they were taken when they were young yet they loue other heardes of cattel and will not forsake them easily after they haue once ioyned themselues vnto them wherby many times they are deceiued and killed 20. 30. or forty at a time Caligula Caesar brought of these aliue to Rome and did shew them in publike spectacle to the people and at that time they were taken for
defend them from Wolues and theeues whereof Virgill writeth thus Veloces Spartae catulos acremque Molossum Pasce fero pingui nunquam custo dibus illis Nocturum stabulis furem incursusque luporum Aut imparatos a Tergo horrebis Iberos These hauing taken holde will hardly be taken off againe like the Indians and Prasian Dogs for which cause they are called incommodestici that is modi nescij such as knowe no meane which caused Horace to giue counsell to keepe them tied vp saying Teneant acres tora molossos The people of Epirus doe vse to buy these Dogges when they die and of this kind were the Dogges of Scylla Pollux Nicomedes and Eupolides The Hircanian Dogges are the same with the Indian The Poeonian Persian and Median are called Syntheroi that is companions bost of hunting and fighting as Gratius writeth Indocilis dat proelia medus The Dogges of Locus and Lacaene are also very great and fight with Bores There are also a kind of people called Cynamolgi Xenophon â—eâ—â—as neere India so called because for one halfe of the yeare they liue vpon the milke of great Dogges which they keepe to defend their Countrey from the great oppression of Wilde cattell of people that liue vpon the mâ—â—â— of Dogs which descend from the Woodes and Mountaines of India vnto them yearely from the Summer solstice to the middle of Wynter in great numbers of swarmes like Bees returning home to their Hiues and Hony-combes These cattell set vpon the people and destroy them with their Hornes except their Dogges be present with them which are of great stomach and strength that they easily teare the Wilde cattell in pieces and then the people take such as be good for meate to themselues and leaue the other to their dogges to feed vpon Aelianus the residue of the yeare they not onely hunt with these Dogs but also milke the females drinking it vp like the milke of sheepe or Goats These great dogs haue also deuoured men for when the seruant of Diogenes the Cynike ranne away from his maister beinge taken againe and brought to Delphos for his punishment he was torne in pieces by Dogs Aelianus Dogs deuourers of men Euripedes also is said to be slaine by dogs whereupon came the prouerb Câ—â—os Dike a Dogs reuenge for King Archelaus had a certain dog which ran away from him into Thracia and the Thracians as their manner was offered the same Dog in sacrifice the King hearing thereof Valerius mâ—â— laied a punishment vpon them for that offence that by a certaine day they should pay a talent the people breaking day suborned Evripides the Poet who was a great fauorite of the Kings to mediate for them for the release of that fine wherunto the king yealded afterward as the said king returned from hunting his dogs stragling abroad met with Euripedes and tore him in pieces as if they sought reuenge on him for being bribed against their fellow which was slaine by the Thracians But concerning the death of this man it is more probable that the dogs which killed him were set on by Aridaeus and Cratenas two Thessalian poets his emulatours corriuals in poetry which for the aduancement of their own credit cared not in most sauage and Barbarous manner to make away a better man then themselues There were also other famous men which perished by Dogges as Actaeon Thrasus and Linus of Thrassus Onid writeth thus Praedaque sis illis quibus est laconia Delos Aute diem Raptonon ade unda Thraso And of Linus and Actaeon in this manner Quique verecunda speculantem membra Dianae Quique Crotopiaden diripuere Linum Lucian that scoffing Apostata who was first a Christian and afterward endeauored all his wit to raile at christian religion euen as he lacerated and rent his first profession so was he rent in pieces by dogs and Heraclitus the Phylosopher of Athens hauing beene long sick and vnder the hands of Physitians he oftentimes anointed his body with Bugils-sewet on a day hauing so annoynted himselfe lying abroad sleeping in the sun the dogs came Ranisius and for the desire of the fat tore his body in pieces I cannot heere forget that memorable story of two christian Martyres Gorgonius and Dorotheus which were put to death vnder Diocletian in the ninth persecution and when they were dead Ranisius Text their carkases were cast vnto hungry dogs of this kind kept for such purposes yet would not the dogges once so much as stir at them or come neere to touch them because we may iudge that the rauening nature of these creatures was restrained by diuine power we also read that when Benignus the Martyr by the commaundement of Aurelian was also throwen aliue to be deuoured of these dogs he escaped as free from their teeth as once Daniell did from the Lyons den I may also adde vnto these the dogs of Alania and Illiria called Mastini who haue their vpper lips hang ouer their neather and looke fierce like Lyons whom they resemble in necke eies face colour and nailes falling vpon Beares and Boares like that which Anthologius speaketh off that leaped into