turning ball Or Seythian reede remou'd with windy breath This kind of Serpent is for the most part in Lybia in Rhodes in Lemnus in Italy Calabria and Sicilia and in many of the Northerne Countries and also in Germany wherof Gesner telleth this story following There is heere the Coasts of Zuricke a Riuer called Glat and a village or towne vpon that Riuer Glatfelden Neare this Riuer as a poore man was gathering wood there was a serpent of some three or foure foote long which from a tree endeuoured to leape vpon the poore man by gathering his body together as it were into foure spires or risings like halfe hoopes the man seeing it left his saâ—ke and ranne away neuerthelesse the Serpent leaped after him at the least sixteene or seuenteene foote but yet for that time hee last turned about him and not seeing the Serpent to follow him gathered courage and comfort and would come back againe for his sacke that he had left behind him The crafty Serpent expecting so much had set himselfe againe into another tree and priuily lay till the man came for his sacke and then ere he was aware came flying at him as hee did before and presently winded about his left arme All his body except his taile hung downe and his neck which he held vp hiâ—â—ing in the mans face the man hauing no sleeue on his arme except his shirt yet did the serpent so presse the skin and flesh that the circles of his winding spires and prints of his body appeared therein after he was taken off yet did he not bite the man for the poore country-fellow did presently with his other hand take him by the head and cast him away notwithstanding he had so foulded himselfe about his arme shortly after that arme becaâ—â—â— to grow mattery and all the flesh to the bone consumed yet was all the rotten puttyâ—… enuenomed flesh and substance by the skill of a worthy learned Physition taken aâ—… and as good flesh brought in the roome thereof as euer was before yet was the maâ—…ry yeare prescribed to let that arme bleede and then issued foorth blacke thicke 〈…〉 some of the woundes or rather scarres of the poyson outwardly remaining In the Northerne partes they leape tenne foote at a time first gathering tâ—…elues into the similitudes of Bowes or halfe Hoopes and then fight with those 〈◊〉 they would deuour making many times a noyse among the Hearbes or Floweâ—…ich are parched or withered by the Sunne and therefore by the bounty of GOD 〈◊〉 nature theyr owne noyse bewrayeth them to their supitious aduersaries and so 〈◊〉 times are auoyded in safety Like vnto these are certaine in Hungary as Vâ—…â—…ported â—…ported vnto Gesner whose bodies are of an equall crassitude or thicknesse so as 〈◊〉 appeare without tailes being for that purpose called Decurtati Curtailes these in tâ—â—â—ame manner do leape vpon men as these Darters do but they are very short sildome â—…ding the length of two hands breadth There is some difference among Authours about the nature of this Serpent for Aelianus confoundeth it with the Snake of the Earth called Chersydrus and sayth it liueth sometime in the Water and sometime on the Land lying in waight to destroy all lyuing Creatures And hee sayth it vseth this fraud it euer lyeth hidde in secret neere the high-wayes and many times climbeth vppe into trees where it roundeth it selfe round into a circle and hideth his head within the foldes of his owne body so soone as euer it espyeth a Passenger eyther a man or beast it leapeth vppon him as swift as a Dart flyeth For it is able to leape twenty cubits space and so lighting vppon the man or beast sticketh fast vnto it without falling off of his owne accord vntill they fall downe dead But herein Aelianus seemeth to be deceiued because hee maketh but one Serpent of twaine namely this Dart and the Land-Snake which are most apparantly different in nature kind and quality Aetius also confoundeth this serpent with the Millet-serpent called Cenchrites and sayth it is of the quantity of two cubits great on the head and the fore part smaller at the tayle being of a greenish colour And he saith further that at such time as the Millet-seede groweth and flowrisheth this serpent is most strong and hurtfull and so with the residue hee agreeth vvith Aelianus but heerein hee is also deceiued writing by here say as himselfe confesseth and therefore it is more safe for vs to haue recourse to some eie-witnesse for the description of this serpent then to stand vppon the opinions of them which writ by the relation of others Bellonius saith that he saw one of these in Rhodes being full of small round black spots not greater then the seedes of Lentiles euery one hauing a round circle about him like an eye after such fashion as is to be seene in the little Eish called the Torpedo In length it exceedeth not three palmes and in bignesse no greater then the little finger It was of an Ashe-colour comming neere to the whitenesse of Milke but vnder the belly it was altogether white vpon the backe it had scales but vppon the belly a thin skin as in all other Serpents The vpper part of the backe was somewhat blacke hauing two blacke lines in the middle which beginne at the head and so are drawne along the whole body to the tayle As for the Cafezati and Alterarati or Altinatyri those are redde Serpentes as Autcen saith which are but small in quantity yet as deep and deadly in poyson as in any other for they hurt in the same manner that these Darters do Some of theÌ„ do so wound with theyr poyson as the afflicted person dyeth incontinent without sence or payne Some againe dye by languishing payne after many hopes of recouery loosing life Among all the people of the Worlde the Sabians are most annoyed with this kinde of redde Serpentes for they haue many odoriferous and sweete smelling Woods in the which these Serpentes doe abound but such is their rage and hatred against men that they leape vppon them and wounde them deadly whensoeuer they come within their compasse And surely if it be lawfull to coniecture what kinde of Serpentes those were which in the Scripture are called fiery Serpentes and did sting the Israelites to death in the Wildernesse vntill the brazen Serpent was erected for their cure among all the Serpentes in the world that kind of paine and death can be ascribed to none more porperly then to these Cafezati or Red-Dart-Serpents For first the wildernesse which was the place wherein they annoyed the people doth very well agree to their habitation Secondly those fiery Serpentes are so called by figure not that they were firey but as all Writers doe agree eyther because they were redde like fire or else because the paine which they inflicted did burne like fire or rather for both these causes together which are ioyntly and seuerally found in these red Serpents
Some make three Kings differing in colour as black red and diuers coloured Menecratés saith that those who are of sundry colours are the worser but in case they haue diuersity of colour with some blacknes they are esteemed the better He that is elected Monarch Caesar and captaine generall of the whole swarme is euer of a tall personable and heroycall stature being twice so high as the rest his wings shorter his legs streight brawny and strong his gate pace manner of walking is more lofty stately and vpright of a venerable countenance and in his forehead there is a certaine red spot or mark with a Diadem for he far differeth from the populer and inferiour sort in his comelinesse beauty and honor The Prince of Philosophers confoundeth the sexe of Bees but the greatest company of learned Writers do distinguish them whereof they make the feminine sort to be the greater Others againe will haue them the lesser with a sting but the sounder sort in my iudgment will neither know nor acknowledge any other males besides their Dukes and princes who are more able handsome greater and stronger then any of the rest who stay euer at home and very seldome vnlesse with the whole Swarme they stir out of doores as those whom nature had pointed out to be the fittest to be stander-bearers and to carry ancients in the camp of Venus and euer to be ready at the elbowes of their loues to do them right Experience teaching vs that these do sit on egges and after the manner of birdes do carefully cherish and make much of their young after the thin membram or skin wherein they are enclosed is broken The difference of their age is knovvne by the forme state and habite of their bodies For the young Bees haue very thinne and trembling winges but they that are a yeare old as they that are two or three yeares of age are very trimme gay bright-shining and in very good plight and liking of the colour of Oyle But those that haue reached to seauen yeares haue layed away all their flatnesse and smoothnesse neither can any man afterwards either by the figure and quality of their bodies or skinnes iudge or discerne certainely their age as wee say by experience in Horses For the elder sort of them are rough hard thinne and leane scragges staruelinges lothsome to touch and to looke vpon somewhat long nothing but skinne and bone yet very notorious and goodly too see to in regard of their grauity hoarenes and aunciency But as they be in forme and shape nothing so excellent so yet in experience and industrie they farre outstrippe the younger sort as those whom time hath made more learned and length of dayes ioyned with vse hath sufficiently instructed and brought vp in the Art or trade of hony-making The place likewise altereth one whiles their forme and sometimes againe their nature as their sexe and age do both For in the Islands of Molucea there be Bees very like to winged Pismires but somewhat lesser then the greater Bees as Maximilian Transiluanus in an Epistle of his written to the Byshop of Salspurge at large relateth it Andrew Theuet in his Booke that he wrote of the new-found World Cap. 51. amongst other matters reporteth that he did see a company of Flies or Hony-bees about a tree named Vhebehason which then was greene with the which these Hony-bees do liue and nourish themselues of the which trees there were a great number in a hole that was in the tree wherein they made Hony and Waxe There is two kindes of the Hony-bees one kind are as great as ours the which commeth not onely but of good smelling flowers also their Hony is very good but their Waxe not so yellow as ours There is another kinde halfe so great as the others their hony is better then the others and the wilde men name them Hira They liue not with the others food which to my iudgment maketh their VVaxe to be as black as coales and they make great plenty specially neare to the Riuer Vasses and of Plate The Bees called Chalcoides which are of the colour of Brasse and somewhat long which are said to liue in the Island of Creta are implacable great fighters and quarrellers excelling all others in their stinges and more cruell then any others so that with their stinges they haue chased the inhabitants out of their Citties the remainder of which Bees do remaine and make their hony-combs as Aelianus saith in the Mountaine Ida. Thus much of the differences of Bees now it remaineth to discourse of the Politike Ethicall and oeconomicke vertues and properties of them Bees are gouerned and doe liue vnder a Monarchy and not vnder a tyrannicall state admitting and receiuing their King not by succession or casting of lots but by respectiue aduise considerate iudgement and prudent election and although they willingly submit their neckes vnder a kingly gouernment yet notwithstanding they still keepe their ancient liberties and priuiledges because of a certaine prerogatiue they maintaine in giuing their voyces and opinions and their King being deeply bound to them by an oath they exceedingly honor and loue The King as he is of a more eminent stature and goodly corporature as before wee haue touched then the rest so likewise which is singular in a King he excelleth in mildnesse and temperatenesse of behauiour For he hath a sting but maketh it not an instrument of reuenge which is the cause that many haue thought their king neuer to haue had any For these are the lavves of Nature not written with Letters but euen imprinted and engrauen in theyr conditions and manners and they are very flovv to punish offenders because they haue the greatest and Soueraigne povver in their hands And although they seeme to bee slacke in reuenging and punishing priuate iniuries yet for all that they neuer suffer rebellious persons refractorious obstinate and such as will not bee ruled to escape without punishment but vvith their pricking stinges they greeuously wound and torment so dispatching them quickly They are so studious of peace that neither vvillingly nor vnvvillingly they vvill giue any cause of offence or displeasure VVho therefore vvould not greatly be displeased vvith and hate extreamely those Dionysian Tyrants in Sicilia Clearchus in Heraclea and Apollodorus the Theefe Pieler and spoyler of the Cassandrines And vvho would not detest the vngratiousnes of those levvd clavv-backes and Trencher-parasites and flatterers of Kings vvhich dare impudently maintaine that that a Monarchy is nothing else but a certaine way and rule for the accomplishing of the will in vsing their authority as they list and a science or skilfull trade to haue wherewith to liue pleasantly in all sensuall and worldly pleasure which ought to be far from a good Prince who whilest he would seem to be a man he shew himselfe to be farre worser then these little poore-winged-creatures And as their order and course of life is farre
not able to beare vp it selfe although by Natures immutable decree orderly ruled and rightfully gouerned Aristotle saith that it is not likely that the young waspes are brought forth as a broode because they be so great in bulke as that in reason it should not seeme probable that so small a flye as a waspe should haue such great young ones But this is a bare weake reason not beseeming the dignitie of so great a Philosopher For what can any man alleadge to the contrary why Nature in a lawfull birth and breeding should not as soone and as speedily finish and make to grow and increase as shee doth in generation that proceedes of rottennes or corruption which I hold to be but illegitimate Let vs but call to minde young birds in how short a time after they be out of the shell they be feathered they be able to goe to eate yea quickly increased in strength and growne to theyr full greatnes so that they are in their full flowre ere one be aware All which when one hath throughly considered he will easily iudge that famous Phylosopher Aristotle to haue relyed but vpon a weake proppe hauing scarse probability to stand on his side for the maintenance of his opinion His credit therefore at this time must not be sufficient to barre vs the libertie of contradicting him The same Aristotle the monarch of our moderne learning saith that the â—â—al wormes of waspes before they haue any wings at all are some-what long not much vnlike those wormes which Hippocrates calleth Eâ—lai that breede in flesh called as I iudge â—â—ggots but in our country Gentiles these waspish wormes are somewhat white knowne and easily discerned by their slits or dashes the hinder part of their body being very thicke and grosie hauing a black list or line running along their backs without feet not creeping but rolling tumbling theÌ„selues this way that way confusedly When they haue disburthened themselues of their breed they close vp their cells with a certaine thin small skinne which againe beeing broken when they come to any perfection or growth they get theÌ„selues our of dores into the cleere light at two daies end wil be able to flie round about The Philosopher maketh two kinds of waspes the one wild fell the other more meeke and quiet The wilder sort is sildom seene for they liue breed in mountaines woods in Oke trees not in the earth and this kind is greater blacker more diuersly coloured stingeth more cruelly then the other After they haue liued one whole yeere they are seene to flie away if in the winter the tree be cut downe These kinde of waspes I did once see in a wood in Essex where going vnwarily to gather simples with another Phisitian offending one of this fumish generation the whole swarme of them presently rushed forth about mine eares surely had I not had in my hand some sprigs or branches of broome for my defence I had vndoubtedly payde deerely for this my vnaduisednes if it had not cost me my life for they pursued me in euery place of the wood with a vehement rage for a long season insomuch that I was faine to take me to my heeles so to seeke to saue my selfe from further danger And if our owne countriman Sir Francis Drake himselfe had beene there although hee was as Meteranus a stranger and so vnpartiall in his Belgick Historie right truly obserued Omnium ducum nostri seculi fortissimus ac famosissimus yet I make no doubt but he would haue taken my part and beene a companion with me in this my fearefull flight Some of these vvaspes as well those of the crueller kinde as those of the gentler doe lacke a sting or rather I thinke they vse it not Othersome againe of both sorts are furnished with stinges and those that want them are euer the lesser and weaker neither reuenging themselues any way nor offering to make resistance Contrariwise those who haue stings are greater stronger more quarrellous concentious stubburne and eager Some account these the males and those other stinglesse to be the females Many of those which haue stinges doe for-goe and quite loose them when Winter draweth on as some make reckoning but it was neuer my hap to see this saith the Philosopher in his 9 booke De hist Animal capit 41. If you catch a Waspe holding her fast by the feete suffering her to make her vsuall humming sound you shall haue all those that lacke stinges presently come flying about you which the stinged waspes neuer are seene to doe Therfore some hold this as a good reason to prooue that the one should be the male the other the female Both these sorts both wilde and vnwilde haue beene seene to couple together after the manner of Flyes Besides in respect of sexe both kindes of waspes are deuided into Captaines or Ringleaders and into labourers those former are euer greater in quantitie and of more calme disposition these other both lesser more froward testie peeuish and diuers The males or labourers neuer liue one whole yeere full out but all of them die in the winter time which is euident by this because in the very beginning of cold weather they are as it were frozen or benummed and in the depth or midst of hard winter a man shall hardly or neuer see any of them But yet for all that their Dukes or principall Chiefetaines are seene all the winter long to lye hidde in their lurking holes vnder the earth and indeed many men wheÌ„ they plowed or broke vppe the ground and digged in winter haue found of this sort But as for the labouring waspe I neuer as yet heard of any that could finde them Theyr Principall or Captaine is broader thicker more ponderous and greater then the male waspe and so not very swift in flight for the weightines of their bodies is such an hinderance to them that they cannot flie very farre whereby it commeth to passe that they euer remaine at home in their hiues there making and deuising their combes of a certaine glutinous matter or substance brought vnto them by the worke-waspes thus spending their time in executing and dooing all those duties that are meet in their Cells Waspes are not long liued for theyr Dukes who liue longest doe not exceede tvvo yeeres And the labouring that is the male waspes together with Autumne make an end of their dayes Yea which is more strange whether their Dukes or Captaines of the former yeere after they haue ingendered and brought forth new sprong vp Dukes doe dye together with the newe waspes and whether this doe come to passe after one the selfe-same order or whether yet they doe and may liue any longer time diuers men do diuersly doubt All men hold the wilder kind to be more strong of nature and to continue and hold out the longer For why these other making their nests neere vnto common high-wayes and beaten paths
