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A07871 A briefe collection and compendious extract of the strau[n]ge and memorable things, gathered oute of the cosmographye of Sebastian Munster. Where in is made a playne descrypsion of diuerse and straunge lavves rites, manners, and properties of sundry nacio[n]s, and a short reporte of straunge histories of diuerse men, and of the nature and properties of certayne fovvles, fishes, beastes, monsters, and sundrie countries and places; Cosmographia. English. Abridgments Münster, Sebastian, 1489-1552.; Eden, Richard, 1521?-1576, attributed name. 1572 (1572) STC 18242; ESTC S107531 75,351 206

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leaninge to the tree with al the ●eight of his body falleth down straight ●ay with the tree euen to the earth so he ●th with his belly vpwarde al night for ●● cannot lift vp him selfe then commeth ●e inhabitantes in the morninge and sle●● the beast without daunger ●he Elephants haue such a kind of sham●s●nes that the male neuer couereth the ●●male but in secrete and that when the ●●le is fyue yeares olde and the female ●● yeares of age they bringe foorthe as ●ares do and most commonly about the ●●ing many of them liue almost two hū●ed yeares they haue great pleasures in ●od waters they be moste impacient of ●lde the two teeth which hang outward ●●e so byg in the greater Elephāts that ●ey are vsed oftentimes as postes And many other thinges be written of thei● which I thoughte good to leaue oute● tediousnes Of the Dragons in India and Ethiop●● THE Dragon is the greatest of ● serpents and hath sharpe teeth ● lyke a saw fashion he hath great● strengthe in his tayle then in his teeth● hath not so much poysō as other serpē● haue if he windeth his tayle about an● he s●ea●h him and the Elephant with ● the bignes of his bodye is not safe fro● him for the dragon lurkinge about co●●mon pathes where the Elephants vse goe doth winde and knot his tayle abo●● the Elephants leggs and killeth him● suffocation He is bred in Inde and Et●●ope Plinye saithe in Ethiope there b● Dragons of .xx. fote in lengthe they a● wont xiiii or xv together with their be●des erected to flie ouer the sea and grea● waters forsome better foode the drag● poyson is onely in his tonge and gall Wherfore the Ethiopes cut away the to● eate the flesh Pliny saithe that throug● ●he strength of poyson his ●ong is alwais ●ift vp and some tymes throughe the he●te of poyson hee inflameth the ayre so ●hat hee seemeth to breath fier out of his ●outh and some times when hee hisseth ●ith his contagiouse blast he infecteth y ● ●ire so that the pestilence commeth ther●f many times Hee is some times in the ●aters and lieth often in his den he slea●eth seldome but watcheth almoste con●inually he deuoureth beasts and fowles ●is eye sight is very sharpe so that in the ●ountaines he seeth his praie a far of of ●entimes Betwixt the Elephantes and Dragons there is continuall war for the Dragon claspeth aboute the Elephant with ●er taile and the Elephant ouerthrow●th ●he Dragon with her feet and snout the Dragon with the folding of her taile ●wisteth her selfe aboute the Elephantes ●egs and so maketh him to fall The Elephant seinge a Dragon vnder a ●ree goeth about to breake the tree to geue ●he Dragon a blow the Dragon leapeth ●ppon the Elephant and desirous to bite ●etwene the nosethrills and to make him ●linde somtimes the Dragon getteth be hinde him bytinge and sucking his blou● with the losse of which bloud the Elephāt being weakened after long conflicte falleth vppon the dragon and so dyinge sleeth his owne murderer The Dragon is very desirous of the Elephantes bloud for the coldnes of it wherwith she desireth to be cooled And many other straunge serpents are in India as scorpions with wings and such lyke of whose natures I omitte to write because their formes be not knowen vnto vs. Of the Gryphin in India SOME say ther is in India a Gryphin which is a kinde of beaste with four fete hauing wings and as mightie in strength as a lyon with croked tallants black on the backe and in the forepart Purple his wings somwhat white his bil and mouth like an Egles bill his eyes fierie hard to be taken except he be young he maketh his nest in highe moūtaines and fighteth with euery kinde o● beast sauing the Lyon and Elephant hee diggeth vp gold in desert places and geueth a repulse to those that come neare him he maketh his nest of such golde as he findeth and some say that it cannot be taken awaye without a thousande or two thousand men and that as well with daūger as with gayne Thus much Aeli●nus writeth The notes of a good Horse THere be some that writes that an horse shoulde not be broken nor tamed before two yeares of age But that he is to bee rubbed and chafed withe flattring and gentle wordes and that his ●table shoulde