the sea after a Dolphin and so perished or that called Lidia slaine by a Boare whose epitaph Martiall made as followeth Amphitheatrales inter nutrita magistros Lydia dicebar domino fidissima dextro Nec qui Dictaea Cephalum de gente secutus Non me longa dies nec inutilis abstulit aetas Fulminea spumantis apri sum dente perempta Nec quaerar inferras quamuis cito rapta per vmbras Venatrix siluis aspera blanda domi Qui non Erigones mallet habere Caenem Lucifera pariter venit ad aestra deae Qualia Dulychio fata fuere cani Quantus erat Calydon aut Erymanthe tuus Non potui fato nobiliore mori There be in France certaine great Dogs called Auges which are brought out of great Brittaine The French Dogges to kill their Beares Wolues and wilde Boares these are singularly swift and strong and their leaders the better to arme them against the teeth of other beasts couer some of their parts with thicke cloutes and their neckes with broad collars or else made of Badgers skins In Gallia Narbon they call them Limier and the Polonians call all great made Dogs for the Wolfe and such like beastes Vislij and peculiarly for the Beare and Bore Charzij for Hares and foule Pobicdnizcij and Dogs of a middle scantling beetwixt the first and the second psij Grey-hounds are the least of these kinds and yet as swift and fierce as any of the residue refusing no kind of Beast if he be turnd vp thereunto except the porcupine who casteth her sharp pens into the mouth of al dogs The qualities and parts of a good Grey-hound Pliny Xenophon The best Grey-hound hath a long body strong and reasonable great a neate sharpe head and splendent eyes a long mouth and sharp teeth little eares and thin
gristles in them a streight neck and a broad and strong brest his forelegs straight and short his hinder legs long and straight broad shoulders round ribs fleshy buttockes but not fat a long taile strong and full of sinnewes which Nemesian describeth elegantly in these verses Sit cruribus altis Costarum sub fine decenter prona carinam Renibus ampla satis validis diductaque coras Sit Rigidis multamque gerat sub pectore lato Quae sensim rursus sicca se colligat aluo Cuique nimis molles fluitent in cursibus aures Elige tunc cursu facitem facilem facilemque recursis Dum superant vires dum loeto flore iuuentus Of this kind that is alway the best to be chosen among the whelps which way gheth lightest for it will be soonest at the game and so hang vpon the greater beasts hindering their swiftnes Bellisarius vntill the stronger and heauier dogs come to helpe and therefore besides the markes or necessary good parts in a Grey-hound already spoken of it is requisite that he haue large sides a broad midriffe or filme about his hart that so he may take his breath in and out more easily a small belly for if it be great it will hinder his speedy course likewise his legs haue long thin and soft haires and these must the hunter leade on the left hand if he be a foot Pollux and on the right hand if he be on horsebacke The time of teaching a grey-hound The best time to try them and traine them to their game is at twelue months old howbeit some hunt them at ten months if they be males and at 8. monthes if they be females yet is it surest not to straine them or permit them to run any long course till they be 20. moneths old according to the old verse Libera tunc primum consuescant colla ligari Iam cum bis denos phoebe repauerit ortus Sed paruos vallis spatio septoue nouelli nec cursus virtute parem c. Keepe them also in the leame or slip while they are abroad vntill they see their course I meane the Hare or Deere Aristotle Xenophon losen not a yong Dog til the game haue ben on foot a good season least if he be greedy of the prey he straine his lim still they breake When the Hare is taken deuide some part thereof among your Dogges that so they may be prouoked to speed by the sweetnes of the flesh The time of engendring The Lacedemon grey-hound was the best breed they were first bred of a Fox and a dog and therefore they were called Alopecides these admit copulation in the eight moneth of their age and sometime in the sixt and so continuing bearing as long as they liue bearing their burthen the sixth part of a yeare that is about sixty daies one or two more or lesse and they better conceiue and are more apt to procreation while they are kept in labor Pliny Aristotle then when they lie idle without hunting these Lacedemon Dogs differ in one thing from all other Dogges whatsoeuer for wheras the male outliueth in vulgar dogges of all countries the female in these the female out-liueth the male yet the male performeth his labour with more alacrity although the female haue the sharper sence of smelling The noblest kind of dogs for the Hare keep home vnlesse they be led abroad and sildome barke they are the best which haue the longest neckes for which cause Albertus they vse this artificiall inuention to stretch their neckes they dig a deep hole in the earth wherein they set the Grey-hounds meat who being hungry thrusteth downe his head to take it but finding it to be past his reach stretcheth his neck aboue the measure of nature by custome wherof his necke is very much lengthned Other place the Grey-hound in a ditch An inuentioÌ„ to make a Grey-hound haue a long necke and his meat aboue him and so he teacheth