carrie it with the belly vpward round about his Vineyard so returning in the same manner with it afterward lay it vpon the backe so as it cannot turne on the belly but remaine with the face vpward all manner of Clouds should passe ouer that place and neuer empty themselues vppon that Vineyard But such diabolicall and foolish obseruations were not so much as to be remēbred in this place were it not for their sillinesse that by knowing them men might learne the weakenesse of humaine wisedome when it erreth from the Fountaine of all science and true knowledge which is Diuinity and the most approoued operations of Nature And so I will say no more in this place of the Sweete-water-Tortoyce OF THE TORTOYCE OF the Sea IT were vnproper and exorbitant to handle the Sea-Tortoyce in this place were it not because it liueth in both elements that is both the water and the Land wherefore seeing the earth is the place of his generation as the Sea is of his foode and nourishment it shall not be amisse nor improper I trust to handle this also among the Serpents and creeping things of the earth Pliny calleth this Sea-Tortoyce Mus Marinus a Mouse of the Sea and after him Albertus doth so likewise The Arabians call it Asfulhasch and the Portugalles Tartaruga and in Germany Meerschiltkrott which the common Fisher-menne call the Souldier because his backe seemeth to bee armed and couered with a shield and Helmet especially on the forepart which shield is very thicke strong and triangular there being great veines and sinnewes which goe out of his Necke shoulders and hippes that tye on and fasten the same to his body His forefeet being like hands are forked and twisted very strong with which it fighteth and taketh his prey and nothing can presse it to death except the frequent strokes of Hammers And in al their members except their quantity their feet they are much like the Tortoyces of the Earth for otherwise they are greater and are also blacke in colour They pull in their heads as occasion is ministred to them eyther to fight feede or be defended and theyr whole shell or couer seemeth to be compounded of fine Plates They haue no teeth but in the brimmes of theyr beakes or snouts are certaine eminent diuided thinges like teeth very sharp and shut vppon the vnder lippe like as the couer of a Boxe and in the confidence of these sharp prickles and the strength of their hands and backes they are not afrayde to fight with men Theyr eyes are most cleare and splendant casting theyr beames farre and neare and also they are white in colour so that for their brightnesse and rare whitenesse the Apples are taken out and included in Rings Chaines and Bracelets They haue reynes which cleaue to their backes as the Reines of an Bugle or Oxe Theyr feete are not apt to be vsed in going for they are like to the feet of Seales or Sea-calues seruing in stead of Oares to swim withall Their legges are very long and stronger in their feet and nailes then are the clawes of the Lyon They liue in Rockes and the Sea-sands and yet they cannot liue altogether in the water or on the Land because they want breathing and sleepe both which they performe out of the Water yet Pliny writeth that many times they sleepe on the top of the water and his reason is because they lye still vnmooueable except with the Water and snort like any other Creature that sleepeth but the contrary appeareth seeing they are found to sleepe on the Land and the snorting noyse they make is but an endeuour to breath which they cannot well doe on the toppe of the Water and yet better there then in the bottome They feede in the night-time and the mouth is the strongest of all other Creatures for with it they crush in peeces any thing be it neuer so hard as a stone or such thinges they also come and eate grasse on the dry Land They eate certaine little Flshes in the Winter time at which season their mouth is hardest and with these Fishes they are also bayted by men and so taken Pausanius writeth that in Affrica there are Maritine Rocks called Scelestae and there dwelleth among a creature called Scynon that is Zytyron a Tortoyce and whatsoeuer he findeth on that Rockes which is a stranger in the Sea the same he taketh and casteth downe headlong They engender on the Land and the Female resisteth the copulation with the Male vntill hee set against her a stalke or stemme of some Tree or Plant. They lay their Egges and couer them in the earth planing it ouer with their breasts and in the night-time they sit vppon them to hatch them Their Egges are great of diuers colours hauing a hard shell so that the young one is not framed or brought foorth within lesse compasse then a yeere as Aristotle writeth but Pliny sayth thirty dayes And for as much as they cannot by Nature nor dare for accident long tarry vppon the Land they set certaine markes with their feete vppon the place where they lay theyr Egges whereby they know the place againe and are neuer deceiued Some againe say that after they haue hidde their Egges in the earth forty dayes the Female commeth the iust fortith day not fayling of her reckoning and vncouereth her Egges wherein shee findeth her young ones formed vvhich she taketh out as ioylfully as any man would do Gold out of the earth and carryeth them away with her to the Water They lay some-times an hundered Egges and sometimes they lay fevver but euer the number is very great There is vppon the left side of Hispaniola a little Island vpon the Port Beata which is called Altus-Bellus where Peter Martyr reporteth straunge thinges of many Creatures especially of the Tortoyces for hee writeth that when they rage in lust for copulation they come on shore and there they digge a Ditch wherein they lay together three or foure hundered Egges beeing as great as Goose-Egges and when they haue made an end they couer them with Sand and goe away to the Sea not once looking after them but at the appoynted time of Nature by the heate of the Sunne the young Tortoyces are hatched engendered and droduced into light without any further helpe of theyr Parents Great is the courage of one of these for it is not afrayde to set vppon three men together but if it can bee turned vpward vppon the backe it is made weake and vnresistable And if the head be cut off and seuered from the body it dieth not presently nor closeth the eyes for if a man shake his hand at it then vvill it winke but if hee put it neere it will also byte if it can reach it If by the heat of the Sunne theyr backes grow dry they also grow weake and inflexible and therefore they hasten to the Water to remollifie them or else they
made of the Oyle pressed out of vvilde Radish the rootes of Dragonwort the iuyce of Daffodill the braine of a Hare the leaues of Sabine sprigges of Bay some other few things there-vnto added As soone as they haue taken them they instantly all to spette vpon their heads for by reason of a secret antipathy in Nature they grow very dull thereby and lay aside the force and rage of venome for the spettle of a Man is of a cleane contrarie operation to their poyson And when afterward they make ostentation heereof in the Market or publique Stage they suffer them to bite their owne flesh but first of all they offer thē a peece of hard flesh where-vppon they bite to clense their teeth from all spawne and spume of venome or els sometime pull forth the little bagges of poyson which inhaere in their chaps and vnder their tongues so as they are neuer more repleate or filled againe And by this deceit they deceiue the world where euer they come giuing foorth that they are of the linage of Saint Paule who cast a Viper off from his hands as wee reade in the holie Scripture It was an inuention of auncient time among the wise Magitians to make a pipe of the skinnes of Cats legges and there-withall to driue away Serpents by which it appeareth that the soueraigntie of Man ouer Serpents was giuen by GOD at the beginning and was not lost but continued after the fall of man although the hand that should rule be much weaker and practised by the most barbarous of the world necessitie of defence forcing a violence and hatred betwixt the Serpent and the Womans seede For this cause we reade of the seauen daughters of Atlas whereof one was called Hyas whose dailie exercise was hunting of venomous Beastes and from her the Hyades had their denomination And for a conclusion of this Argument I will adde this one storie more out of Aelianus When Thonis the King of Egypt had receiued of Menelaus Helen to be safely kept whiles he trauailed through Aethiopia it hapned that the King fell in loue with her beautie and oftentimes endeuoured by violence to rauish her then it is also said that Helen to turne away the Kings vnlawfull lust opened all the matter to Polydamna the wife of Thonis who instantly fearing her owne estate least that in time to come faire Helen should depriue her of her husbands loue banished her into the Iland of Pharus which was full of all manner of Serpents and yet taking pittie on her for her simplicitie gaue her a certaine herbe whereby she droue away all Serpents For it is said when the Serpents and venomous beasts doe but smell the same herbe they instantly hide their heads in the earth Helen comming into that Island planted the same there and was therefore called by the inhabitants after her owne Name Helenium which the skilfull Herborists at this day affirme to grow in Pharus Vnto this discourse of the taming of Serpents I may adde yet more strange things if any thing be strange in the nature of this World And those are some histories of the familiaritie of Men Women and Serpents Alexander was thought to bee begotten of a Serpent for it is said that one a time there was found a great Serpent vppon his Mother Olympia as shee was sleeping and some say for the honour both of the Mother and the Sonne that this Serpent was Iupiter turned into the likenesse of a Serpent as wee reade he changed himselfe into many other shapes And the like story vnto this is alledged of Scipio Affricanus his mother who long time remained barren without the fruite of the wombe insomuch as that P Scipio her husband vtterly dispaired of posteritie It hapned one day as she was in her bed her husband beeing absent there came a great Snake and lay beside her euen in the presence of the seruants and familie who beeing mightily astonished thereat cryed out with loude voyces for feare whereat the woman awaked and the Snake slidde away inuisibly P Scipio hearing this report at his returne home went to the Wisards to vnderstand the secret or signification of this prodigie who making a sacrifice gaue aunswere that it betokened prolification or birth of children and therevpon followed the birth of Scipio Affricanus We reade also in Plutarch of certaine Serpents louers of young Virgins who after they were taken and insnared shewed all manner of lustfull vitious amorous gestures of vncleanenes and carnalitie and by name there was one that was in loue with one Aetolia a Virgin who did accustome to come vnto her in the night time slyding gentlie all ouer her body neuer harming her but as one glad of such acquaintance tarried with her in that dalliance till the morning and then would depart away of his owne accorde the which thing beeing made manifest vnto the Guardians and Tutours of the Virgin they remoued her vnto another Towne The Serpent missing his Loue sought her vppe and downe three or foure dayes and at last mette her by chance and then hee saluted her not as he was wont with fawning and gentle slyding but fiercely assaulted her with grimme and austere countenaunce flying to her hands and binding them with the spire of his bodie fast to her sides did softly with his tayle beate vpon her backer parts Whereby was collected some token of his chastisement vnto her who had wronged such a Louer with her wilfull absence and disappointment It is also reported by Aelianus that Egemon in his verses writeth of one Aleua a Thessalian who feeding his Oxen in Thessaly neere the Fountaine Haemonius there fell in loue with him a Serpent of exceeding bignesse and quantitie and the same would come vnto him and softly licke his face and golden haire without dooing him any manner of hurt at all These and such like thinges doe euidently prooue that Serpents are not onely involuntarilie tamed by Men but also willingly keepe quarter with them yeelding to the first ordinance of the Creatour that made them subiects vassals to men And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken in this place concerning the first creation of Serpents Of the naturall Generation of SERPENTS and their seuerall Originalls IT beeing thus cleered that Serpents were at the beginning created by GOD and are ruled by Men it now followeth that wee should in the next place talk of the matter of their beginning and the meanes of their continuance euer since their Creation First therefore it is most plaine in Genesis that the Earth by the vertue of the Word of GOD did produce all Creeping things and among them Serpents but since that time they haue engendered both naturally and also prodigiously As concerning their constitution it is held to be most cold aboue all other liuing Creatures and therefore Pliny writeth that they haue neither heate nor bloode nor sweat Heere-vnto subscribeth Galen and Rasis yet Auicen
seemeth to affirme the contrary Mercuriall decideth this controuersie and proueth that Serpents are extreamely cold their bodies outwardly moist First because those which are stunge poysoned by Serpents are oppressed with an vnnaturall cold which ouercommeth naturall heate and distendeth all their parts vexing them intollerably Secondly there can be assigned no other reason why these Creatures hide themselues 4. moneths in the yere but onely their naturall cold making thē so tender as they are altogether vnfit to endure any externall frigiditie Thirdly if a Man take a Snake or a Serpent into his handling in the midst of Sommer warmest part of the yeere yet shall he perceiue that they are cold in a palpable manner being aliue which is not a qualitie competible to any other creature Fourthly seeing that blood is the proper and natiue seate of all heate in naturall liuing bodies Serpents hauing a very small quantitie of blood must also haue a smaller proportion of heate and therfore it followeth vnauoidably that the eminencie of their temperament is cold in the highest degree aboue all other liuing Creatures And that their bodies be outwardlie moyst it appeareth saith Isidorus by this that when they slide along vpon the Earth which way soeuer they goe they leaue behind them in their traine or path a slymie humour By this therefore it is confirmed that they are of the Earth and of the Water as afterward we shall shew in the description of their kindes But yet there are prodigious beginnings of Serpents whereof some seeme to be true other to be fabulous The first sort are those which Plinie affirmeth to be engendred of the marrowe in the backe-bone of a man and that indifferently out of the dead bodies of good euill men Yet some more modest thinking it vnreasonable that the remnants of a good meeke man should beget or be turned into so barbarous venomous cruell a nature rather taking it for granted that peace and quietnes is the reward of such persons attribute these beginnings or alterations to the bodies of wicked men as a iust deserued punishment of their former euills that the reuersion of their bodies should after death turne into Serpents whom they resembled being aliue in the venemous fraude of their spirits Of this Ouid speaketh Sunt quae cum clauso putrefacta est Spina sepulchro Mutari credunt humanas angue medullas Which may be thus englished Some thinke the putride backe-bone in the graue rack'd Or marrow changd the shape of Snakes to take In Egypt as Frogges and Mice are engendred by showers of raine so also are Serpents And Autcen saith that the longest haires of women are easily turned into Serpents Nicander dreameth that all venomous beastes are engendred of the blood of the Tytans or Gyants Acusilaus of the blood of Typhon Apollonius Rhodius of the drops of blood which doe distill from Gorgons Virgilius saith that dung beeing laid in a hollow place subiect to receiue moysture engendereth Serpents Of the Gorgons drops Ouid writeth thus Cumque super Lybicas victor penderet arenas Gorgonei capitis guttae cecidere cruentae Quas humus exceptas varios animauit in angues Vnde frequens illa est infestaque cerra colubris Which may thus be Englished And as he ouer-flew The Lybicke sandes the drops of bloud that from the head did sewe Of Gorgon being new cut off vpon the ground did fall Which taking them and as it were conceiuing them withall Engendred sundry Snakes and wormes by meanes whereof that Clyme Did swarme with Serpents euer since to this same present time But most strange of all other are the succeeding Narrations For it is reported that when L. Scipio and C. Norbanus were Consuls that the mother of Clusius in Hetruria brought foorth a liuing Serpent in stead of a childe and the sayde Serpent by the commaund of the Wisardes was cast into a Ryuer neuerthelesse it woulde not drowne but swimmed against the streame And Pliny sayth that at the beginning of the Marsycke warre there was a mayd-seruaunt that brought foorth another Serpent And Faustina the Empresse dreamed that she brought foorth Serpents when shee was with childe of Commodus and Antoninus and one of these Serpents seemed more fierce then the other which proued allegorically true for afterward Commodus was so voluptuous and tyrannous that he seemed like a Serpent to be borne for nothing but for the destruction of mankinde In the yeare of the Lorde 1551. there was a little Latine booke printed at Vienna wherein was contained this History following In this Summer sayth the Booke about S. Margarites day there happened most rare and admyrable Accidents for neere a Village called Zichsa by the Riuer Theose in Hungaria there were many Serpents Lisards bred in the bodies of men very like to such as are bred in the earth whereupon they fell into exquisite torments and there dyed of that calamity about three thousand some of the bodyes being layde against the Sunne gaping the Serpents came foorth of theyr mouthes and suddenly entred into their bellies againe Amongst other there was a certaine Noble-mans daughter which dyed of that malady and when she was dissected or ripped there were found in her body two great Serpentes These thinges seeme to bee miraculous and aboue the order of Nature yet credible because in our experience in England there haue beene Wormes like Serpentes found in the bodies of men whereof some haue beene eiected the parties being aliue and other when as the parties were dead But that these beginnings of Serpents being vnnaturall are Diuine and sent from God as scourges it may appeare by another notable History recorded in the aforenamed booke both in the same yeare and in the same Countrey There was sayth mine Author found in a mowe or rycke of corne almost as many Snakes Adders and other Serpentes as there were sheafes so as no one sheafe could be remoued but there presently appeared a heape of ougly and fierce Serpents The countrey-men determined to set fire vpon the Barne and so attempted to doe but in vaine for the straw would take no fire although they laboured with all their wit and pollicye to burne them vp At last there appeared vnto them at the top of the heap a huge great Serpent which lifting vp his head spake with mans voyce to the countrey-men saying Cease to prosecute your deuise for you shall not be able to accomplish our burning for wee were not bredde by Nature neither came we hither of our owne accord but were sent by God to take vengeance on the sinnes of men And thus much for the true and naturall beginninges of Serpentes Now we reade in holy Scripture that the rod of Moses was turned into a Serpent by diuine myracle whereby he was assured of the power that God woulde giue him to deliuer his people Israell out of Egypt which land abounding with Serpentes both naturall bredde in the earth and