be layde with stone and to vse him by little and little to goe on the stones that his feet might be made strōg At the beginning let not him that shal sit him or breake bee to roughe nor wearye him with running let him proue him with turninge gently on both sides and not so much with spurrs as with the sticke hee muste touche him the horse shoulde be of one colour of a thicke mayne and standing vp of strong loynes of a short head his necke must be erect and standing vp his eares smal according to the proporcion of his head abroade breaste a meane belly short hips a large tayle and somewhat curled straight legs equal knees stedfast hoofes and grosse not bigge nor smal that thei be not worn his legs must be wel stuffed with bones and not wythe fleshe the notes and signes of yeares in horses are chaunged with their bodies When a horse is two yeares and a halfe olde his middle teeth both aboue and beneathe do fall when he is thre yeares old he casteth those that are like vnto doggs teeth and bringeth forth new before sixe yeares of age his vpper double teeth doo fal at the sixt yeare he supplyeth those that he wanteth at the seuenth yeare all are supplied equally from that time he hath hollow teeth and therefore it is harde to discerne their ages at the tenth yeare the temples begin to waxe hollowe and the browes sometimes waxe graye and their teeth sticke out Mares haue their full increase in fyue yeares but horses in sixe yeares Xenophon teacheth these properties to be obserued in an horse Firste to know his age then if he wil take a bry●●l ●r no●● a●ter this if one may sitt hym then if he wil cast him that sitteth on him and if he wyl flye or run awaye beinge let lose or if he may be sone taken or if he being smitten with a sticke wil go the swifter or not Of certayne monstruouse people in India MAnye are found in India both men women and beastes ful of heare with leaues and mosse on theym which commeth of the greate heate that there is Pliny saith that the inhabitāts of this countrie be coloured with the son and ther by come to certain blacknes like vnto the Ethiopes not because they are outwardly so blacke through the adustiō of the sonne but naturally in their bloud ther is an inclinacion to blacknes the whiche the heate of the son doth seeme to double Oure auncestors haue fayned many monsters in this countrie as people with heades like vnto dogs armed onely with ●ayles clothed with hides skinnes hauing no
kinde of mans speach but onelye a kinde of barking There be some that liue at the fountayne of Ganges whiche take no benefit by meat but liue onely by the sauour of wilde apples and whē they go far they carrye them for their maintenance and liue by the smel and sauour of them If they come into any filthy or stin king ayre they must needes dye and it is sayd that some of theym were seene in the tents and armie of Alexander We reade also that ther be certaine people with one eye in India and some to haue so great eares that they hang downe euen to the feete and manye to haue but one foote and that so greate that when they lye downe on their backs and wolde kepe them from the sonne the shadow of that onelye leg doth comfort theim It is read also that there is a nacion whiche hath graye heares in youth the which in age waxeth black and also men saye ther is an other kinde of women whiche conceiue at fiue yeares of age but they liue not aboue eight yeares there be some that lacke neckes and haue eyes in their shoulders there be wilde men also withe beades like vnto dogs with a rough and heary body which make a terrible hissinge but these and such like are not to be credited and taken for truthe except great reason can perswade that such maye bee and experience can proue the same It is also thought that ther is a certayn people called Pygmeis which be neuer in peace but when the cranes with whome they haue continuall warres flye into other countr●●s these Pygmeis are short men of stature inhabiting in the extreme parte of the mountaynes of India where is a holsome good ayre who excede not .xxvii. inches in stature For Pygmeis asmuch to saye as a cubite These Pygmeis fighte withe Cra●es but they haue the foyle the report goeth that they sit vpon the backs of rammes or goates and haue arrowes for their weapons and so in the spring time with a great armie they come to the sea there consume the Cranes egs and yong ones and that this expedicion is made in three monethes for otherwise they were not able to resist the cranes their cottages be made of clay feathers and egge shels But of the nature of Cranes the authors write in this maner When the Cranes take a flight they consent together flye very highe for to marke and beholde thei chose a captayn and guide whom they followe in the later end of the company thei haue those that may crye and may leade the