vpward which is more probable It is the property of these Dogs to be angry with the lesser barking Curs and they will not run after euery trifling beast by secret instinct of nature discerning what kind of beast is worthy or vnworthy of their labor disdaining to meddle with a little or vile creature The diet of a good Grey-hound They are norished with the same that the smaller hunting dogs are and it is better to feede them with milk then whay There are of this kind called Veltri and in Italian Veltro which haue bene procreated by a Dog and Leopard and they are accounted the swiftest of all other The grey-hounds which are most in request among the Germans are called Windspill alluding to compare their swiftnes with the wind the same are also called Turkischwind and Hâ—tzhund and Falco a Falcon is a common name whereby they call these Dogges The French make most account of such as are bred in the mountaines of Dalmatia or in any other mountains especially of Turkey for such haue hard feet long eares and bristle tayles There are in England and Scotland two kind of hunting dogs and no where else in al the world the first kind they call in Scotland Ane Rache and this is a foot smelling creature both of wilde beasts Birds and Fishes also which he hid among the Rockes the female hereof in England is called a Brache The second kind is called in Scotland a Sluth-hound being a little greater then the hunting hound and in colour for the most part browne or sandy-spotted The sence of smelling is so quicke in these that they can follow the footesteps of theeus and pursue them with violence vntill they ouertake them and if the theef take the water they cast in themselues also and swim to the other side where they find out againe afresh their former labor vntill they find the thing they seeke for for this is common in the borders of England and Scotland where the people were wont to liue much vpon theft and if the dog brought his leader vnto any house where they may not be suffred to come in they take it for granted that there is both the stollen goods and the theef also hidden THE HVNTING HOVND OF Scotland called Rache and in English a HOVND THE SLVTH-HOVND OF Scotland called in Germany a Schlatthund THE ENGLISH BLOVD-HOVNDE WE are to discourse of lesser hunting Dogs in particular as we finde them remembred in any Histories and descriptions Poets or other Authors according to the seuerall Countries of their breede and education and first for the Brittish Dogges their nature and qualities heereafter you shall haue in a seuerall discourse by it selfe The blood-hounde differeth nothing in quality from the Scottish Sluth hound sauing they are greater in quantity and not alway one and the same colour for among them they are sometime red sanded blacke white spotted and of such colour as are other hounds but most commonly browne or red
the Chappel of Iupiter to be opened to him at whom no one of the keeper-Dogs would euer stir which caused the men-keepers of the temple much to maruaile whereas they would rage fiercely against all other whereupon Stroza made these verses falsely imputing this daemonicall illusion to diuine reuelation Quid tacitos linquam quos veri haud niscia Crete Nec semper mendax ait aurea templa tuentes Parcereque haud vlli solitos mirabile dictu Docta Tyanei Aratos senioris ad ora Non magico Cantu sed quod diuinitus illis Insita vis omnio virtutis gnara latentis The like strange thing is reported of a Temple or Church in Cracouia Schnebâ—rg dedicated to the Virgin Mary wherein euery night are an assembly of dogs which vnto this day saith the Author meete voluntarily at an appointed houre for the custody of the Temple and those ornaments which are preserued therein against theefes and robbers and if it fortune any of the Dogges be negligent and slacke at the houre aforesaide then will he bark about the church vntill he bee let in but his fellowes take punishment of him and fall on him biting and rending his skinne yea sometime killing him and these Dogs haue a set dyet or allowance of dinner from the Canons and preachers of the Church which they duely obserue without breach of order for to day twoe of them will goe to one Cannons house and two to anothers and so likewise al the residue in turnes successiuely visit the seuerall houses within the cloyster yard neuer going twice together to one house nor preuenting the refection of their fellowes and the story is reported by Antonius Schnebergerus for certaine truth vpon his owne knowledge OF THE MIMICKE OR GETVLIan Dogge and the little Melitaean Dogges of GENTLEVVOMEN THere is also in England two other sortes of dogs Iohn Cay the figure of the first is heere expressed being apt to imitate al things it seeth for which cause some haue thoght that it was coÌ„ceiued by an Ape for in wit disposition it resembleth an ape The first generation of Mimicke Dogs but in face sharpe and blacke like a Hedghog hauing a short recurued body very long legs shaggy haire and a short taile this is called of some Canis Lucernarius these being brought vp with apes in their youth learne very admirable strange feats The feates of dogs wherof there were great plenty in Egypt in the time of king Ptolomy which were taught to leap play dance at the hearing of musicke and in many poore mens houses they serued insteed of