breasts some on his sides and backe some on his legges and some hanging vpon his priuie partes byting him with mortall rage to end and ouerthrow him The poore Hart beeing thus oppressed with multitude and assailed without any warning to the battell in vaine attempteth to runne away for their cold earthy bodies winding tayles and pinching teeth hinder his wonted pace and ouer-charge his strength whereat beeing forced to quite himselfe in the best manner he can enraged with teeth feete and hornes assaileth his enemies whose speares and arrowes of teeth and stinges sticke so fast in his body tearing them in peeces which he can touch with his teeth beating others asunder where he can reach theÌ„ with his hornes and trampling vnder his feete those which cleaue to his lower parts and yet such is the rage and dauntlesse courage or rather hatred of these enemies not willing to die alone but like Champions to end their liues vppon and with their aduersarie doe still hold fast and euen when their bodies are beaten in peeces their heads sticke close and hang sharpe vpon the Harts skinne as though they would grow with him and neuer fall off till he should also fall downe dead But the Hart feeling some ease and hauing by the slaughter of their bodies deliuered his feete from thraldome by a diuine naturall instinct flyeth and runneth fast to some adioyning fountaine where hee seeketh for Sea-crabbes whereof he maketh a medicine that shaketh off their heads which cleaue so fast vnto him and also cureth all their wounds and poyson This valiant courage is in Harts against serpents neuer yeelding tyring or giuing ouer and yet otherwise are afraid of Hares and Connyes by nature But what is the cause of this hostilitie betwixt Harts and serpents is it for meate or for medicine and cure Surely they would abhorre to eate them if it were not for health and naturall medicine for sometimes the pores of their body are dulled and shut vp somtimes the wormes of their belly doe ascend vp into the roofe of their mouthes while they chew the cudde and there cleaue fast for remedie whereof the Hart thus afflicted runneth about to seeke for serpents for the eating of a serpent cureth this maladie Pliny saith that when the Hart waxeth old and perceiueth that his strength decayeth haire changeth his bodie beginnes to be feeble then for the renewing of his strength he first deuoureth a serpent and afterward runneth to some fountaine of water wherof when he hath drunk he findeth a sensible alteration both in horne haire and whole bodie And this thing is also deliuered by the Writer of the Glosse vpon the 42 Psalme which beginneth Like as the Hart desireth the water springs so longeth my soule after my GOD. But for the ending of this question we must consider and remember that there are two kinds of Harts one eateth serpents and feeling the poyson to worke straight-way by drinking casteth vp the poyson againe or else cureth himselfe by couering all his body ouer in water The other kind onely by nature killeth a serpent but after victorie forbeareth to eate it and returneth againe to feede in the Mountaines And thus much for the discorde betwixt Harts and Serpents In the next place great is the variance betwixt Serpents Dragons Elephants wherof Pliny Solinus write as followeth When the Elephants called Serpent-killers meete with the Dragons they easily tread them in peeces and ouer-come them wherefore the Dragons and greater serpents vse subtiltie in stead of might for when they haue found the path and common way of an Elephant they make such deuises therein to intrap him as a man would thinke they had the deuise of men to helpe them for with their tayles they so ensnare the way that when the beast commeth they entangle his legges as it were in knots of ropes now when the beast stoopeth downe with his trunke to loose and vntie them one of them suddenly thrusteth his poysoned head into his trunke whereby hee is strangled The other also for there are euer many which lye in ambush set vpon his face byting out his eyes and some at his tender belly some wind themselues about his throat and all of them together sting bite teare vex hang vpon him vntill the poore beast emptied of his blood and swollen with poyson in euery part fall downe dead vppon his aduersaries and so by his death kill them at his fall and ouerthrow whom hee could not ouer-come beeing aliue And whereas Elephants for the most part goe together in flocks and troupes the subtile serpents doe let passe the formost of euery rancke and sette onely vpon the hindermost that so one of the Elephants may not helpe another these serpents are said to be thirtie yardes long Likewise forasmuch as these Dragons know that the Elephants come and feede vpon the leaues of trees their manner is to conuay themselues into the trees and lye hid among the boughes couering their fore-parts with leaues and letting their hinder partes hang downe like dead parts and members and when the Elephant commeth to brouze vpon the Tree-toppes then suddenlie they leape into his face and pull out his eyes and because that reuenge doth not satisfie her thirsting onely after death she twyneth her gable-long bodie about his necke and so strangleth him It is reported that the blood of Elephants is the coldest blood in the world that the Dragons in the scorching heate of Summer cannot get any thing to coole theÌ„ except this blood for which cause they hide themselues in Riuers Brookes whether the Elephants come to drinke and when he putteth downe his trunck they take hold thereof instantlie in great numbers leape vp into his eares which onely of all his vpper parts are most naked and vnarmed out of which they suck his blood neuer giuing ouer their holde till hee fall downe dead so in the fall kill them which were the procurers of his death So that his and their blood is mingled both together whereof the Auncients made their Cinnabaris which was the best thing in the world to represent blood in painting Neither can any deuise or arte of man euer come neere it and beside it hath in it a rare vertue against poyson And thus much for the enmâ—tie betwixt Serpents and Elephants The Cat also by Albertus is said to be an enemie to serpents for hee saith shee will kill them but not eate thereof howbeit in her killing of them except she drinke incontinently she dieth by poyson This relation of Albertus cannot agree with the Monks of Mesven their relation about their Abbey-cat But it may be that Albertus speaketh of vvildcats in the woods and mountaines who may in â—auine for their pray kill a serpent which followeth with them the same common game The Roes or Roe-bucks do also kill serpents the Hedge-hogge is enemy vnto them for sometimes they meete both together in one hole and then at
complaint that the Aspe did bite him the Aspe did wound him and that hee saw the picture of the said aspe by him formerly slaine following him and tearing his flesh therefore most instantly craued helpe against it saying still he perrished by it he was mortally wounded And when he had now saith Elianus continued a while in this superstitious fury and disease of the mind his kindred acquaintance brought him into the house of Serapis making request vnto that fained God to remoue out of his sight that spectre and apparision and so he was released cured and restored to his right mind This kind of Aspe they also say is immortall and neuer dyeth and besides it is a reuenger of sacriledge as may appeare by such another history in the same place There was a certaine Indian Peacock sent to the King of Egypt which for the goodly proportion and feature thereof the King out of his deuotion consecrated to Iupiter and was kept in the Temple Now there was saith hee a certaine young man which set more by his belly then by his GOD which fell into a great longing for to eate of the said Peacocke and therefore to attaine his appetite he bribed one of the Officers of the Temple with a good summe of Money to steale the sayd Peacocke and bring it to him aliue or dead The couetous wretch enraged with the desire of the Money sought his opportunity to steale away the Peacock and one day came to the place where he thought knew it was kept but when he came he saw nothing but an Aspe in the place thereof and so in great feare leaped back to saue his life and afterward disclosed the whole matter Thus far Aelianus The domesticall Aspes vnderstand right and wrong and therefore Philanthus telleth a story of such an Aspe which was a Female and had young ones in her absence one of her young ones killed a childe in the House When the old one came againe according to her custome to seeke her meate the killed child was layed forth and so she vnderstood the harme Then went she and killed that young one and neuer more appeared in that house It is also reported that there was an Aspe that fell in loue with a little Boy that kept Geese in the prouince of Egypt called Herculia whose loue to the saide Boy was so feruent that the Male of the saide Aspe grew iealous thereof Whereuppon one day as he lay asleep set vpon him to kill him but the other seeing the danger of her loue awaked and deliuered him There is much and often mention made of Aspes in holy Scripture beside the forenamed place Psal 58. as in Esay 59. the Iewes are compared to Aspes and their labours to Spiders webs And Esa 11. The sucking childe shall play vpon the hole of the Aspe Where-vpon a learned man thus writeth Quicunque ex hominibus occulto veneno ad nocendum referti sunt sub regno Christi mutato ingenio fore vel pueris innoxios that is whosoeuer by secret poyson of nature are apt to do harme to other in the kingdome of Christ their nature shall be so changed that they shall not harm sucklings not able to discouer thē Great is the subtilty and fore-knowledge of Aspes as may appeare by that in Psal 58. agaynst the Charmers voyce Also it is strange that all the Aspes of Nilus doe thirty dayes before the floud remoue themselues and their young ones into the Mountaines and this is done yearely once at the least if not more often They sort themselues by couples and do liue as it were in marriage Male and Female so that their sence affection and compassion is one and the same for if it happen that one of them be killed they follow the person eagerly and will finde him out euen in the middest of many of his fellovves that is if the killer be a beast they will know him among beastes of the same kind And if he be a man they will also finde him out among men and if he be let alone he will not among thousandes harme any but hee breaking thorough all difficulties except Water and is hindered by nothing else except by svvift flying away Wee haue shewed already how the Psyllians in Asia cast their Children newly borne to Serpents because if they be of the right seede and kindred to their Father no Serpent will hurt them but if they be Bastards of another race the Serpentes deuour them These Serpents are to be vnderstood to be Aspes Aspes also we haue shewed were destroyed by the Argolae which Alexander brought from Argos to Alexandria and therefore those are to be reckoned their enemies Shadowes doe also scare away and terrifie Aspes as Seneca writeth But there is not more mortall hatred or deadly warre betwixt any then betwixt the Ichneumon and the Aspe When the Ichneumon hath espied an aspe she first goeth and calleth her fellowes to helpe her then they all before they enter fight do vvallow their bodies in slime or wet themselues and then wallow in the sand so harnessing and as it were arming their skinnes against the teeth of their enemy and so when they finde themselues strong enough they set vpon her bristling vp their tayles first of all and turning them to the Serpent till the Aspe bite at them and then sodenly eare the Aspe can recouer with singuler celerity they fly to her chaps and teare her in pieces but the victory of this combat resteth in anticipation for if the Aspe first bite the Ichneumon then is he ouercome but if the Ichneumon first lay hold on the Aspe then is the Aspe ouercome This hatred and contention is thus described by Nicander Solus eam potis est Ichneumon vincere pestem Cum graue cautus ei bellum parat editaque oua Quae fouet in multorum hominum insuperabile lethū Omnia fracta terit mordaceque dente lacessit That is to say Ichneumon onely is of strength that pest to ouerquell Gainst whom in warie wise his warre he doth prepare Her egges a deadly death to many men in sand he doth out smell To breake them all within his teeth this nimble beast doth dare Pliny Cardan and Constantine affirme that the Hearbe Arum and the roote of Winterberry do so astonish Aspes that their presence layeth them in a deadly sleepe And thus much of their concord with other creatures Galen writeth that the Marsians doe eate Aspes without all harme although as Mercuriall sayth their whole flesh and body is so venomous and so repleate with poyson that it neuer entreth into medicine or is applyed to sicke or sound vpon any Physicall qualification the reason of this is giuen by himselfe and Fracastorius to be either because Aspes vnder their Climate or Region are not venomous at all as in other Countries neither Vipers nor Serpents are venomous or else because those people haue a kind of simpathy in nature with them by
sitting on the droppes that are on the couers for beeing glutted with Honny they are exceeding thirstie and by that meanes they vvill sticke fast to the moyst and Devvie places of the Couer So that vvith small adoe you may either destroye them quite or else if you please take away what number you list your selfe And if you will take away withall their young who are not yet winged and first pulling off their heades throw them among the other Bees you shall bestow on them a very welcome dinner But what the dreaning of Drones portended and what matter they Minister in the Hieroglyphicall Art let Apomasueris reueale and disclose out of the Schooles of the Egyptians and Persians I thinke I haue discharged my duety if I haue set dovvne their true Vses true Nature generation degeneration description and names Fur in Latine or Theefe in English is by Aristotle called Phoor of Hesychius Phoorios from whence I take the Latine word Fur to be deriued Some haue thought that theeues are one proper sort of Bees although they be very great and blacke hauing a larger bellie or Bulke then the true Bee and yet lesser then the Drones they haue purchased this theeuish name because they doe by theft and robbery deuoure Honny belonging to others and not to them The Bees do easily endure and can well away with the presence of the drones and do as it were greete and bid one another welcome but the Theeues they cannot endure in regard that the Bees do naturally hate them for in their absence the Theeues priuily and by stealth creepe in there robbing and consuming their treasure of Honny so greedily and hastily without chewing swallowing it downe that beeing met withall by the true Bees in their returne homewards found so vnweildy by means of their fulnesse that they cannot get away nor be able to resist but are ready to burst againe they are seuerely punnished and for their demerites by true Iustice put to death Neither thus onely do they prodigally consume spend the Bees meate but also priuilie breed in their celles whereby it often commeth to passe that there are as many drones Theeues as true and lawfull Bees These neither gather Hony nor build houses nor help to beare out any mutuall labor with Bees for which cause they haue Watch-men or Warders appointed to obserue and ouersee by night such as are ouerwearied by taking great and vndefatigable paines in the day time to secure them from the Theeues and Robbers who if they perceiue any Theefe to be stolne in a doores they presently set vppon him beate and either kill him outright or leauing him for halfe dead they throw him out Oftentimes also it happeneth that the Theefe being glutted and ouercloyed with Honny cannot fly away or get himselfe gone in time but lyeth wallowing before the Hiues entrance vntill his enemies either in comming forth or returning home do so find him and so with shame discredit and scoffing-scorne slay him Aristotle appointeth no office charge or businesse to the Theefe but I thinke that he is ordained for this end that he might be as it were a spur to prick forwards to whet and quicken the courage of the true Bees when the other offer them any iniury and to stirre and encourage them to a greater vigilancy diligence and doing of right and iustice to euery one particularly For I cannot see to what other purpose Thieues should serue in a Christian common-wealth or what vse might be made of such as lie in waight to do displeasure and practise by crafty fetches Ambushes and deceitfull treacheries to wound their Neighbours either in their estimation credit or goodes Thus hauing at large discoursed of the lesse hurtfull and stinging sort of Bees I will now apply my selfe to a more fumish testy angry Waspish and implacable generation more venemous then the former I meane Waspes and Hornets OF VVASPES AWaspe of the Chaldeans is tearmed Deibrane Of the Arabians Zambor Of the English-men a Waspe Of the Germans Eine VVespe Of the Belgies Harsel Of the Gothes Bool Getingh The common people of Italy tearme it Vespa and some of them do vsually call it Muscone and the Bononians Vrespa The French Guespe The Spaniards Abispa and Vespa imitating the Latines who call it Vespa The Polonians Ossa The Slauonians Woss The Hungarians Daras Calepine saith that it is called Vespa qui vesperi muscas venatur in cibum The Greekes do also name them diuersly for commonly they are called Sphekes The Scholiast of Nicander calleth them Lucospades and Suidas Dellides Delithes Of Hesychius Auletaj and Passaleres and Gaza nicknameth them Authrenaj for these ought rather to be called Bees Eustathius deriueth Tous spekas apo Tes diasphagon because they seeme to bee so much cut-asunder in the Wast or middle as that they seeme to gape and to be cleane clouen asunder as by the figure here set before your eyes you may plainely perceiue A Waspe is a kinde of insect that is swift liuing in routes and companies together hauing somewhat a long body encircled with with foure membranous wings where of the two former are the greatest without bloud stinged inwardly hauing also sixe feete and a yellow colour somewhat glistering like Golde garnished with diuers blacke spots all ouer the body in forme of a triangle Whereupon peraduenture Pollio would needs haue it called Diachrusos The body of a Waspe seemeth to be fastened and tyed together to the middest of the breast with a certaine thinne fine thred or line so that by meanes of this disioyned and not well compacted composition they seeme very feeble in their loines or rather to haue none at all Whereupon Aristophanes the Greeke Poet in his Comedy entituled Spheres or Waspes tearmeth all those Maids which are fine slender and pretty small in the wast Spherodeis resembling them to Waspes as if one should call them Waspe-wasted-wenches whom Terence very quaintly and elegantly tearmeth Iunceas that is slender long and small like to a Bulrush I think that all the whole pack of them haue stings in generall although I am not ignorant that some Authors hold the contrary affirming that the breeding female Waspes doe want them but thus much I can say of my owne knowledge that on a time finding a Waspes nest and killing them euery one by pouring hot scalding liquor into their holes because I would boult out the truth I plainely perceiued by long viewing of their bodies that there was not one of them all but hadde a sting either thrust out euidently or closely and secretly kept and couered So that Quid nobis certius ipsis Sensibus esse potest quo â—era ac falsa notemus In English thus What can more certaine be then sence Discerning truth from false pretence They make a sound as Bees do but more fearefull hideous terrible and whisteling especially when they are prouoked to wrath from whence Theocritus fetcheth this prouerb Sphex