whole flocke withe their voyce they haue their watches euery night by turne which holde a stone in their feete whiche fallinge from those that are wearye for lacke of sleepe argueth reproueth their negligence by sounde the other slea●e with their billes and heades vnder their wynges standing vpō eche feet by course the guide loketh forth with his neck streight forward and forsheweth things to come When they are made tame they waxe lasciuiouse and runne and flye in round compasses with shaking their winges See more straunge thinges in Munster concerning this matter Of the Antes of India MEga●thenes writeth of the Antes in India after this sort there is an hil of three thousand furlonges in compasse in India and many gold mynes therein the which are kept with ants as byg as foxes getting their liuinge with a merueilous celeritie in hunting they dig and s●rape the earth that bringeth forthe golde and heapeth it vp at the hole of their dennes the whiche marchaunts do priue lye steale away laying fleshe for a bayt to stay the ants if perhaps they shuld marke them This is thought of many to be a fable and there fore I leaue it at large to iudge of it as you thinke best Of Indian Apes ABout the mountains called Emodii there is a greate woode ful of greate Apes the which as the Macedonians did se standing as it were thick together vpon the hills and hauing weapons like men of warre for that kinde of beast commeth as neare to humane subtilitie as Elephants do they would haue set vppon them as ennemies had not the inha●itantes of the countrie bene present and shewed vnto Alexander that it was nothing but an assemble of apes whiche contend to imitate suche thinges as they see so that battel was turned to laughinge Apes are taken after this maner they that hunt apes set dishes full of water in the sight of the apes and therewith they annointe and washe their eyes and sodenly with as priuye spede as they can they take awaye the water and set pots with birdlime and such like stuffe in stede ther of the apes perceiuing them anointinge their eyes being geuen to folow al thinges come downe immediatlye from the trees and thinking to do as the men did they dawbe and annoynte their eyes and mouthes with birdlime and so are they easye to be made a praye and taken aliue They vse also an other trade to take them They take buskins and put them on in the sight of the apes and so departe leauing others annoynted inwardlye with birdelyme and and suche like and some what heary that the fraude might not appeare the which the apes pluckinge vpon their legs are so snared and intangled with yt that they cannot escape the handes of the hunters There is in India also dogs of such courage that two of them can maister a Lyon. Of the Diamond stone THe Diamonds be found amouge●● the mettals of India Ethiope Araby Macedony Cyprus and m●ny other places The Indian Diamonde shineth with a more orientnes then the others There is one kinde of this stone that is somewhat of an iron colour and differeth not much from a christall in colour for commonly it is somewhat white but it is harder then christall so that if it bee layd vpon the Smythes anuile and most ●ehemently beaten with an hammer rather the anuile and the hammer wil bre●ke asunder then that wil be deuided into parts and it doth not onely refist the blowes of yron but also the heate of fyer so ●hat it wil not melt or geue place therto for if we maye geeue credite to Pliny it ●il neuer waxe warme and that because ●t cannot be more pure then it is for it is ●euer contaminate But yet the straūge ●ardnes of this stone is made so soft with ●he warme bloud of a Lyon or a Goate ●hat it may be broken In scalding leadd 〈◊〉 taketh such heate that it may be dissolued but this hardnes is not in euery Diamonde for that whiche is of Cyprus or called Syderites maye be broken with a maitet and pearced throughe with an other Diamond The Diamond doth deprehend and detect poyson and maketh the working therof frustrate and therfore it is be●tre● of Princes and hadd in great● price and estimacion Of Cal●chu● the famou●e Mart of India THe compasse of the cittie of Cale●chut is the space