seruants for diuers vses These are also vsed by plaiers and Puppet-Mimicks to worke straunge trickes for the sight whereof they get much money Albertus such an one was the Mimicks dog of which Plutarch writeth that he saw in a publicke spectacle at Rome before the Emperor Vespasian The dog was taught to act a play wherein were contained many persons parts I meane the affections of many other dogs at last there was giuen him a piece of bread wherein as was saide was poison hauing vertue to procure a dead sleepe which he receiued and swallowed and presently after the eating thereof he began to reele and stagger too and fro like a drunken man and fell downe to the ground as if he had bin dead and so laie a good space not stirring foot nor lim being drawne vppe and downe by diuers persons according as the gesture of the play he acted did require but when hee perceiued by the time and other signes that it was requisite to arise he first opened his eies and and lift vp his head a little then stretched forth himselfe like as one doth when he riseth from sleepe at the last vp he geteth and runneth to him to whom that part belonged not without the ioy and good content of Caesar and all other the beholders To this may be added another story of a certaine Italian about the yeare 1403. called Andrew who had a red Dog with him of strange feats and yet he was blind For standing in the Market place compassed about with a circle of many people there were brought by the standers by many Rings Iewels bracelets and peeces of gold and siluer and there within the circle were couered with earth then the dog was bid to seeke them out who with his nose and feet did presently find and discouer them then was hee also commaunded to giue to euery one his owne Ring Iewell Bracelet or money which the blind dog did performe directly without stay or doubt Afterward the standers by gaue vnto him diuers peeces of coine stamped with the images of sundry princes and then one called for a piece of English money and the Dog deliuered him a peece another for the Emperors coine and the dog deliuerd him a piece thereof and so consequently euery princes coine by name till all was restored and this story is recorded by Abbas Vrspergensis whereupon the common people said the dog was a diuell or else possessed with some pythonicall spirit so much for this dog Strabo Oâ— the Melitaean Dogs There is a towne in Pachynus a promontory of Sicily called Melita from whence are transported many fine little Dogs called Melitaei canes they were accounted the Iewels of women but now the said towne is possessed by Fisher-men and there is no such reckoning made of those tender little dogs for these are not bigger then common Ferrets or Weasils yet are they not small in vnderstanding nor mutable in their loue to men for which cause they are also nourished tenderly for pleasure whereupon came the prouerbe Melitaea Catella for one norished for pleasure Canis digno throno because princes hold them in their hands sitting vpon their estate Theodorus the tumbler and dauncer had one of these which loued him so well that at his death he leaped into the fire after his body Aelianus Now a daies they haue found another breede of little dogs in all nations Blondus The arte of making of little Dogs beside the Melitaeon Dogs either made so by art as inclosing their bodies in the earth when they are Whelpes so as they cannot grow great by reason of the place or els lessening and impayring their growth by some kind of meat or nourishment These are called in Germany Bracken Schosshundle and Gutschenhundle the Italians Bottolo other Nations haue no common name for this kind that I know Martiall made this Distichon of a little French dog for about Lyons in France there are store of this kind and are sold very deare sometimes for ten Crownes and sometimes for more Delitias paruae si vis audire catellae Narranti breuis est pagina tota mihi They are not aboue a foote or halfe a foot long and alway the lesser the more delicate and precious Their head like the head of a Mouse but greater their snowt sharpe their eares like the eares of a Cony
short Legs little feete long taile and White colour and the haires about the shoulders longer then ordinary is most coÌ„mended They are of pleasant disposition and will leape and bite without pinching and barke prettily and some of them are taught to stand vpright holding vp their fore legs like hands other to fetch and cary in their mouths that which is cast vnto them There be some wanton Women which admit them to their beds and bring vp their young ones in their owne bosomes for they are so tender that they sildome bring aboue one at a time but they loose their life It was reported that when Grego in Syracuse was to goe from home among other Gossips she gaue hir mayd charge of two thinges one that she should looke to her child when it cryed the other that she should keepe the litle dog within doores Publius had a little dog called Issa hauing about the necke too siluer bels vpon a silken Collar which for the neatnesse thereof seemed rather to be a picture then a creature whereof Martiall made this elegant Epigram comprehending the rare voyce and other gestures in it Issa est purior osculo columbae Issa est earior indicis lapillis Hanc tu si queritur loqui putabis Collo nexa