bomboom tettigos enantion that is Scilicet obstrepitaâ—s argutae vespa cicadit and this old said saw may well be applyed to those who being themselues vnlearned will not sticke to cry out exclaime and procure trouble to those that be more learned or to such as be weake feeble and impotent persons able to do nothing that will offerto contend with their betters and superiors with their brawling speeches and spitefull raylings And this latine prouerb carrieth the same sense Catulus leonem adlatrans If you will haue the gifts and ornaments of their minds described you must consider that a Waspe is a creature that liueth in companies together one with another subiect to a ciuill gouernment vnder one King or Ruler industrious mutuall friendes one to another ingenious crafty subtle quicke and cunning of a very quarrelsome nature and much subiect to anger and testinesse This is a good Argument of their ciuill and politicall manner of life in that they liue not solitarily in a desart or Wildernesse where no man keepeth but they build for themselues a Citty both excellent and admirable for the notable buildings and houses in it where they spend their time for the most part according to the mutable and neuer fayling lawes of Nature obseruing and keeping euer the Golden meane as well in their daily taskes as in their dispositions and affections of mind Besides they are gouerned with a kingly not with a tyrannicall gouernment as Aelianus saith although by nature they are great fighters eger bioysterous and vehemently tempestuous and he is led to say this because their Dukes or generals are stinglesse or rather hauing stings as their Subiects they will not vse the same to the hurt of their inferiors by thrusting it forth or striking in passion Now although they be twice so great and harder or rougher then the other Waspes yet are they not vnfurnished of the vertue of patience and clemency or gentle and debonaire behauiour by which meanes they keepe in order and containe in their lists as it were by gentle language their vnruly rout and mutinous companies There is no man but will confesse that this is an euident token and Argument of their mutuall loue and great good liking which they bear one to another for whosoeuer dare be so knack-hardy as to come neere there houses or dwelling places where they haue to do and to offer any violence or hurt to the same at the noyse of some one of them all the whole Swarme rusheth out being put into an amazed feare to help their fellow Cittizen and doe so busily bestirre themselues about the eares of their molesters as that they send them away packing with more then an ordinary pase and if we will credit Aelianus The Phaselites in times past were constrained to forsake their Citty for all their defence munition and Armour onely through the multitude and cruell fiercenesse of the Waspes wherewith they were anoyed Againe this manifestly prooueth that they want not a harty and fatherly affection because with more then heroycall courage and inuincible fury they set vpon all persons of what degree or quality soeuer that dare attempt to lye in wait to hurt or destroy theyr young breede no whit at all dreading Neoptolemus Pyrrhus Hector Achilles or Agamemnon himselfe the Captaine generall of all the whole Graecians if he were present Yea the Diuine Poet Homer in 12. Lib. of his Iliades when hee would expresse the haughty and generous spirits of the Greekish Chiefetaines hee likeneth them to Waspes in these wordes Spekessin ajolois cradien kai Thumon echousaris that is hauing the harts and stomacks of Waspes when they are to fight for their priuate dwellings their deare Progeny of-spring The loue that Bees carry to their issue is great but it canot be greater then that of waspes neither can they haue a greater promptitude alacrity or desire to defend their young ones if they be any way offended by passengers Which thing Homer in his Iliads lib. 12. insinuateth by the example of the chasing God Iupiter who took it marueylous angry and much repined at the sturdy stomackes of the Graecians adding that the Greeks did defend themselues as valiantly and endured the shock and assault of their enimies as euer Waspes of Bees would in defence of their children or issue in these verses following Non enim ego putaui heroas Achiues Sustentaturos nostrum robur manus inuictas Illi autem quasi vespae acres atque apes Quae nidos faciunt ad viam puluerulentam Neque deserunt cauam domum sed expectantes Viros venatores pugnant pro filijs That is to say I did not thinke our noble Graetian Lords could beare Our force and with vnconquered hands maintaine Our right but they like Waspes and Bees deuoyde of feare Which by high-wayes their houses vse to frame Doe not for sake their hollow dusty homes What â—re they be that come to hunt them out Fighting with valour not fearefully like Drones To rid their young ones both from death and doubt Besides this they further builde for them very large dwellings with Chambers and floores in a round and orbicular forme with roomes one aboue another finely and wittily compacted so that there is space enough of ingresse and regresse and very defensible against all windes and weather and yet their nests or houses are not all made after one fashion but very different some of them representing a Harpe some made much after the fashion of a Peare a Toadestole a Bottle or budget of Leather and some like a standing cuppe with handles Some affirme that the matter of theyr Combes is confused rude and â—…fauouredlie heaped vppe full of barke and sand but I could neuer as yet see it otherwise then light slender and thinne like paper dry transparent gummy and thinne as though it vvere thinne leaues of gold shaken very easily hither and thither with the wind and rising many times from the foote or foundation very small and broade aboue like vnto a top The place of this their building is thought to be diuers and much different for some respects For if they haue lost theyr Duke or principall Leader then doe they make them nestes of clay in the high holes of walls and hollow Trees and as some say although hetherto I ould neuer see it they make vvaxe there also But in case they haue a Generall or Duke then they make their nestes vnder the earth their Cells or Chambers beeing formed with sixe angles or corners much like vnto Bees They make theyr Combes â—ound much after the fashion of a broade Toadestoole from whose centers there goeth forth as it were a short stalke or tying by which the Combe eleaueth and is fastened hard to th earth or some Tree or peraduenture to some other Combe They haue such a tender care ouer their females especially at such time as they are great with young and suffer them so much to haue their owne wills as
apply very warme to the wound a Spiders web bruised with a vvhite Onion sufficient Salt and vineger will perfectlie cure it Guil Placentinus will warrant that a Plate of cold Iron laid vppon the wound or Lead steeped in vineger will doe the deed Gordonius counsell is to rub the place with sage and vineger and afterwards to foment it with water and vineger sod together Varignana would haue vs to apply Chalk in powder and invvardly to take the seedes of Mallovves boyled in vvine water and a little vineger Matthiolus much commendeth Sperage being beaten and wrought vp with Hony to annoint the place Likewise Flyes beaten and annointed on the place vvinter Sauoury VVater-cresses with oyle of Momerdica giue most speedie helpe Arnoldus Villanouanus assureth vs that any fresh earth especially Fullers earth is very auayleable and the herbe called Poley vsed as an vnguent or else Goats Milke And Marcellus Empiericus is not behinde his commendations for the vse of Bullockes dung to be applyed as a poulteisse to the stinged part These and many others any man ascribe that hath hadde but an easie tast of the infinity of Physickes speculation for the store-house of Nature and truely learned Physitions which way soeuer you turne you will Minister and giue sufficient store of alexyteriall medicines for the expulsing of this griefe In conclusion one and the selfe same medicament will serue indifferently for the curation of waspes Bees sauing that when we are stung with Waspes more forceable remedies are requyred and for the hurts that Bees doe vs then weaker and gentler are sufficient In the hundreth and nintith yeare before the byrth of our blessed Sauiour an infinite multitude of Waspes came flying into the Market place at Capua as Iulius witnesseth and lighted on the temple of Mars all which when with great regard diligence they were gathered together and solemnly burnt yet for all that they presignified the comming of an enemy and did as it were foretell the burning of the Citty which shortly after came to passe And thus much for the Historie of the Waspe OF HORNETS AHornet is called of the Hebrewes Tsirhah Of the Arabians Zabor and Zambor Of the Germans Ein hornauss Horlitz Froisln Ofertzwuble Of the Flemminges Horsele Of the French-men Trellons Troisons Foulons Of the Italians Calauron Crabrone Scaraffon and Galanron Of the Spaniards Tabarros ò Moscardos Of the Illirians Irssen Of the Slauonians Sierszen Of vs Englishmen Hornets great waspes The Graecians cal them Anthrénas and Anthrenoùs because with their sting they raise an Anthrar or Carbuncle with a vehement inflamation of the whole part about it The Latines call them Crabrones peraduenture of Crabra a Towne so named in the territory of Tusculanum where there is great plenty of them or it may be they are tearmed Crambrones of Caballus a horse of whom they are first engendered according to that of Ouid 15. Metamorphos Pressus humo bellator equus Crabronis origo est That is to say When war horse dead vpon the earth lies Then doth his flesh breed Hornet flyes Albertus tearmeth a Hornet Apis citrina that is a yellow or Orenge coloured Bee Cardan laboureth much to proue that dead Mules are their first beginners Plutarke is of opinion that they first proceed from the flesh of dead Horses as Bees do out of a Buls belly and I thinke that they haue their breeding from the harder more firme and solide parts of the flesh of Horses as Waspes do from the more tender or soft Hornets are twice so great as the common Waspes in shape and proportion of body much resembling one another They haue foure winges the inward not beeing halfe so large as the outward beeing all ioyned to their shoulders which are of a darke brownish and of a Chestnut-like colour these wings are the cause of their swift flight they haue also sixe feete of the same colour and hew that their breast and shoulders are of Their is somewhat long of the colour of Saffron their eyes and lookes are hanging or bending downewards crooked and made like a halfe Moone from which grow forth two peakes like vnto Sithes or two sickles nothing varying in colour frō their feet Their belly is as though it were tied to their shoulders with a very fine thred the forward and middle part whereof is ouercast with a browne colour begirt as it were with a girdle of Saffron The hinder part is altogether yellow easily discerned and remarkable for those eight browne pricks or specks euery one of them being much like vnto a small triangle besides they haue certain clefts or slits on both sides both before and behind by which they can at their pleasure when they list either shrinke vp themselues or draw and gather themselues together and with the same againe lengthen and stretch out their bodies They haue also neere to their belly on both sides foure blacke spots and in their taile they are armed with a strong piercing sting and the same very venomous They make a sound or a buzzing strange noyse more hydeous and dreadfull then waspes doe They are shrewd fierce and cruell quickly angry and wrathfull and although they liue in companies together yet notwithstanding they are euer known to be but of an homely rude curft and vntractable disposition and nature and will neuer be brought by any Art or fashioning to lay aside their vplandish wildenesse as some Herbes will doe that are transplanted into Gardens They are besides this of such a mischeeuous malignity and venemous quality that as some affirme nine of their stings will kill a man and three time nine will be able to kill a strong Horse especially at the rising of the Dog-star and after at which time they haue a more fiery hasty and inflaming nature and men at that season by reason of their large exaltation and sending forth of spirits grow more weake and faint And therefore it is no maruaile though in holy Scripture they are compared or likened to most fierce cruell enemies which should put cast forth the Cananites Hettites and Cheuits Exod. 23. 28. So likewise Ouid in the eleuenth Booke of his Metamorphos hath these words Spicula carbronum ardentia The burning stings of Hornets And Virgill in the fourth booke of his Georgiks calleth them Asperrima most sharp and violent Terence the most eloquent of all Comicall Poets in his Comedy intituled Phormio and Plautus in his Amphytrio haue this Prouerbe Irritaui crabrones I haue prouoked or incensed the great Waspes to anger which I suppose they vsed as a by-word against the properties natures and froward behauiours of women who beeing in their wonted sumish mood if once you go about to ouerthwart them or a little to contrary their wilfulnesse you shall pull an old house ouer your owne head by a further prouocation perhaps if you get you not the sooner out of their sight and reach of
as much as themselues and to be blinded with the mascarados of absurdities And first if we will beginne to rifle in the monument of former times I will heere produce Aristotles opinion in his fifth booke Histor cap. 19. who there expresly saith that they take their beginning from the greene leaues of herbes namely of Radish and Coleworts by meanes of their small seede of generation beeing like vnto Millit-seede which is there left about the end of Autumne from which femall wormes proceede and of these little wormes in the space of three dayes a Catterpiller is formed about the Spring time or toward the latter end thereof which growing to their due quantitie and well fedde withall they cease at length from any further motion when Autumne beginneth they change both forme and life Pliny is of this mind that Catterpillers fetch all their pedegree rase parentage birth from a dew thickned and incrassated by the heate of the Sunne and so still left behind in leaues and Arnoldus de Villa noua is of the same iudgement Othersome deriue them wholy from Butter-flyes and will haue them to proceede of no other beginning which as soone as they are crept out of their hard shells or scabbards wherein they had lien as it were dead all the Winter as soone as Summer warme weather draweth on they cast certaine egges eyther vnder or aboue the leaues of certaine herbes which egges according to the quantitie of their bodies are either greater or lesser and some of these shelles wherein they are included are of a skye colour others yellow white blacke greene or redde and so beeing at length about foureteene dayes quickned and nourished with the liuely and kindly heate of the Sunne their shell-house beeing broken first commeth forth small Catterpillers like vnto little wormes sauing that they are diuersly coloured who at their first appearance beeing as it should seeme very hungry doe altogether bend themselues to deuoure and eate vp both leaues and flowers especially of those trees and plants whereon they were whilst they were in egges But I am of opinion that not onely this but by diuers other wayes and meanes they may proceede and increase for although the doctrine of Aristotle in this poynt seemeth to be vnsauoury and nothing relishing diuers tastes because hee affirmeth that that little worme which is found vpon Coleworts doth turne into a Catterpiller yet for all that it is not so much without smack of salt or so abhorrent to reason as they would make some beleeue For Nature as shee is able and doth produce and bring foorth a liuing creature from an egge so likewise from a worme shee breedeth a more perfect liuing creature by many degrees and that not by way of corruption but by way and meanes of her excellent perfection For although a worme afterwards be not that thing which before it was so farre as is apparant to outward sence yet for any thing we can gather or perceiue it is that which it was and this That is more by a great deale now then before it was For a worme dyeth not that a Catterpiller may therby spring but to the old body Nature addeth a greater magnitude as for example feete colours winges so that whilst life remaineth it acquireth other parts and other offices There be some also that deride the opinion of Pliny because hee contendeth that Catterpillers haue their beginning and production from dew But it may not be denyed in my conceit that some imperfect small creatures are bred and take life from dew and not without great reason For the Sunne by his kindly heate and warming qualitie worketh and acteth beeing as it were the forme and the moisture or humour is Passiue as the matter or subiect for the heate of the sunne is different from that of the fire for it eyther quickneth and inspireth with life or at least-wise conserueth and maintaineth our life by meanes of likenes proportion or symmetry wherein our liues and spirits respect each other Besides there is nothing more nourishing then Dew for with it onely some certaine small creatures are fedde and doe thereby liue which thing the diuine Poet verie well obserued when he vttered these words Quantum nos nocte reponit So that in respect that it is humour it is matter in respect it is thin it pierceth and easily entereth in and in respect it is attracted and throughly concocted by the Sunne it is the apter made to generation For the preparation of the forme carrieth with it the matter or stuffe as his mate companion So these two meeting together there coÌ„sequently followeth the quickning or taking life of some one creature And not onely are some Catterpillers the of-spring and breed of dew as common experience can witnesse but euen the greatest part of Catterpillers do fetch their stocke and pedegree from Butter-flyes vnlesse it be those that liue vpon Colewarts and Cabbages and those that are called Vine-fretters with some few other For those that liue and breede in Vines called of the Graecians Ipes doe proceede from dew or some dewie and moyst humour which is included in their webbes and there growne to putrefaction For then doe they swarme so exceedingly in some countryes as I dare neither affirme nor otherwise imagine but that they must needes haue such a mighty encrease from putrefaction And this for the most part happeneth when the Easterne wind bloweth and that the warmth of the ayre furthereth and hasteneth forwards any corruption All the whole packe of them are great destroyers and deuourers of herbes and Trees where-vpon Philippis the Parasite as Athenaus sayth in Pythagorista braggeth of himselfe in this wise Apòlaâ—sathumon lachanonte kampe Vescens thyme â—lereque eruca sum I am saith he a Catterpiller that eateth both Tymbe pot-herbs And to this sence speaketh Martiall Erucam malé pascit hortus vnam A Garden hardly and slenderly can suffise to feede one Catterpiller I thinke he meaneth when the time of their wasting and deuouring is gone and past for they commonly leaue but little behind For that beeing past they goe wandering hither and thither vp and downe vncertainely wasted and hunger-starued and so at length pyning away by little and little through famine some seeke them fit places within other-some aboue the earth where they transforme themselues eyther into a bare and empty bagge or case or hanging by a thred into an Aurelia couered with a membrane If this happen in the midst of Sommer the hardrind or shell wherein they are enclosed beeing broken about the time of 24. dayes there flyeth out a Butterflye but if it come to passe in the midst or toward the end of Auâ—umne the Aurelia continueth a whole vvinter neither is there any exclusion before the vernall heat And yet notwithstanding all Catterpillers are not conuerted into Aureliaes but some of theÌ„ being gathered drawne together on a heape as the Vine-fretters do growe at length to putrefaction from