Matrimony is permitted vnto thē but their children are taken from theym at the Lordes will the which causeth the wiser sort to abhorre frō mariages they vse other extremely that refuse circumcision They haue a very hard life that haue not learned any art or craft for such are in great estimation as are cunning craftes men Wherfore the noble men the priestes and the learned sort which passe ouer their liues in quietnes and idlenes whensoeuer they chaunce into their handes they are thought moste miserable o● all for the marchaunt seller of them can not abyde when he seeth no profit to com● of them nor any good sale to be made These go with their feete and head vncouered and for the most parte with naked bodies through the snowe and vpon the stones both winter and sommer they are enforced to trauayle and there is no end of these miseries before that eyther they dye or ells they fynde a foolishe Lorde in the byinge of yll marchandize No man is so happy of what condicion so euer hee be or of what age beautie or arte he bee that they wil lay him being sicke in his iorney at anye Inne or lodginge house for first hee is cōpelled to go with stripes if he cānot so do he is set vpō som yong beast there if he cannot syt he is boūde with his bodye flat euen lyke vnto a packe or a burden if he dyeth they take awaye hys clothes and cast him into the next ditch or valley for dogs and rauens They keepe their captiues not onely in chaynes but also withe gyues vppon their handes as they leade them the distance betwene thē is about a yearde least they shoulde one spurne and hurte an other and this doe they for feare their bondmen hurle stones at them For where as euerye one that is a cōmon marchant and seller of men leadeth a great number of bondmen so that ten of them oftentimes haue fiue hundred in chaynes they feare the force of suche a great multitude if their handes shoulde be at libertie to throwe or cast any thing In the nighte tyme they make their feete sure with chaynes and irons and lay thē vpon their backes open to the iniurie of the the ayre the women are vsed with moore humanitie they that are able do go vpon their feet and they that are lesse able be caryed vpon yonge cattell and those that are so weake that they may not suffer the shaking of the horses or asses or such like are caryed in hampers and paniers lyke vnto geese and swannes The nighte is more heauie vnto theym for then eyther they are shit vp in strong holds or els are compelled to suffer the filthy lust of those that haue bought them and great lamētacion is hard in the night time bothe of yong men yong women suffring much violence so that they spare not theym of sixe or seuen yeres of age in this miserie such is the cruelnes of that filthy nacion against nature in the rage of voluptuousnes When the daye commethe they are brought forth into the market as shepe goates to be solde when they that would bye them come the price is made if the captiue pleaseth him all his apparell is cast of that he might be seene of his maister that shal be all his partes and members are vewed touched serched and tried if there be anie faulte in his ioyntes or not if he pleaseth not the byer he is reiected againe to the seller and this is as often done as any doth cheapen or go about to bye if the byer liketh the bondman he is caryed away to a moste greuous seruiuitude as to be eyther plowman or shepe hearde that he might not remember the more greuous sciences If anye be taken with his wife and childrē noble men wil bye him gladlye and make him ruler of his vilages and geeue him charge of his groundes vineyardes and pastures but his children must be bondmen if they perseuer and continue in christian faith they haue a determinate tyme to serue that whiche being paste they are made free yet their childrē except thei be redemed cōtinue in seruitude and bōdage at the wil pleasure of the Lorde VVith what burden and exactions the christian Princes are charged and oppressed being ouercome of the Turkes VUhen the Turke hath taken anye christian prince he taketh all theyr goods as wel moueable as vnmoue able as a pray and bootye hee putteth awaye nobilitie cleane especiallye of the kinges stocke the clerkes and clergye he killeth not he spoyleth them of all welth and dignitie and maketh them very mockinge stockes in beggerie The Turkes take also out of the christian churches all bells organes and other instruments of musicke and after they haue prophaned the churches they consecrate thē to Mahumet They leaue pore and small chapples to the christians where they may do their holye seruice not openlye but in silence the which if they fall by any earthquake or be ruinouse by any sodeyn fyer it is not lawfull to repaire them againe but through great sommes of money geuen They are forbidden to preach or teache the Gospell and it is not lawefull for any christian man to beare anye rule in the common wealthe nor to beare weapons or vse like vesture with the Turkes If anye contumelious wordes be spoken of the christian or of Christe he must suffer it ●olde his peace but if the Christian speaketh any thing vnreuerently of their religion he shal be circumcised againste his wil but if any whisper any thing against Mahumet he shal be burnt The christians geeue the fowerth parte of all their fruite and commoditie both of the pro●it of their fieldes and cattell and also of the gaynes of their artes and craftes there is another charge also where they pay for ●uery one in their familye a ducate and if