cubat capitque somnos Et desiderio coacta ventris Sed blandopede suscitat toroque Castae tantus inest pudor catellae Pictam publius exprimit tabella Vt fit tam similis sibi nec ipsa Aut vtramque putabis esse veram Issa est blandior omnibus puellis Issa est delitiae eatella publij Sentit tristitiamque gaudiumque Vt suspiria nulla sentiantur Gutta pallia non fefallit vlla Deponi monet rogat leuari Hanc ne lux rapiat suprema totam In qua tam similem videbis issam Issam denique pone cum tabella Aut vtranque putabis esse pictam Marcellus Empiricus reciteth a certaine charme made of the rinde of a wild figtree held to the Spleene or liuer of a little dog and afterward hanged vp in the smooke to dry and pray that as the rind or barke dryeth so the liuer or Spleene of the dog may neuer grow and thereupon the dog saith that foolish Empericke shall neuer grow greater then it was at the time that the barke was hanged vp to drying To let this trifle goe I will end the discourse of these little dogs with one story of their loue and vnderstanding There was a certaine noble Woman in Sicily Aelianus A lamentable story of the discouery of an adulâ—erer by a little dog which vnderstanding her husband was gone along iorney from home sent to a louer I should say an adulterer she had who came by bribery mony giuen to her seruants she admitted him to her bed but yet priuately more for feare of punishenent then care of modesty and yet for all her craft she mistrusted not her little Dog who did see euery day where she locked vp this adulterer at last her husband came home before her louer was auoyded and in the night the little Dog seeing his true maister returned home ranne barking to the doore and leaped vp thereupon within which the Whoremonger was hidden and this he did oftentimes together fawning and scraping his Lord and maister also insomuch as he mistrusted and the iustly some strange euent At last he brake open the doore and found the adulterer ready Armed with his sword wherewithall he slew the goodman of the house vnawares and so enioyed the adulterate Woman for his wife for murther followeth if it go not before adultery This story is related by Aelianus to set forth a vertue of these little Dogs how they obserue the actions of them that nourish them and also some descretion betwixt good and euill The Dogs of Egypt are most fearefull of all other and their custome is to runne and drinke or drinke of the Ryuer Nilus running for feare of the Crocodils Aelianus Solinus Whereupon came the Prouerbe of a man that did any thing slightly or hastily Vt canis Nilo bibit Alcibiades had a Dog which he would not sell vnder 28. thousand Sesterces that is seuen hundred French Crownes it was a goodly and beautiful Dog yet he cut off his taile whereof he gaue no other reason being demaunded why he so blemished his Beast Pollux but onely that by that fact hee might giue occasion to the Athenians to talke of him The Dogges of Caramania can neuer be tamed for their men also are wilde and liue without al law and ciuility and thus much of Dogs in special In the next place I thoght good to insert into this story the treatise of English Dogs Aelianus first of all written in Latine by that famous Doctour in Phisicke Iohn Cay and since translated by A. F. and directed to that noble Gesner which is this that followeth that so the reader may chuse whether of both to affect best The Preamble or entrance into the Treatise following I Wrote vnto you well beloued friend Gesner not many years past a manifolde history containing the diuers forms and figures of Beasts Birds and Fishes the sundry shapes of plants and the fashions of Hearbes c. I wrote moreouer vnto you seuerally a certaine abridgement of dogs which in your discourse vppon the formes of Beasts in the second order of milde and tamable beasts wher you make mention of Scottish Dogs and in the winding vp of your letter written and directed to Doctour Turner comprehending a Catalogue or rehersall of your books not yet extant you promised to set fâ—râ—h in print and openly to publish in the face of the world among such your workes as are not yet come abroad to light and sight But because certain circumstances were wanting in my breuiary of English dogs as seemed vnto me I staied the publication of the same making promise to send another abroad which might be committed to the hands the eies the eares the minds and the iudgements of the Readers Wherefore that I might performe that precisely which I promised solemnly accomplish my determination and satisfie your expectation which are a man desirous and capable of all kind of knowledg and very earnest to be acquainted with al experiments I wil expresse and declare in due order the grand and generall kind of English dogs the difference of them the vse the properties and the diuers natures of the same making a tripartite diuision in this sort and manner All English dogges be either of a gentle kind seruing the game a homely kind apt for sundry necessary vses or a currish kind meete for may toies Of these three sorts of kindes so meane I to intreate that the first in the first place the last in the last roome and the middle sort in the middle seate be handled I call them vniuersally all by the name of English dogs as wel because England only as it hath in it English dogges so it is