the Geeeke word Hydra for a Boas Cardan saith that there are of this kind in the kingdome of Senega both without feet wings but most properly they are now found in Italy according to these verses Boa quidem serpens quem tellus Itala nutrit Hunc bubulum plures lac enutrire docent Which may be englished thus The Boas Serpent which Italy doth breede Men say vppon the milke of Cowes doth feede Their fashion is in seeking for their prey among the heardes to destroy nothing that giueth suck so long as it will liue but they reserue it aliue vntill the milk be dryed vp then afterward they kill eate it and so they deale with whole flocks heards The poyson of it saith Festus maketh tumour swelling in the body wherevnto all others agree except Albertus who in this poynt agrees not with himselfe for in one place hee saith that they are venomous their teeth also like other Dragons in another place he saith their poyson is very weake and not to be regarded because they be Dragons of the third order or deuision They goe all vpon their belly and so I will conclude their story with Mantuan Turpi Boa flexilis aluo that is to say The filthy Boas on his belly mooues OF THE CHAMAELEON IT is very doubtfull whether a Chamaeleon were euer knowne to the auncient Hebrewes because there is no certaintie among thē for the appellation thereof some affirming one thing and some another We read Leuit. 11. among other beasts there forbidden to be eaten of Koah or Koach which Rabbi Kimhi interpreteth a kind of Crocodile Hazah Rabbi Ionas in the Arabian Hardun and so also doth Auicen The Chalde Koaha the Persians An sanga the Septuagints and S. Ierom a Chamaeleon The selfe same word is found Leuit. 14. which the Iewes do vulgarly at this day take for Senicus a Crocodile of the earth The word Oah or Oach seemeth to come neere to this which is some-times interpreted a Torteyse a Dragon or a Monkey And Oas by Syluaticus is translated a Salamander Kaath by the Iewes is translated a Cuckoe a Iay a Pellican an Onocratua and in the second of Sophoni for a Chamaeleon Some haue framed an Hebrew word Gamalion which is absurd for Gameleon Zamelon Aamelon Hamaleon Meleon are but corrupted termes of Chamaeleon as Isidorus well obserueth or els signifieth some of the kinds of Lyzards or Stellionds as is manifest in Albertus and other learned Writers Therefore I will not blot more paper about the Arabian beastes Harbe and Alharbe Alarbian or Hardon Hardun or Alharba but leaue them to the iudgement of those vvho delight in the inuestigation of such secrets Chamaeleon is a Greeke word from whence the Latines and almost all Nations haue borrowed the name of this serpentine or creeping beast except the Germaines and they onely haue fained names as Lindtwarm in Albertus that is a Worme of the wood and Rattader by Gesner that is a Ratmouse because in quantitie composition it resembleth both those creatures Some Latines by reason of the similitude it holdeth with a Lizard call it Muri Laccritus a Mouse-Lyzard The Greeke word Chamaeleon signifieth a low humble Lyon because in some parts and members he resembleth that lofty couragious beast So do they deriue the names of certaine low short herbs from great tall trees as Chamaecerasus Chamaeciparissus Chamaedris and Chamaepitis shrubs of plumtree heath Cipres Germander ground Iuy from the Cherry the Cypres the Cedar the Pine tree And thus much for the name of the Chamaeleon Some haue thought that it neuer eateth meat but is nourished with the wind because it draweth in very eagerly many times the wind into the belly whereby it swelleth for it hath great lights stretched all along the sides of the belly but this opinion is false as shall be shewed hereafter although it cannot be denyed that it is Ouiparum patrentissimum famis that is The most induring famine among all other Egge-breeding-beastes for it fasteth many times eyght monthes yea a whole yeare together In stead of Nostrils and eares it hath certaine passages in those places whereby it smelleth and heareth The opening of the mouth is very large and it hath teeth on the neather and vpper chap like Sawes such as are in a Slo-worme the toong very smooth halfe a hand breadth long where withall it licketh in those insectes Flyes Horse-flyes Locustes and Emittes whereupon it feedeth For it keepeth at the mouth a certaine fome or moysture and also vpon the tayle and backer partes wherewithall those Flyes and other Creatures are so much delighted that they follow the Chamaelion and as it were bewitched with the desire thereof they fall vppon the moysture to their owne perdition and this is to bee noted that this moysture or fome in the backer partes of the body is like a Spunge It hath a line or strake vnder the belly indented as it were with scales white in colour and stretched out to the tayle but the feete seeme to bee of an artificiall worke of Nature wherein is a curious difference betwixt the former and the hinder for the forefeete haue three fingers or clawes within and two without the hinder feete on the contrary haue two without and three within It layeth twelue long Egges such as Lyzards do the hart is not much greater then the heart of a Domesticall Mouse or Rat it hath two lappes of a Liuer whereof the left is the greater vnto which cleaueth the skinne of the Gall the which skin exceedeth not in quantity a Barly-corne And thus farre the description by Bellonius In the next place for the better manifestation of the nature of this beast I will also adde the description that Scaliger maketh thereof For he saith when Iohannes Landius was in the farthest parts of Syria he saw fiue Chamaelions whereof he bought one which with his tongue did very soddenly take off a Fly from his breast Wherefore in the dissection of the said Chamaelion he found that the tongue thereof was as long as a hand breadth hollow and empty in the toppe whereof there was a little hole with filthy matter therein wherewithall he tooke his prey which thing seemed new and strange vnto thē which heretofore thought that a Chamaelion liued onely by the ayre His backe was somewhat crooked rising with spotted bunches like a Sawe like the Turbut-fish his belly closed with short ribbes his eyes most beautifull which he turneth euery way without bending his necke his colour white greene and dusky naturally greene somewhat pale on the backe but paler and nearer to white on the belly yet was it beset all ouer with red blew and white spots It is not true that the Chamaelion chaungeth her selfe into all colours vppon greene groweth greennesse vpon the dusky is tempered a dusky colour but vppon blew red or white the natiue greennes is not blemished or obscured but the blew white and
to a thin fleake of a horne which beeing layde ouer blacke seemeth blacke and so ouer other colours and besides there being no hinderaunce of bloud in this beast nor Intrals except the Lights the other humours may haue the more predominant mutation and so I will conclude the discourse of the partes and colour of a Chamaelion with the opinion of Kiranides not that I approoue it but to let the Reader know all that is written of this Subiect his wordes are these Chamaelem singulis horis diei mutat colorem A Chamaelion changeth his colour euery houre of a day This beast hath the face like a Lyon the feet and tayle of a Crocodile hauing a variable colour as you haue heard and one strange continued Nerue from the head to the tayle beeing altogether without flesh except in the head cheekes and vppermost part of the tayle which is ioyned to the body neither hath it any bloud but in the hart eyes and in a place aboue the hart and in certaine vaynes deriued from that place and in them also but a very little bloud There be many membranes all ouer theyr bodies and those stronger then in any other Beastes From the middle of the head backward there ariseth a three square bone and the fore part is hollow and round like a Pipe certaine bony brimmes sharpe and indented standing vpon either side Theyr braine is so little aboue their eyes that it almost toucheth them and the vpper skinne beeing pulled off from their eyes there appeareth a certaine round thing like a bright ring of Brasse which Niphus calleth Palla which signifieth that part of a Ring wherein is set a pretious stone The eyes in the hollow within are very great and much greater then the proportion of the body round and couered ouer with such a skinne as the whole body is except the apple which is bare and that part is neuer couered This apple stands immoueable not turned but when the whole eye is turned at the pleasure of the beast The snoute is like to the snoute of a Hog-ape alwayes gaping and neuer shutting his mouth and seruing him for no other vse but to beare his tongue and his teeth his gumbes are adorned with teeth as we haue said before the vpper lippe beeing shorter and more turned in then the other Their throate and arterie are placed as in a Lizard their Lights are exceeding great and they haue nothing els within their body Whervpon Theophrastus as Plutarch witnesseth conceiueth that they fill the whole body within for this cause it is more apt to liue on the ayre and also to change the colour It hath no Spleene or Melt the tayle is very long at the end and turning vp like a Vipers tayle winded together in many circles The feete are double clouen for proportion resemble the thumbe and hand of a man yet so as if one of the fingers were set neere the side of the thumbe hauing three without and two within behind and three vvithin and two without before the palme betwixt the fingers is somewhat great from within the hinder legges there seeme to growe certaine spurres Their legges are straight and longer then a Lizards yet is theyr bending alike and theyr nayles are crooked and very sharpe One of these beeing dissected and cut asunder yet breatheth a long time after they goe into the caues and holes of the earth like Lizards wherein they lie all the winter time and come forth againe in the Spring theyr pace is very slow and themselues very gentle neuer exasperated but when they are about wild-figge-trees They haue for theyr enemies the Serpent the Crow and the Hawke When the hungry â—erpent doth assault them they defend themselues in this manner as Alexander Mindius writeth they take in their mouthes a broad strong stalk vnder protection whereof as vnder a buckler they defend themselues against theyr enemy the Serpent by reason that the stalke is broader then the Serpent can gripe in his mouth and the other parts of the Chamaeleon so firme and hard as the Serpent cannot hurt them he laboureth but in vaine to get a prey so long as the stalke is in the Chamaeleons mouth But if the Chamaeleon at any time see a Serpent taking the ayre and sunning himselfe vnder some greene tree he climbeth vp into that tree and setleth himselfe directly ouer the Serpent then out of his mouth he casteth a thred like a Spyder at the end whereof hangeth a drop of poyson as bright as any pearle by this string he letteth downe the poyson vpon the Serpent which lighting vppon it killeth it immediatly And Scaliger reporteth a greater vvonder then this in the description of the Chamaeleon for he sayth if the boughes of the Tree so grow as the perpendiculer line cannot fall directlie vpon the Serpent then hee so correcteth and guideth it with his fore-feete that it falleth vpon the Serpent within the mark of a hayres breadth The Rauen and the Crow are also at variance with the Chamaeleon so great is the aduerse nature betwixt these twaine that if the crow eate of the chamaeleon beeing slaine by him he dyeth for it except he recouer his life by a Bay-leafe euen as the Elephant after he hath deuoured a chamaeleon saueth his life by eating of the Wile-oliue-tree But the greatest wonder of all is the hostility which Pliny reporteth to be betwixt the Chamaeleon and the Hawke For he writeth that when a Hawke flyeth ouer a Chamaeleon she hath no power to resist the Chameleon but falleth downe before it yeelding both her life and limbes to be deuoured by it and thus that deuourer that liueth vpon the prey blood of others hath no power to saue her owne life from this little beast A Chamaeleon is a fraudulent rauening and gluttonous beast impure and vncleane by the law of GOD and forbidden to be eaten in his owne nature wilde yet countersetting meekenes when he is in the custodie of man And this shall suffise to haue spoken for the description of this beast a word or two of the Medicines arising out of it and so a conclusion I find that the Auncients haue obserued two kindes of Medicines in this beast one magicall and the other naturall and for my owne part although not able to iudge of either yet I haue thought good to anex a relation of both to this History And first of the naturall medicines Democritus is of opinion that they deserue a peculier Volume and yet he himselfe telleth nothing of theÌ„ worthy of one page except the lying vanities of the Gentiles superstitions of the Graecians With the gall if the suffusions and Leprous parts of the body be annointed three dayes together and the whitenesse of the eyes it is beleeued to giue a present remedy and Archigenes prescribeth the same for a medicine for the taking away of the vnprofitable and and pricking hayres of the eye-browes It is
described by Nicander with whose words I will conclude this Historie of the Cockatrice writing as followeth Quod ferit hic multo corpus succenditur igne A membris resoluta suis caro defluit fit Lurida obscuro nigrescit opaca colore Nullae etiam volucres quae faeda cadauera pascunt Sic occisum hominem tangunt vt vultur omnes Huic similes alia pluuiae quoque nuncius aura Coruus nec quaecunque fera per deuia lustra Degunt étali capiunt sibi tabula carne Tum teter vacuas odor hinc exhalat in auras Atque propinquantes penetrant non segniter artus Sin cogente fame ventens aproximet ales Tristia fata refert certamque ex aëre mortem Which may be englished thus When he doth strike the body hurt is set on fire And from the members falleth off the flesh withall It rotten is and in the colour blacke as any myre Refus'd of carrion-feeding-birds both great and small Are all men so destroyed No Vulture or Bitter fierce Or weather-telling-Crow or deserts wildest beast Which liue in dennes sustaining greatest famines force But at their tables doe this flesh detest Then is the ayre repleate with 's lothsome smell Piercing vitall parts of them approaching neere And if a bird it tast to fill his hunger fell It dyes assured death none neede it feare OF THE CORDYLL ALthough I finde some difference about the nature of this lyuing creature and namely whether it bee a Serpent or a Fishe yet because the greater and better part make it a Serpent I will also bring it in his due order in this place for a venomous beast Gesner is of opinion that it is no other but a Lizard of the Water but this cannont agree with the description of Aristotle Bellonius who affirme the Cordill to haue Gilles like a Fish and these are not found in any Lizard The Graecians call this Serpent Kordule and Kordulos whereof the Latines deriue or rather borrow their Cordulus and Cordyla Numenius maketh this a kind of Salamander which the Apothecaryes do in many Countryes falsely sell for the Scincus or Corcodile of the Earth and yet it exceedeth the quantity of a Salamander being much lesse then the crocodile of the earth hauing gils and wanting fins on the sides also a long taile and according to the proportion of the body like a Squirrels although nothing so big vvithout scabs the back being bald and some what black horrible rough thorow some bunches growing therupon which being pressed do yeald a certain humor like milk which being sayd to the Nosthrils doth smell like poyson euen as it is in a Salamander The beake or snout is very blunt or dull yet armed with very sharp teeth The clawes of his forelegges are diuided into foure and on his hinderlegges into fiue there is also a certaine fleshy fin growing all along from the crowne of his head vnto his tayle vppon the backe which when he swimmeth hee erecteth by it is his body sustained in the water from sinking for his body is mooued with crooked winding euen as an Eele or a Lamprey The inward parts of this Serpent are also thus described The tongue is soft and spungy like as is the tongue of a Water-Frogge wherewith as it were with Glew he draweth to his mouth both Leches and Wormes of the earth whereupon it feedeth At the roote of his tongue there is a certaine bunch of flesh which as I thinke supplieth the place of the lightes for when it breatheth that part is especially mooued and it panteth too fro so that thereby I gather either it hath the Lights in that place or else in some other place neere the iawes It wanteth ribs as doth the Salamander and it hath certain bones in the backe but not like the ordinary back-bone of other such Serpents The heart is also all spungy cleaueth to the right side not to the left the left care whereof supplyeth the place of the Pericadium The liuer is very blacke and somewhat clouen at the bending or sloape side the melt somewhat red cleauing to the very bottome of the ventricle The reynes are also very spungy ioyned almost to the Legges in which parts it is most fleshy but in other places especially in the belly and breast it is all skinne and bone It also beareth Egges in her place of conception which is forked or double which are there disposed in order as in other liuing gristly creatures Those Egges are nourished with a kinde of red fatte out of which in due time come the young ones aliue in as great plenty and number as the Salamanders And these thinges are reported by Bellonius besides whom I finde nothing more said that is worthy to be related of this Serpent and therefore I will here conclude the History thereof OF THE CROCODILE BEcause there be many kinds of Crocodiles it is no maruaile although some haue taken the word Crocodilus for the Genus and the seuerall Species they distinguish into the Crocodile of the Earth and the water Of the earth are sub-diuided into the Crocodiles of Bresilia and the Scincus the Crocodiles of the water into this here described which is the vulgar one and that of Nilus of all which we shall entreat in order one successiuely following another But I will not contend about the Genus or Species of this word for my purpose is to open their seuerall natures so far as I haue learned wherein the works of almighty God may be knowne and will leaue the strife of wordes to them that spend their wittes about tearmes sillables only Thus much I find that the auncients had three generall tearmes for all Egge-breeding Serpentes Namely Rana Testudo Lacerta And therefore I may forbear to intreate of Crocodilus as a Genus handle it as a species or particular kinde The Hebreus haue many words which they vse for a Crocodile Koah Leuit. 11. which the Arabians render Hardun and the Persiâ—ds Sanga which word commeth neere the Latine worde Scincus for a Crocodile of the earth and yet that word Koah by Saint Ierom and the Septuagints is translated a Chamaeleon In the same place of Leuiticus the word Zab is interpreted a kinde of Crocodile where-withall Dauid Kimhi confoundeth Gereschint and Rabbi Salomon Faget The Chaldes translate in Zaba The Persians An Rasu The Septuagints a Crocodile of the earth but it is better to follow Saint Hierom in the same because the Text addeth according to his kinde wherefore it is superfluous to adde the distinction of the crocodile of the Earth except it were lawful to eate the Crocodiles of the water In Exod. 8. there is a Fish called Zephardea which commeth out of the waters and eateth men this cannot agree to any Fish in Nilus saue onely the Crocodile and therefore this word is by the Arabians rendered Al Timasch Some do hereby vnderstand Pagulera Grenelera Batrichoi that is great frogs