the parentes be notable to pay thei are compelled to sell their children to seruile offices other bound in chaynes do begge from dore to dore to get their fees to dyscharge the exaction and if they cannot by these meanes pay it they must be content to suffer perpetuall enprisonment Those captiues that goe aboute to flye away yf they go into Europe they haue the easier flighte seinge that nothinge is to hinder their passage but certaine waters which are passed ouer easlye and this doo they most attempte in harueste tyme because then they may hide them in the corne and liue therby in the nighte tyme they take their flight and in the day time they hide them selues in woodes and puddles or in the corne and had rather be deuoured of wolues and other beastes then to be sent againe to their olde maisters But they which into Asia take their flight go first to Hellesspont betwixt Callipolis and the two towers which were of olde called Seston and Abydon but now they are named Bogazassar the castells of the Sea mouth and with them they cary both an axe
long tong as it were the length of a ●ingar the which she is alwaies mouing by her tonge shee getteth her praye that shee desireth In Italye they discerne true Purple from counterfayte by powring oyle vpon silke for yf it leaueth any spots it is counterfait but if the silke garment hath no faulte after the oyle it is good and allowable purple The Cittie of Babilon SEmyramis a noble womā of great prowesse erected and built the pompouse Cittie of Babilon the walles wherof were made of bricke sand pitch and plaster of a merueylous length and grossenes The walles were in compasse thre hundred and thre score furlonges with many and great towers beautified The bredthe of the walles was suche that sixe cartes mighte go to gether there on the height was thirty and two foote the turrets in number were two hundred and fiftie The bredth and length therof was equall with the walles She made a bridge also of fiue furlonges in length with pyllers in the depthe by merueylous arte of ●tone yron and leadde wyned together When Ninus her husband was dead she toke the administration of the kingdome and raygned xxiiii yeares For although shee had a sonne called also Ninus yet she considering his yonge yeares vnmeet for to rule fayned her selfe to be king Ninus sonne the which was easly credited for the great likenes of nature that was in them This woman was of so noble a courage that she had a singuler emulacion to excel her husband in glorye of whome it needeth not now to speake any more because diuerse authours haue so largely renowmed and set forth her noble actes Of the Phenix THe Phenix is a noble byrde and is but one in the worlde whiche is not much seene Cornelius sayth that the Phenix did flye into Egipt when as Plaucius and Paupinius were consuls It is sayd that she is as byg as an Eagle hauing a glittring brightnes like as gold about her necke in other partes purple and Azured ●ayle withe Rose coloures her head with a plume top of feathers Manilius saith that no man hath sene her feeding Shee liueth sixe hundrethe and thre score yeares when she waxeth olde she maketh her neste of Cassia and braunches of frankinsence tree to fill it with odoures and so dyeth vppon it then of her bones and mary thereof there springeth ●irst a little worme which afterwarde is a younge Phenix This birde as Pliny sayth is commonly in Arabia where are found goodly pearls and of great estimacion Cleopatra gaue for one pearle that was brought out of this countrie ii hundred and fiftye thousand crownes The goodnes of pearle is iudged by the whitnes greatnes roundnes playnnes oriēt brightnes and weight Of the Vnicorne SOme saye that Unicorne is like vnto a colte of ii yeares and a halfe olde In his foreheade there growethe an horne which is blacke in the length of .ii. or .iii. cubites his colour is tawnye lyke ● weasell his head like an hart his neck not long his mayne very thin hanginge onely vpon the one syde his shanckes bee small and thin his hoofes of his formar feete is deuided lyke an oxe and almoste representing a goates foote Of his hinder feete his outward part is hearye and roughe The king of Ethiope hath some store of these beastes this beast is not cōmonly taken aliue Of Mahumet the false prophet of the Sarracens of his originall and peruersitie MAhometes was the Prince of all impietye and ●upersticion Wherfore it is not to be meruailed if hee hath set the seedes of all euil and such as wil not be rooted out Some sayth that he was a Cyrenaic in nacion some that he was an Arabian others that he was a Persian Hee was borne in the yeare of our Lorde .597 A man of an obscure familye and of no great wealth nor strēgth nor manhoode some saye that his father was a worshipper of deuils that limaelita his mother was not ignorant of the lawes of the Hebrewes wherefore the chil●e being distrace and made doubtfull because whyleste that his father teached him one kinde of religion his mother suggested another so that hee folowed none of them throughlye And thus being trayned vp in ii seueral manners he receiued and kept none of them at his full age but he being brought vp amongest the good christians beinge of a subtile and craftye wit inuented and deuised of both lawes a most perniciouse and detestable secte for mankinde After the death of his parēts he was taken of the Sarracens which wer accompted notable amongest the Arabians in theft and robberies and was solde to a marchaunt of the Ismael kinde Hee being a craftye felow rapaciouse dishonest subiect to all vyce a notable dissembler deceiuer was at the length mad●●he ruler of their marchaundize and wares He did driue camels through out Egipt Syria Palestine and other strange places with the often trauaile in whych places he vsinge the companye aswell of the Iewes as of christians manye tymes ●tudied and went about not to learn but to depraue the olde and newe Testament being taught diuerse sects of his parēts to this he added the gaynes that came by theft and dayly imagined how to deceue his maister Wherfore being suspected of his maistar and hated of others of an obscure seruaunte and slaue he became a notorious theife and robber And beinge made more famouse with his continuall theft and robberies he got dayly a great number of companions of his vnthriftye doynges These thinges were also a greate helpe vnto him his straunge and horrible countinance his terrible voyce and his desperate ruffenly boldenes greatlye to be feared Thus comming by litle and little in admyracion of a barbarous nacion hee got vnto him no small authority so that his maister being dead with oute children he maryed and toke to wife hys mystres being a widow of that Ismael stocke and fiftie yeares of age hauing great wealth and riches who also brought him vp This pestilent man being puffed vp with his wiues goodes applyed his mynde to all kinde of detestable acts throughe his corrupt and depraued wit beinge of him selfe otherwise prompt and geeuen to all kinde of presumptuous boldnes his cemeti●ie and malapertnes was also increased by the vnconstancie and vnfaithfulnes of one Sergius a pestilent monke so that in a shorte space hee came to suche estimacion amongest the Arabians that he was called and beleeued to bee the great messenger of God and the great Prophet this in euery mans mouth This Sergius being a Nestorian archeheritike banished from Constantinople fled into Araby and asociating him selfe vnto Mahumets familiaritie an ill maister and gouernor with a most filthy and abhominable scholer was sone vnited together hee was a prater and ful of wordes bold rashe impudent subtile craftye and in al thinges agreing with Mahumet who now was waxed mightye aud could helpe at a pinthe and whose name began to be famous and so at the length the
●e that did neglect to do this was punished with certayne strypes and kepte withoute meate for three dayes If anye father killed his sonne● there was no punishment of death appointed but for three day●s and nights concti●ually he was commaunded to be about the dead bodye for they thoughte it no iust thinge to take away lyfe from him that gaue lyfe to his chyldren but rathe● that he shoulde be punished with continuall payne and repentance of his fact that others might feare to do the lyke Parricides they ●aused to be burned vppon an heape of thornes and such as vttred any secrets to their enemies thei caused their tongues to be cut out And they that dyd counterfayte or clyp mony had both their handes cut of so that with what parte of the body the offence was made with the same he shoulde tolerate punishment If anye had violated a free woman his naturall partes were cutte of because in one fault hee committed three haynous thynges that is an iniurye corruption and confusion of chyldren He that was takē in voluntarye adultrye hadd a thousande ●●ripes with roddes and the woman was māgled vpon the nose The prie●ts could haue but one wyfe but the laytye as many as they could kepe The bringing vppe of their children was with small coste for it came not vnto the charge of twentie gr●ates the 〈◊〉 education to their full ●ge and this is not to be● m●rueyled at because Egipte is a hote countrie and therfore they lyue naked without anye kinde of garmente and they feede vpon rotes the which they eat somtimes rawe and somtymes rosted in imbers The priests did teach their children especiallye Geomatrie and Arythmeticke They did driue away sicknes eyther with fasting or with vomit the whiche they vsed euerye thirde daye Theyr opinion was that all diseases came of superfluitie of meates and therfore that to bee the best cure whyche toke awaye