or presence be of small stature yet heerein is theyr courage admired because at the suddaine sight of a Crocodile they are no whit daunted for one of these dare meete and prouoke him to runne away They will also leape into the Riuers and swimme after the Crocodile and meeting with it without feare cast themselues vppon the Beasts backe ryding on him as vppon a horse And if the Beast lift vppe his head to byte him when hee gapeth they put into his mouth a wedge holding it hard at both ends with both their hands so as it were with a bridle leade or rather driue them captiues to the Land vvhere with theyr noyse they so terrifie them that they make them cast vppe the bodies which they had swallowed into theyr bellies because of this antypathy in nature the Crocodiles dare not come neere to this Iland The like thing wee haue before in our generall discourse of Serpents shewed to be in the Indian Psylli against the greatest Serpents And Strabo also hath recorded that at what time crocodiles were brought to Rome these Tentyrites folowed droue thē For whom there was a certaine great poole or fish-pond assigned and walled about except one passage for the Beast to come out of the water into the sun-shine and when the people came to see them these Tentyrites with nettes would draw them to the Land put them backe againe into the water at theyr owne pleasure For they so hooke them by theyr eyes and bottome of theyr bellyes which are their tenderest partes that like as horses broken by theyr Riders they yeelde vnto them and forget theyr strength in the presence of these theyr Conquerours Peter Martyr in his third booke of his Babylonian Lagation saith that from the Cittie Cair to the Sea the Crocodiles are not so hurtfull and violent as they are vp the Riuer Nilus into the Land and against the streame For as you goe further vp the Riuer neere the mountanie and hilly places so shall you find them more fierce bloody and vnresistable whereof the inhabitants gaue him many reasons First because that part of the Riuer which is betwixt the Citty Cair and the Sea is very full of all sorts of fishes whereby the beasts are so filled with deuouring of them that they list not come out of the water on the Land to hunt after men or cattell and therefore they are the lesse hurtfull for euen the Lyon and Wolfe doe cease to kill deuoure when theyr bellyes are full But sometimes the Crocodiles beneath the Riuer follow the gales or troupes of fish vp the Riuer like so many Fisher-men and then the Country Fisher-men inclose them in Nettes and so destroy them For there is a very great reward proposed by the Law of the Country to him that killeth a Crocodile of any great quantitie and therefore they grow not great and by reason of their smalnes are lesse aduenturous For so soone as a great Crocodile is discouered there is such watch and care taken to interrupt and kill him for hope of the reward that he cannot long escape aliue Thirdly the Crocodiles vp the Riuer towards the Mountaines are more hurtfull because they are pressed with more hunger and famine and more sildome come within the terrour of men wherefore they forsake the waters and run vp and downe to seeke preyes to satisfie their hunger which when they meet withall they deuoure with an vnresistable desire forced and pressed forward by hunger which breaketh stone walls But most commonly when the Riuer Nilus is lowest and sunck downe into the channell then the Crocodiles in the waters doe growe most hungry because the fish are gone away with the floods and then the subtile beast will heale and couer himselfe ouer with sand or mudde and so lye in the banke of the Riuer where hee knoweth the women come to fetch water or the cattell to drinke and when he espieth his aduantage he suddainely taketh the woman by the hand that she taketh vp water withall and draweth her into the Riuer where he teareth her in peeces and eateth her In like sort dealeth he with Oxen Cowes Asses and other cattell If hunger force him to the Land and he meete with a Cammell horse Asse or such like beast then with the force and blowes of his tayle he breaketh his legges and so laying him flat on the earth killeth and eateth him for so great is the strength of a Crocodiles tayle that it hath beene seene that one stroke thereof hath broken all the foure legges of a beast at one blow There is also another perrill by Crocodiles for it is saide that when Nilus falleth and the water waxeth low the Barkes thorough want of wind are faine by the Marriners to to be tugged vp the streame with long lynes and cordes the subtile Crocodile seeing the same doth suddainely with his tayle smite the same line with such force that eyther hee breaketh it or by his forcible violence tumbleth the Marriner downe into the vvater whom he is ready to receiue with open mouth before he can recouer Yea many times by meanes thereof the Barke it selfe so tottereth and reeleth that the violent beast taketh a man out of it or else cleane ouer-turneth it to the destruction of all that are in it Aelianus saith that among the Ombitae which are in Arsinoe the Crocodiles are harmelesse and hauing seuerall names when they are called doe put their heads out of the vvater and take meate gently which meate is the head and garbage of such sacrifices as are brought thether But in another place hee writeth that among the Ombitae or Coptitae it is not safe for a man to fetch water from the Riuer or to wash theyr feete or walke on the Riuers side but with great caution and warines For euen those beastes which are most kindly vsed by men doe rage against their Benefactours as namely the Crocodile the Ichneumon the Wild-cats and such like And yet Plutarch in his booke Vtra animalium saith that the Priestes by the custome of meate-giuing haue made some of them so tame that they will suffer theyr mouthes and teeth to be clensed by men And it is further said that during the seauen Ceremoniall dayes of the natiuity of Apis there is none of thē that sheweth any wilde tricke or cruell part but as it were by compact betwixt them and the Priestes they lay aside all cruelty and rage during that time And therefore Cicero writeth most excellently saying Egyptiorum morem quis ignoret quorum imbutae mentes prauitatum erroribus quamvis carnificinam potius subierint quam ibim aut aspidem aut crocodilum violent That is to say Who is ignorant of the custome of the Egyptians whose mindes are so seasoned and indued with erronious wickednesse that they had rather vnder-goe any torment then offer violence to an Ibis an Aspe or a holy Crocodile For in diuers places all these and Cats also were worshipped
and therefore I will conclude for my opinion that these Serpents as the highest poyson in nature were sent by GOD to afflict the sinning Israelites whose poyson was vncurable except by Diuine miracle Matthiolus also telleth a story of a Shepheard which was slaine in Italy by one of these as hee was sleeping in the heate of the day vnder the shaddow of a tree his fellow Shepheardes beeing not farre off looking to theyr flockes soddainely there came one of these Dart-Serpentes out of the tree and wounded him vppon his left pappe at the byting whereof the man awaked and cryed out aad so dyed incontinently his fellow Shepheards hearing this noyse came vnto him to see what he ayled and found him dead with a Serpent vpon his breast now knowing what kind of Serpent this was they forsooke their flockes and ran away for feare The cure of this Serpentes byting if there bee any at all is the same vvhich cureth the Viper as Aetius and Auicen writeth and therefore I will not relate it in this place The gall of this beast mixed with the Sythian Stone yealdeth a very good Eye-salue The which Gall lyeth betwixt the backe and the Lyuer And thus much shall suffice for this Serpent OF THE DIPSAS THis Dipsas hath many names for many occasions First Dipsas in Greeke signyfieth thirst as Sitis dooth in Latine and thereof also it is called Situla because whosoeuer is vvounded by this Serpent dyeth It is also called by some Prester and by some Causon because it setteth the whole body on fire but wee shall shew afterwardes that the Prester is a different Serpent from this It is called likewise Milanurus because of his black taile and Ammoâ—tis because it lyeth in the sand and there hurteth a man It is not therefore vnfitly defined by Auicen to bee Vipera sitem faciens That is A Viper causing thirst and therfore Ouid sporting at an old drunken woman named Lena calleth her Dipsas in these verses Est quaedam nomine Dipsas anus Ex re nomen habit nigri non illa parentem Memnonis in roseis sobria vidit equis In English thus There is a woman old which Dipsas may be hight And not without some cause thirsty she euer is For neuer Memnous sire all blacke and sildome bright Did she in water sweete behold in sobernesse They liue for the most part neere the Waters and in salt Marishy places whereupon Lucan saide Stant in margine siccae Aspides Et medijs sitiebant Dipsades vndis That is to say Vpon pits brinke dry Aspes there stood And Dipsads thirst in middest of water floud It is called Torrida Dipsas and Arida Dipsas because of the perpetuall thirst and therefore the Aegyptians when they will signifie thirst doe picture a Dipsas wherevpon Lucianus relateth this story there is saith hee a statue or monument vppon a Graue right ouer against the great Syrtes betwixt Sillya and Aegypt with this Epigram Talia passus erat quoque Tantalus Aethiope cretus Qui nullo potuit fonte leuare sitim Tale nec è Danao nat as implere puellas Assiduis vndis vas potuisse reor That is to say Such Tantalus indured in Aethiope bred Which neuer could by Water quench his thirst Nor could the Graecian maids with water sped That with dayly pourings till the vessell curst The statue was the picture of a man like vnto Tantalus standing in the middest of a Water ready to drinke by drawing in of the Water about whose foote was foulded a Dipsas close by stood certaine women bringing water and pouring it into him to make it runne into his mouth besides there was certaine Egges as it were of Estriches lay pictured beside them such as the Garamants in Lybia seeke after For it is reported by Lucianus that the people of that Country doe earnestly seeke after the Fstryges Egges vppon the sandes not onely to eate the meate that is in them but also to make sundry vessels or instruments of the shell and among other things they make Cappes of them Neare vnto these Egges doe these trecherous Serpentes lie in waight and so while the poore Country-man commeth to seeke for meate suddenly he leapeth vppon him and giueth him a mortall wound Aelianus hath an Embleme which hee seemeth to haue translated out of Greeke from Antipiter Sidonius of a Falconer which while he was looking vppe after Birdes for meate for his Hawke suddainely a Dipsas came behind him and stung him to death The title of his Embleme is Qui alta contemplatur cadere he that looketh hie may fall and the Embleme it selfe is this that solloweth Dum turdos visco pedica dum fallit alaudas Et iacta altiuolam figit arundo gruem Dipsada non prudens auceps pede perculit vltrix Illa mali emissum virus ab ore tacit Sic obit extento qui sidera respicit arcu Securus fati quod ia cit ante pedes Which may be thus Englished Whiles Thrush with line and Larke deceiued with net And Crane high flying pierced with force of reede By Falconer was behold a Dipsas on the foote did set As if it would reuenge his bloudy foule misdeed For poyson out of mouth it cast and bit his foote Whereof he dyed like Birds by him deceiued Whiles bending bow aloft vnto the stars did looke Saw not his fate below which him of life bereaued This Dipsas is inferior in quantity vnto a Viper but yet killeth by poyson much more speedily according to these verses Exiguae similis spectatur Dipsas echidnae Sed festina magis morsictus occupat aegros Parua lurida cui circa vltima cauda nigrescit That is to say This Dipsas like vnto the Viper small But kils by stroke with greater paine and speede whose taile at end is soft and blacke withall That as your death auoyd with carefull heede It is but a short Serpent and so small as Arnoldus writeth it killeth before it be espyed the length of it not past a cubit the fore part being very thick except the head which is small and so backward it groweth smaller and smaller the taile being exceeding little the colour of the forepart somewhat white but set ouer with blacke and yellow spots the taile very blacke Galen writeth that the ancient Marsi which were appointed for hunting Serpentes and Vipers about Rome did tell him that there was no meanes outwardly to distinguish betwixt the Viper and the Dipsas except in the place of their abode for the Dipsas he saith keepeth in the salt places and therefore the nature thereof is more fiery but the Vipers keepe in the dryer Crountries wherfore there are not many of the Dipsades in Italy because of the moystnes of that Country but in Lybia where there are great store of salt Marshes As we haue said already a man or beast wounded with this serpent is afflicted with intollerable thirst insomuch as it is easier for him to breake his belly then to quench his
innuptae est Paladis eius Hic Draco qui domina constitie ante pedes Cur Diuae comes hoc animal custodia rerum Huic data sic lucos sacraque templa colit Innuptas opus est cura asseruare puellas Pervigili laqueos vndique tendit amor Which may be englished thus This Dragon great which Lady Pallas stands before Is the true picture of vnmarried maydes But why a consort to the Goddesse is this and more Then other beasts more meeke who neuer fades Because the safegard of all things belongs to this Wherefore his house in Groues and sacred Temples set Vnmarried maides of guardes must neuer misse Which watchfull are to voyde loues snares and nette For this cause the Egyptians did picture Serapis their God with three heads that is to 〈◊〉 of a Lyon in the middle on the right hand a meeke fauning dogge and on the left hand a rauening Wolfe all which formes are ioyned together by the winding bodie of a Dragon turning his head to the right hand of his God which three heads are interpreted to signifie three times that is to say by the Lyon the present time by the Wolfe the time past and by the fauning dogge the time to come all which are garded by the vigilancie of the Dragon For this cause also among the fixed starres of the North there is one called Draco a dragon all of them ending their course with the Sunne and Moone and they are in this Spheare called by Astronomers the Intersections of the Circles the superiour of these ascending is called the head of the Dragon and the inferiour descending is called the tayle of the Dragon And some thinke that GOD in the 38. of Io◠by the word Gnaish meaneth this signe or Constellation To conclude the auncient Romans as Vegetius writeth carried in all their bands the Escutchion of a Dragon to signifie their fortitude and vigilancie which were borne vp by certaine men called for that purpose Draconarij And therefore when Constantius the Emperour entered into the City of Rome his Souldiers are said to beare vppe vppon the toppes of their speares dragons gaping with wide mouthes and made fast with golden chaines and pearle the wind whistling in their throates as if they had beene aliue threatning destruction and theyr tayles hanging loose in the ayre were likewise by the vvinde tossed to and fro as though they stroue to come off from the speares but when the wind was layd all theyr motion was ended where-vpon the Poet saith Mansuescunt varij vento cessante Dracones In English thus When whistling winde in ayer ceast The Dragons tamed then did rest The tale also of the Golden-fleece if it be worth any place in this storie deserueth to be inserted heere as it is reported by Diodorus Siculns When Actës raigned in Pontus he receiued an aunswere from the Oracle that hee should then dye when strangers should come thether with shippes and fetch away the Gol-den-fleece Vpon which occasion hee shewed himselfe to be of a cruell nature for he did not onely make Proclamation that he would sacrifice all strangers which came within his dominions but did also performe the same that by the fame and report of such crueltie he might terrifie all other Nations frō hauing accesse vnto that Temple Not contented heere-with hee raised a great strong vvall round about the Temple wherein the Fleece was kept and caused a sure watch or guarde to attend the same day night of whom the Graetians tell many strange fables For they say there were Bulls breathing out fire and a Dragon warding the Temple and defending the Fleece but the truth is that these watchmen because of their strength were called Bulls because of their cruelty were said to breathe out fire and because of their vigilancie crueltie strength and terrour to be dragons Some affirme againe that in the Gardens of Hesperides in Libia there were golden Apples which were kept by a terrible Dragon which dragon was afterward slaine by Hercules and the Apples taken away by him so brought to Euryshteus Others affirme that Hesperides had certaine flocks of sheepe the colour of whose woll was like gold and they were kept by a valiant Sheepheard called Draco but I rather agree with Solinus who giueth a more true reason of this fable Nefamae licentia vulneretur fides least as he saith fayth and truth should receiue a disgrace or wound by the lauish report of fame There was among the Hesperides a certaine winding Riuer comming from the sea and including within it the compasse of that land which is called the Gardens of Hesperides at one place whereof the falling of the water broken by a Rocke seemeth to be like the falling downe of Snakes to them that stand a farre off and from hence ariseth all the occasion of the fable afore-said Indeed there was a statue of Hercules in the left hand wherof were three Apples which he was said to haue obtained by the conquest of a dragon but that conquest of the dragon did morrally signifie his owne concupiscence whereby hee raigned ouer three passions that is to say ouer his wrath by patience ouer his cupiditie by temperance and ouer his pleasures by labour trauaile which were three vertues farre more precious then three golden Apples But I will stay my course from prosecuting these morrall discourses of the dragon and returne againe to his naturall history from which I haue somewhat too long digressed There are diuers sorts of Dragons distinguished partly by their Countries partlie by their quantitie and magnitude and partly by the different forme of their externall partes There be Serpents in Arabia called Sirenae which haue winges beeing as swift as horses running or flying at their owne pleasure and when they wound a man hee dyeth before he feeleth paine Of these it is thought the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 13. ver 22. Serpens clamabit in Templis voluptarijs and for Serpents the old Translators read Syrenae so the English should be the Syrene dragons should cry in their Temples of pleasure and the auncient distinction was Anguis aquarum Serpentes terrarū Dracones Templorū that is to say Snakes are of the water Serpents of the earth Dragons of the Temples And I thinke it was a iust iudgement of God that the auncient Temples of the Heathen-Idolaters were annoyed with dragons that as the deuill was there worshipped so there might be appearance of his person in the vglie forme and nature of a dragon For God himselfe in holy Scripture doth compare the deuill vnto a dragon as Reue 12. ver 3. And there appeared another wonder in Heauen for behold a great Redde-dragon hauing 7. heads and tenne hornes and seauen crownes vpon his head verse 4. And his tayle drewe the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth and the dragon stoode before the Woman which was ready to be deliuered to deuoure her child when shee had brought
And safe enough had not the Dragon them espied Hee eate the young ones all the damme with sannes destroyde Well worthy such a death of life to be denied This is by Calchas said a type of labour long Whose fame eternall liues in euery tongue There be certaine beasts called Dracontopides very great and potent Serpents vvhose faces are like to the faces of Virgins and the residue of their body like to dragons It is thought that such a one was the Serpent that deceiued Eue for Beda saith it had a Virgins countenaunce and therfore the woman seeing the likenes of her owne face was the more easily drawne to belieue it into the which when the deuill had entred they say he taught it to couer the body with leaues and to shew nothing but the head and face But this fable is not worthy to be refuted because the Scripture it selfe dooth directly gaine-say euerie part of it For first of all it is called a Serpent and if it had beene a dragon Moses vvould haue said so and therefore for ordinary punishment God doth appoint it to creepe vpon the belly wherefore it is not likely that it had either winges or feete Secondly it was vnpossible and vnlikely that any part of the body was couered or conceited from the sight of the woman seeing she knew it directly to be a Serpent as afterward shee confessed before GOD and her husband There be also certaine little dragons called in Arabia Vesga and in Catalonia dragons of houses these when they bite leaue their teeth behind them so as the wound neuer ceaserh swelling as long as the teeth remaine therein and therefore for the better cure thereof the teeth are drawne forth and so the wound will soone be healed And thus much for the hatred betwixt men and dragons now we will proceede to other creatures The greatest discord is betwixt the Eagle and the Dragon for the Vultures Eagles Swannes and dragons are enemies one to another The Eagles when they shake theyr winges make the dragons afraide with their ratling noyse then the dragon hideth himselfe within his den so that he neuer fighteth but in the ayre eyther when the Eagle hath taken away his young ones and he to recouer them flieth aloft after her or else wheÌ„ the Eagle meeteth him in her nest destroying her egges and young ones for the Eagle deuoureth the dragons and little Serpents vpon earth and the dragons againe and Serpents doe the like against the Eagles in the ayre Yea many times the dragon attempteth to take away the prey out of the Eagles talants both on the ground and in the ayre so that there ariseth betwixt them a very hard and dangerous fight which is in this manner described by Niâ—ander Hunc petit invisum magni Iouis armiger hostem Cumque genis parat acre suis ex aethere bellum Pascentem in siluis quam primum viderit Quod totos ferus is nidos cum mitibus ouis Et simul ipsa terens et vastans pignora perdat Non timet hoc serpens imò quodam impete dumis Prosiliens ipsamque aquilam leporemque tenellum Ex trahit ex rapidis vifraudeque fortior vncis Cauta malum declinat auis fit ibi aspera pugna Vt queat extortam victor sibi tollere praedam Sed frustra elapsam et volitantem hinc inde volucrem Insequitur longos sinuum contractus in orbes Obliquoque leuans sursum sua lumina visu Which may be englished thus When as the Eagle Ioues great bird did see her enemy Sharpe warre in th' ayre with beake she did prepare Gainst Serpent feeding in the wood after espy Cause it her egges and young fiercely in peeces tare The Serpent not afraid of this leapes out of thornes With force vpon the Eagle holding tender Hare Out of her talants by fraude and force more strong That takes and snatches despight her enemies feare But wary Bird auoydes the force and so they fight amaine That Victor one of them might ioy the prey alone The flying fowle by winding Snake is hunted all in vaine Though vp and downe his nimble eyes this and that way be gone In the next place we are to consider the enmitie that is betwixt Dragons Elephants for so great is their hatred one to the other that in Ethyopia the greatest dragons haue no other name but Elephant-killers Among the Indians also the same hatred remaineth against whom the dragons haue many subtile inuentions for besides the great length of their bodies where-withall they claspe and begirt the body of the Elephant continually byting of him vntill he fall downe dead and in the which fall they are also bruzed to peeces for the safegard of themselues they haue this deuice They get and hide themselues in trees couering their head and letting the other part hang downe like a rope in those trees they watch vntill the Elephant come to eate and croppe of the branches then suddainly before he be aware they leape into his face and digge out his eyes then doe they claspe themselues about his necke and with their tayles or hinder parts beate and vexe the Elephant vntill they haue made him breathelesle for they strangle him with theyr fore-parts as they beate them with the hinder so that in this combat they both perrish and this is the disposition of the dragon that he neuer setteth vpon the Elephant but with the aduantage of the place and namely from some high tree or Rocke Sometimes againe a multitude of dragons doe together obserue the pathes of the Elephants and crosse those pathes they tye together their tailes as it were in knots so that when the Elephant commeth along in them they insnare his legges and suddainly leape vppe to his eyes for that is the part they ayme aboue all other which they speedily pull out and so not beeing able to doe him any more harme the poore beast deliuereth himselfe from present death by his owne strength and yet through his blindnesse receiued in that combat hee perrisheth by hunger because hee cannot choose his meate by smelling but by his eye-sight There is no man liuing that is able to giue a sufficient reason of this contrariety in nature betwixt the Elephant the Dragon although many men haue laboured their wits and strayned their inuentions to finde out the true causes thereof but all in vaine except this be one that followeth The Elephants blood is saide to be the coldest of all other Beasts and for this cause it is thought by most Writers that the dragons in the Sommer time doe hide themselues in great plenty in the waters where the Elephant commeth to drinke and then suddenly they leape vppe vppon his eares because those places cannot be defended with his truncke and there they hang fast and sucke out all the blood of his body vntill such time as hee poore beast through faintnesse fall downe and die and they beeing drunke with his blood doe likewise perrish in
eateth all he meeteth with vntill he be satisfied and so returneth againe to his den Now for as much as that Countrie is very soft and myery the great and heauy bulke of this Serpent maketh as it were a Ditch by his weight in the sand or mire so as where you see the traling of his body you would thinke there had beene rowled some great vessell full of VVine because of the round and deepe impression it leaueth in the earth Now the Hunters which watch to destroy this Beast doe in the day time fasten sharpe stakes in the earth in the path and passage of the Serpent especially neere to his hole or lodging and these stakes are pointed vvith sharpe Iron and so couered in the Earth or Sand whereby it commeth to passe that when in his wonted manner he commeth forth in the night season to feede hee vnawares fastneth his breast or else mortally woundeth his belly vppon one of those sharpe-pointed stakes Which thing the Hunters lying in waite obseruing do presently vpon the first noyse with their swords kill him if he be aliue and so take out his Gall which they sell for a great price for therewithall the biting of a madde Dogge is cured and a Woman in trauell tasting but a little of it is quickely disdischarged of her burthen It is good also against the Emerods and Pyles Furthermore the flesh of this Serpent is good to be eaten and these things are reported by Paulus Venetus and this story following As Americus Vesputius sayled in his iourney from the fortunate Islands hee came vnto a Countrey where hee found the people to feede vppon sodde flesh like the flesh of a Serpent and afterwardes they found this beast to bee in all thinges like a Serpent vvithout wings for they savv diuers of them aliue taken and kept by the people to kill at their owne pleasure The mouthes whereof were fast tyed with ropes so as they could not open them to bite either man or beast and their bodies were tyed by the Legges The aspect of these beastes was fearefull to his company and the strangers which did behold it for they tooke them to bee Serpents beeing in quantity as bigge as Roe-Buckes hauing long feete and stronge clawes a speckeled skinne and a face like a Serpent from the Nose to the tippe of his taile all along the backe there grew a bristle as it were the bristle of a Boare and yet the saide Nation feedeth vppon them and because of their similitude with Lizards I haue thought good to insert their relation among the Lyzards in this place leauing it to the further iudgement of the Reader whether they be of this kind or not In Calechut there are Serpents also or rather beasts remaining in the fenny places of the Country whose bodies are all pild without haire like Serpents also in their mouth eies and taile they resemble them and in their feete Lizards being as great as Boares and although they want poyson yet are their teeth very hurtfull where they fasten them Like vnto these are certaine others bred in Hispaniola in an Island called Hyuana hauing prickles on their backe and a combe on their head but without voyce hauing foure feete a taile like Lizards with very sharpe teeth They are not much greater then Hares or Conies yet they liue indifferently in trees and on the earth being very patient and induring famme many daies Their skinne smooth and speckled like a Serpents they haue a crap on the belly from the chin to the breast like the crap of a Bird. Besides these there are also some called Bardati about the bignesse of Conyes and of a White-ash-colour yet theyr skinne and taile like a Snakes and they resemble trapped Horses They haue foure feet and with the formost they dig them holes in the earth our of which they are drawne againe like Conies to be eaten of men for they haue a pleasant tast To conclude wee doe read that in the yeare 1543. there came many winged Serpents and Lizards into Germany neere Syria and did bite many mortally And in the yeare 1551. there were such bred in the bodyes of men and women as wee haue shewed already in the generall discourse of Serpents first of all recited in the beginning In all the nature of Lizards there is nothing more admirable then that which is reported of them by Aelianus of his owne knowledge When a certaine man had taken a great fat Lizard he did put out her eyes with an Instrument of Brasse and so put her into a new earthen pot which hadde in it two small holes or passages bigge inough to take breath at but too little to creepe out at and with her moyst earth and a certaine Hearbe the name wherof he doth not expresse and furthermore he tooke an Iron Ring wherein was set an Engagataes Stone with the Picture of a Lizard ingrauen vpon it And besides vpon the Ring he made 9. seuerall marks whereof he put out euery day one vntill at the last hee came at the ninth and then hee opened the pot againe and the Lizard did see as perfectly as euer he did before the eyes were put out whereof Albertus enquiring the reason could giue none but hauing read in Isidorus that when the Lizards grow olde and their sight dimme or thicke then they enter into some narrow hole of a Wall and so set their heads therein directly looking towards the East or Sunne rysing and so they recouer their sight againe Of this Albertus giueth good reason because he saith the occasion of their blindnesse commeth from frigidity congealing the humor in their eyes which is afterward attenuated and dissolued by the helpe and heate of the Sun The voice of the Lizard is like the voyce of other Serpents and if it happen that any man by chance doe cut the body of the Lizard asunder so as one part falleth from another yet neither part dyeth but goeth away vppon the two Legges that are left and liue apart for a little season and if it happen that they meete againe they are so firmely and naturally conioyned by the secret operation of nature as if they had neuer beene seuered onely the scatre remaineth They liue in caues of the earth and in graues and the greene Lizards in the fields and Gardens but the yellowish or earthy browne Lizard among hedges and Thornes They deuoure any thing that comes to their mouth especially Bees Emmets Palmer-wormes Grassehoppers Locusts and such like thinges and foure months of the yeare they lie in the earth and eate nothing In the beginning of the yeare about March they come out againe of their holes and giue themselues to generation which they performe by ioyning their bellies together wreathing their tailes together other parts of their bodies afterwards the female bringeth forth egges which she committeth to the earth neuer sitting vpō them but forgetteth in what place they were laid for she hath no memory The
Canaria also are many Scorpions and those most pestilent which the Turkes gather as often as they may to make oyle of Scorpions In Italy especially in the Mount Testaceus in Rome are also Scorpions although not so hurtfull as in Affrica and other places and it is thought that Psylli whose nature cureth all kind of venomous Serpents harmes did onely for lucers sake bring Serpents and Scorpions into Italy and there they left them whereby they encrease to that number multitude which now we see them haue And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the Countries of Scorpions The kindes of Scorpions I finde also to be many but generally they may be referred vnto twayne whereof one is called the Scorpion of the earth and the other the Scorpion of the water or of the Sea whose discourse or history is to be found among the fishes for we in this place doe onely write of the Scorpion of the earth which is also called by Auicen a wild Scorpion Of this kind there are many differences First they differ in sex for there are males and females and the female is greater then the male beeing also fatte hauing a grosser body and a greater sharper sting but the male is more fierce then the female Againe some of these haue wings and some are without wings and some are in quantitie greater then a Beane as in Heluetia neere Rapirsnill by Zuricke The Scorpions called Vinulae are of reddish colour as it were rose-water and wine mixed together and from thence it is probable that they tooke their name and from their colour the Authours haue obserued seauen seuerall kinds The first is white and the byting of this is not deadly The second is reddish like fire flamant and this when it hath wounded causeth thirst The third is of a pale colour and therefore called by the Graecians Zophorides these when they haue wounded a man cause him to liue in continuall motion and agitation of his body so as he cannot stand still but remaineth distract without wit alway laughing like a foole The fourth kind is greenish and therefore termed Chloaos which hauing wounded causeth intollerable trembling shaking and quiuering and also cold so that if the patient be layd in the hot sunne yet he thinketh that he freezeth like hayle or rather feeleth hayle to fall vpon him The fift kind is blackish-pale and it is called Empelios it hath a great belly and broade whereof the poyson is great and causeth after stinging an admirable heauinesse and sorrowfull spirit This kind is called by Gesner Ventricosum because of the large belly by the Arabians Algetarat and by Ponzettus Geptaria It eateth herbes and the bodyes of men and yet remaineth insatiable it hath a bunch on the backe and a tayle longer then other Scorpions The sixt is like a Crabbe this is called by Elianus a flamant Scorpion it is of a great body and hath tonges and takers very solide and strong like the Gramuell or Creuish is therefore thought to take the beginning from that fish The seauenth is called Mellichlorus because of the honny-colour thereof or rather waxe-colour and the wings it hath on the backe are like the wings of a Locust Also Scorpions do differ among themselues in regard of their outward parts for some of them haue wings as those in India which are spoken of by Strabo Nicander others and therefore many times when they settle themselues to flie they are transported by the wind from one country to another There is also another difference obserued in their tayles and in their stings for some of them haue sixe knots on their tayles and some of them seauen and those which haue seauen are more hardy fierce but this falleth out very sildome that the Scorpions haue seauen knots in their tayle and therefore much sildomer to haue nine as writeth Apollodorus For if any haue seauen then is there likewise in them a double sting for there is also another difference some of them hauing a single and some a double sting yea some-times a treble one and the sting of the male is more thicke and strong then the sting of the female And to conclude there is also a difference in motion for some of them holde vp theyr tayles from the earth and these are not much venomous others againe draw them along vpon the earth a little rowled together and these are most deadly and poysonfull some of them also flye from one Region to another as we haue shewed already Againe there is nothing that giueth a man a more liuely difference then the consideration of their poyson for the Scorpions of Pharus and that part of the Alpes neere Noricum doe neuer harme any liuing creature and therfore are they suffered to abound so as they liue vnder euery stone In like sort in the I le Sanguola the Scorpions are like vnto those that are in Castilia or Spayne for there the sting of the Scorpion dooth not bring death yet they cause a smarting paine like the paine that commeth by the stinging of a Waspe differing heerein that the Scorpions stinging is more lasting continueth longer then the stinging of a Waspe for it tarrieth about a quarter of an houre and by the byting thereof all are not payned alike for some feele more and some lesser paine Contrary to these are the Scorpions of Pescara in Affrick who euer with theyr tayles vvound mortally And those in Scythia which are great and hurtfull vnto men and beastes kylling swyne who doe not much care for any other serpent especially the blacke swyne who doe also dye the sooner if they drinke immediatly after the wound receiued The like may be said of the Scorpions of Egypt And thus much for the different kinds of Scorpions wherein nature produceth a notable varietie as may appeare by all that hath been said Now it followeth that wee likewise make some relation of theyr congruity one with another They are all little liuing creatures not much differing in proportion from the great Scarabee or Horse-flie except in the fashion of theyr tailes Their backe is broad and flat distinguished by certaine knots of seames such as may be seene in Sea-crabbes yet theyr head differeth and hath no resemblance with the Crabbe because it is longer and hangeth farre out from the body the countenaunce whereof is fawning and virgin-like and all the colour a bright browne Notwithstanding the fayre face it beareth a sharpe sting in the tayle which tayle is full of knots where-withall it pricketh and hurteth that which it toucheth And this Pliny affirmeth to be proper to this insect to haue a sting in the tayle and to haue armes For by armes hee meaneth the two crosse sorkes or tonges which come from it one both sides in the toppes whereof are little thinges like pynsons to detaine and hold fast that which it apprehendeth whiles it woundeth with the â—â—ing in the tayle