the matter and causes Manye other straūge thinges are at large sei forth of this nacion by Munster Of the Ostrydge THE Oystridge found especially in Africa his heade is couered withe smal heares his eyes be grosse and blacke his necke is long his byl is shorte and sharpe his feete hath as it were a bypartite ●oofe Plinie fayth that he exceedeth the ●right of a man on ●orsebacke that his winges helpe him little But with his nayles whiche are like hoofes he taketh stones and throwethe againste those whiche persecute him he doothe digeste whatsoeuer hee deuoureth bee it neuer so harde He is of a meruaylous folishnes for if he hath once hidden his head vnder a bushe he thinketh him selfe safe and not to be seene It is sayd to be a simple and forgetful thinge that as sone as it hath brought forte eggs it forgetteth theym vntil the yong commeth forthe whiche is thoughte to bee easlye done because they leaue the eggs in the warme sandes so that the yonge may sone be hatched the whiche the males do feede and cherishe when they are brought forth When hee seeth that hee cannot auoyde takinge he casteth stones against his followers and manye tymes hurteth them His nest is commonlye found in the ●and wel made with bulwarkes and bankes to kepe awaye ray●e from the yong Of the Empire of Cathay THe Empyre of Cathay is ruled by the great Cham. With this naciō one man may haue many wiues when the husband dyeth euery wyfe pledeth her owne cause before the iudges sheweth her merits so that which of thē so euer is adiudged to haue bene the most officiouse and dearest wife to her husbād shee in her best apparell and with all her iewels as though she had gotten the victorie of the other goeth willynglye and merelye vnto the heape of wood wher her husband shall be burnt and lyinge down by his carcasse and embracinge it the fier is kindled and so shee is burnte with her husbād the other of his wiues after this liue in greate shame and obloquye They matche not together for wealth or nobilitye but for excellencye of beauty and procreaciō sake The people of Cathay haue this opinion that they thinke no other nacion to see with both eyes but thē selues they are perswaded also that they excell all other in subtilitye of artes and scyences It is a whyte kynde of people withoute beardes of small eyes and lackinge true pietie and due obeysance to God for some of them worshyp the Sonne some the moone others certayne immages of mettalls and other some an oxe so that they be full of monstruous supersticion The Emperour keepeth his court at his citye called Cambalu whiche is the noblest marte in that part of the world for there is almost neuer a day through out the yeare but that a thousand carte lodes of silke almoste are chaunged and broughte there amongest marchants The Emperour kepeth in his court twelue thowsand horsemen to kepe his bodye Their order of watchinge is thus One captain with three thousand gardeth the king within the Palace for thre dayes and so dothe another other three dayes following thus they keepe their courses When the Emperoure sittethe downe to meate hee hath his principall and greatest quene on his left hand and his children whiche be of royall bloud on his right hand in a lower place No man that sitteth downe in this halle drinketh or is serued in anye other vessell but of Golde the princes and noble men that serue the king at his meate couer their mouthes with most fyne silke clothes least they shoulde breath vpon the kinges meate or drinke and when the Emperour taketh the pot to drincke all the musicians beginne to make great melodye and the others ministers bende their knees More of this nacion you shal fynde in the great boke of Munsters Cosmographye Of the Canniballs THE Canniballs are wylde people feeding vpon mans fleshe which is a very swete kinde of flesh If they get or fynd any chyldrē within the age of fourtene yeares they feede them crāme them as we do Capons but those whych are beyonde fourtene yeares of age they kill them out of hande deuouringe theyr whot guts immediatly and the other partes of their bodies they salt and lay vp as wee do powdred fleshe they eate no women but kepe them only for the bearinge of children as we do hennes for eggs If any for age is past child bearinge shee doth all drudgery like vnto a bond womā they haue no houses but they erect many trees together and so combine them in the top that it serueth for lodginge Their beds be made of silke and haye they haue no yron but they vse bones instede of yrō they dresse their meates in earthen pots mingling the flesh of Parats geese ducks and mans fleshe together They are now come to moore ciuilitye then they had in tymes paste Of the Lyon. LYons liue in many countries in Africa they haue a cruell and terrible looke and thyn heares Pliny thinketh that his especiall valiencye