found in the walls of old houses betwixt the stones and the morter They loue also cleane clothes as we haue sayd already and yet they abhorre all places whereon the Sunne shyneth And it seemeth that the sunne is vtterly against their nature for the same Scorpion which Wolphius had at Montpelier liued in the glasse vntill one day he set in the Sunne and then presently after it dyed To conclude they loue hollow places of the earth neere gutters and sometimes they creepe into mens beddes where vnawares they doe much harme and for this cause the Lybians who among other Nations are most of all troubled with Scorpions do vse to set theyr beddes farre from any wall and very high also from the floore to keepe the Scorpions from ascending vp vnto them And yet fearing all deuises should be too little to secure them against this euill they also set the feete of theyr beddes in vessells of water that so the Scorpion may not attempt so much as to climbe vp vnto them for feare of drowning And also for their further safegard they were socks and hose in theyr beddes so thicke as the Scorpion cannot easily sting thorough them And if the bed be so placed that they cannot get any hold thereof beneath then they clymbe vp to the sieling or couer of the house if there they find any hold for their pinching legges to apprehend and fasten vppon then in their hatred to man-kind they vse this pollicie to come vnto him First one of them as I haue said taketh hold vppon that place in the house or sieling ouer the bed wherein they find the man asleepe and so hangeth thereby putting out and stretching his sting to hurt him but finding it too short and not beeing able to reach him he suffereth another of his fellowes to come and hang as fast by him as he doth vpon his hold and so that second giueth the wound and if that second be not able likewise because of the distance to come at the man then they both admit a third to hang vpon them and so a fourth vpon the third and a fift vpon the fourth vntill they haue made themselues like a chayne to descend from the toppe to the bedde wherin the man sleepeth and the last striketh him after which stroke he first of all runneth away by the backe of his fellow and euery one againe in order till all of them haue withdrawne themselues By this may be collected the crafty disposition of this Scorpion and the great subtiltie and malice that it is indued withall in nature and seeing they can thus accord together in harming a man it argueth their great mutuall loue and concord one with another wherfore I cannot but maruell at them who haue written that the old ones destroy the young all but one which they set vpon theyr owne buttocks that so the damme may be secured from the sting and bytings of her sonne For seeing they can thus hang vpon one another without harme fauouring their owne kinde I see no cause but that nature hath grafted much more loue betwixt the old and the young ones so as neither the old do first destroy the young nor afterward that young one preserued in reuenge of his fellowes quarrell killeth his Parents It is reported by Aristotle that there is a hill in Caria wherein the Scorpions doe neuer sting any strangers that lodge there but onely the naturall borne people of that country And heere-vnto Pliny and Elianus seeme to subscribe when they write that Scorpiones extraneos leniter mordere that is Scorpions byte strangers but gently And heereby it may be collected that they are also by nature very sagacious and can discerne betwixt nature and nature yea the particuler differences in one the same nature To conclude Scorpions haue no power to hurt where there is no blood The naturall amity and enmity they obserue with other creatures commeth now to be handled and I find that it wanteth not aduersaries nor it againe hath no defect of poyson or malice to make resistance and opposition and to take vengeance on such as it meeteth withall The principall of all other subiects of their hatred are virgins and vvomen whom they doe not onely desire to harme but also when they haue harmed are neuer perfectly recouered And this is at all times of the day but vnto men they are most dangerous in the morning fasting before they haue vented their poyson and this is to be obserued that their tayles are neuer vnprouided of stings and sufficient store of venome to hurt vpon all occasions The Lyon is by the Scorpion put to flight wheresoeuer hee seeth it for he feareth it as the enemy of his life and therefore writeth S. Ambrose Exigno Scorpionis aculeo exagitatur Leo the Lyon is much mooued at the small sting of a Scorpion Scorpions doe also destroy other Serpents and are likewise destroyed by them There was one Cellarius a Phisitian in Padua who put together into one viall a Viper and a Scorpion where they continually fought together vntill they had killed one another The Swyne of Scythia which doe safely eate all other kind of Serpents and venomous beasts without all harme yet are destroyed by eating of Scorpions and so great is the poyson of the Sibarite Scopion that the dung thereof beeing trode vppon breedeth vlcers And as in this manner we see the virulence and naturall euill of Scorpions against other liuing creatures so now we are to consider the terrours of the Scorpion for God in nature hath likewise ordained some bodies whereby the Scorpion should be and is dryuen away scarred and destroyed First of all therefore men which are the cheefe and head of all liuing creatures do by naturall instinct kill and destroy Scorpions and therefore Galen wryteth thus Let vs saith he kill Scorpions Spyders and Vipers not because they are euill in themselues but because it is ingrafted in vs by nature to loue that which is good vnto vs but to hate and auert from that which is euill vnto vs Non consider antes genitum ne it a sit an secus not cōsidering whether it were so bred or not As we haue shewed their generation out of putrefaction to be by heate so also is their destruction by heate for they are not able to abide the heate of the sunne and therefore although they cannot liue in cold Northerne Countries but in the hotter yet in the hotter they choose shaddowes holes of the earth couerture of houses and such like vile and obscure places to succour and secure themselues in It is also reported that if Scorpions doe at any time behold a Stellion they stand amazed and wonderfully astonished The Viper also hauing killed a Scorpion becommeth more venomous and the Ibis of Egypt destroyeth Scorpions There are a little kind of Emmets called by the Arabians Gerarets which are eaters of Scorpions The quicke-sighted Hawkes also from whose piercing eye
no Serpent can be hidde when hee seeth a Scorpion he neither feareth nor spareth it It is also thought that Hares are neuer molested by Scorpions because if a man or beast be anoynted with the rennet of a Hare there is no Scorpion or Spyder that will hurt him Wild-goates are also said to liue without feare of Scorpions euen as the Affrican Psylli of whom we haue often spoken Now this vertue against Scorpions is not onely in liuing things but also in the plants of the earth therefore Sestius writeth that the seede of Nose-wort burned or scorched doth driue away Serpents and resist Scorpions and so doth the roote of the Mast-tree the seede of Violets and the same vertue is ascribed to the herbe Lychius which is englished Calucs-snout and also to the seede of Wild-parsenip The smell of Garlicke and Wild-mints set on fire or strewed on the ground Dittany haue the same operation and aboue all other one of these Scorpions burned dryueth away all his fellowes which are within the smell thereof and therefore this is a most vsuall thing in Asia and Affricke to perfume their houses with Scorpions burned and in steed thereof they make as it were little pills of Galbanume sandaracha with butter and the fatte of Goates and thereof altogether make their perfume also Bittony and wild-Pellitory with Brimstone They vse also to couer pannes with certaine things called by them Alkitran and Asa and with these they compasse the place wherein the Scorpion lodgeth and then it is found that they can neuer stir any more from that place And some in steede thereof poure oyle into their holes after them for the same effect And the Husband-men of Mauritania doe tye and fasten to their bedde-sides sprigs of White-thorne and Hasell-nuts where-withall by a secrete antipathy in nature they driue away and keepe themselues safe in their beddes from the annoyance of Scorpions By touching of Henbane they lye dead and ouer-come but if one touch them againe with white Ellebore they reuiue and are released from their former stupefaction It is also said that the leafes of water-mallowes do also astonish Scorpions and so also doth the Radish-roote The Sea-crabbe with Basill in her mouth destroyeth the Scorpion and so doth tunicle and mushrom of Trees To conclude the spettle of a man is death vnto Scorpions and therefore when a certaine fellow tooke vpon him to be a cunning Charmer and by incantation to kill a Scorpion he added to the wordes of his charme a treble spetting in the mouth of the Serpent and so it dyed where-vpon Wolphius which was present and saw this Charmer did afterward by himselfe alone at home make triall of spettle without a charme and so found that it alone killeth Scorpions especially the spettle of a man fasting or very thirsty Moreouer there be certaine Lands wherein no Scorpions 〈◊〉 liue as that about Clupea in Affricke and the dust of the Iland Gaulus neere Cercina beeing sprinckled vpon a Scorpion doth incontinently kill it And so much also writeth Hermolaus of the Region Galatha These and such like things are obserued by our painefull and industrious Auncestours about the nature of Scorpions as well that which is hurtfull vnto them they are afraid of as those to which they are enemies in nature wound mortally when they light vppon them It is remembred by Textor that Orion was slaine by a Scorpion vvherevpon the Poets haue made many tales They say that when he was growne to be a man he was a great hunter and a continuall companion of Diana who glorying much in his ovvne strength boasted that he was able to ouer-come any Serpent or other wild beast whereat the Gods beeing angry for reuenge taking downe the pride of this young man caused the earth to bring forth a Scorpion who killed Orion Whereat Diana was very sory and therefore in lamentation of her champion and for the good deedes he had done vnto her translated him into heauen close by the constellation of the Bull. Lucan on the other side saith that Diana sent this Scorpion to kill him enuying his famous successe in hunting and that afterward the Goddesse taking pitty on him translated him into heauen Others write againe that he had his eyes put out by Oenopion that he came blind into the Iland Lemnus where he receiued a horse of Vulcan vppon which hee rode to the Sun-rising in which iourney he recouered againe his eye-sight and so returning he first determined to take reuenge vpon Oenopion for his former cruelty Wherefore hee came into Creete and seeking Oenopion could not find him because he was hid in the earth by his Cittizens but at last comming to him there came a Scorpion and killed him for his malice rescuing Oenopion These and such like fables are there about the death of Orion but all of thē ioyntly agree in this that Orion was slaine by a Scorpion And so saith Anthologius was one Panopaeus a Hunter There is a common adage Cornix Scorpium a Rauen to a Scorpion and it is vsed against them thar perrish by their owne inuentions when they set vpon others they meete with their matches as a Rauen did when it preyed vppon a Scorpion thus described by Alciatus vnder his title Iusta vlcio iust reuenge saying as followeth Ruptabat volucer oaptum pede coruus in aur as Scorpion audaci praemia parta gulae Ast ille infuso sensim per membra veneno Raptorem in stygias compulit vltor aquas O risu res digna alijs qui fat a parabat Ipse perijt proprijs succubuit que dolis Which may be englished thus The rauening Crow for prey a Scorpion tooke Within her foote and there-withall aloft did flye But he impoyson'd her by force and stinging stroke So rauener in the Stygian-Lake did dye O sportfull game that he which other for bellyes sake did kill By his owne deceit should fall into deaths will There be some learned Writers who haue compared a Scorpion to an Epigram or rather an Epigram to a Scorpion because as the sting of the Scorpion lyeth in the tayle so the force and vertue of an Epigram is in the conclusion for velacriter falsè mordeat vel iucundè dulciter delectet that is eyther let it bite sharply at the end or els delight pleasingly There be many wayes of bringing Scorpions out of their holes and so to destroy and take them as we haue already touched in part vnto which I may adde these that follow A perfume made of Oxe-dung also Storax and Arsenicke And Pliny writeth that tenne water-Crabs beaten with Basill is an excellent perfume for this purpose and so is the ashes of Scorpions And in Padua they vse this Arte with small sticks or straw they touch and make a noyse vpon the stones and morture wherein they haue their nests then they thinking them to be some flyes for
their meate instantly leape out and so the man that deluded them is ready with a paire of tonges or other instrument to lay hold vpon them and take them by which meanes they take many and of them so taken make oyle of Scorpions And Constantius writeth that if a mans hand be well annointed with iuyce of Radish he may take them without danger in his bare hand In the next place we are to proceede to the venom poyson of Scorpions the instrument or sting whereof lyeth not onely in the tayle but also in the teeth for as Ponzettus writeth Laedit scorpius morsu ictu the Scorpion harmeth both with teeth tayle that is although the greatest harme doe come by the sting in the tayle yet is there also some that cōmeth by their byting This poyson of Scorpions as Pliny out of Apollodorus writeth is white and in the heate of the day is very feruent and plentifull so as at that time they are insatiably and vnquenchably thirsty for not onely the wild or wood Scorpion but also all other are of a hot nature and the symptomes of their bytings are such as follow the effects of hote poysons and therefore saith Rasis all their remedies are of a colde qualitie Yet Galen thinketh otherwise and that the poyson is cold and the effects thereof are also cold For which cause Rondeletus prescribeth oyle of Scorpions to expell the stone and also the cure of the poyson is by strong Garlicke and the best Wine which are hote things And therefore I conclude that although Scorpions be most hote yet is their poyson of a cold nature In the next place I thinke is needfull to expresse the symptomes following the striking or stinging of these venomous Scorpions and they are as Aetius writeth the very same which follow the byting or poyson of that kinde of great Phalanx Spyder called also Teragnatum and that is they are in such case as those persons be which are smitten with the Falling-sicknesse He which is stung by a Scorpion thinketh that he is pressed with the fall of great and cold hayle beeing so cold as if hee were continually in a cold sweat and so in short space the poyson disperseth it selfe vvithin the skinne and runneth all ouer the body neuer ceasing vntill it come to possesse some predominant or principall vitall part and then followeth death For as the skinne is small and thin so the sting pierceth to the bottom thereof and so into the flesh where it woundeth and corrupteth eyther some veyne or arterie or sinew and so the member harmed swelleth immediatly into an exceeding great bulke and quantity and aking with insufferable torment But yet as we haue already said there is a difference of the paine according to the difference of the Scorpion that stingeth If a man be stung in the lower part of his body instantly followeth the extension of his virile member the swelling thereof but if in the vpper part then is the person affected with cold and the place smitten is as if it were burned his countenaunce or face discorted glewish spots about the eyes the teares viscous and slymie hardnes of the articles falling downe of the fundament and a continuall desire to egestion foaming at the mouth coughing conuulsions of the braine and drawing the face backward the hayre standes vpright palenesse goeth ouer all the body and a continuall pricking like the pricking of needels Also Gordomus writeth that if the pricke fall vppon an artery there followeth swouning but if on a nerue there speedily followeth putrefaction and rottennesse And those Scorpions which haue wings make wounds with a compasse like a bow whose succeeding symptomes are both heate and cold and if they hurt about the caniculer dayes their wounds are very sildome recouered The Indian Scorpions cause death three months after their wounds But most wonderfull is that which Strabo relateth of the Albenian Scorpions and Spyders whereof hee saith are two kinds and one kind killeth by laughing the other by weeping And if any Scorpion hurt a vaine in the head it causeth death by madnesse as writeth Paracelsus When an oxe or other beast is strooken with a Scorpion his knees are drawne together and he halteth refusing meate out of his nose floweth a greene humour and when hee is layd he careth not for rising againe These and such like are the symptomes that follow the bytings and stingings of Scorpions for the cure whereof I will remit the Reader to that excellent discourse written by Wolphius wherein are largely and learnedly expressed whatsoeuer Art could collect out of nature And seeing we in our Country are free from Scorpions and therefore shal haue no neede to feare their poyson it shall not I trust offend my Reader if I cut off the relation of Scorpions cures as a thing which cannot benefit either the English-Reader or else much adorne this history and so I will proceede to the medicines drawne out of Scorpions The application or vse of Scorpions in medicine is eyther by powder or by oyle or by applying them brused to their owne wounds wherefore euery one of these are to be handled particularly and first of all for the powder it is made by vstion or burning in this manner They take tenne Scorpions and put them aliue into a new earthen potte whose mouth is to be dammed vp with loame or such like stuffe then must it be sette vpon a fire of Vine-tree-shreddes and therein must the pot stand day and night vntill all within it be consumed to powder and you shall know by their white colour when they be enough otherwise if they be browne or burned they must be continued longer and the vse of this powder is to expell the stone Againe they vse to make this powder another way they take twentie Scorpions and put them in a little earthen pot with a narrow mouth which mouth must be stopped and then the potte put into a Furnace by the space of sixe houres which Furnace must also be kept close within and with a gentle fire then after sixe houres take off the pot and bruse the Scorpions into powder and keepe that powder for the vse afore-said There are other waies also to prepare this powder but in all preparations the attendant and assistant must take heede of the fume or smoake that commeth from it for that is very venomous and contagious But besides there are many things to be obserued heerein as first that the Scorpions be aliue and that they be killed in oyle then that they be put in whole with euery member without mutilation and that the Scorpions appointed for this confection be of the strongest poyson and the time of their collection to be when the Sunne is in Leo and not in Scorpius as some without reason haue imagined The oyle so made is distinguished into two kindes one simple and the other compound The simple is made of a conuenient number of Scorpions as
all that corps containe The raging venom still heating members all So death contracted all by little poysons maine Vnloosing nerues and making sides on ground to fall This plague the hollow brest and euery vitall part Abstrused where the fibres keepe the life in vre Did open vnto death The life the lungs the hart O death prophane and enemy vnto nature Out flow the shoulders great and arme-blades strong Both necke and head gush out in matter all doth runne No snow doth melt so soone the Southerne blast among Nor waxe so fast dissolue by heate of shyning sunne These things which now I speake I doe account but small That corps should runne with filthy core may caused be by flame Yet bones are spared in fire heere all away they fall Of them and marrow sweete fate lets no signe remaine Among the Cyniph plagues this still shall beare the bell The soule they take this soule and carkasse both The Seps though short it be in force it is a hell Deuouring bones the body all vndoeth Thus you heare that more largely expressed by Lucan of the Seps which was more briefely touched by Nicander of the Sepedon and all commeth to one end that both kill by putrefaction The length of this Serpent is about two cubits being thicke toward the head but thinne and slender toward the tayle The head thereof is broad and the mouth sharpe it is of many colours so as some haue thought that it could change colour like a Camaelion The foure vnder teeth are hollow and in them lyeth the poyson which are couered ouer with a little skinne Pausanias affirmeth that he himselfe saw one of them and that Egyptus the sonne of Elatus a King of Arcadia was slaine by one of these They liue in Rocks in hollow places of the valleys vnder stones they feare no winter according to this verse of Pictorius Hâ—â— hyemis calidus frigora nulla timeâ— Which may be englished thus Of Winters coldit hath no feare For warme it is throughout the yeere First of all after the wound appeareth some blood but that symptom lasteth not long for by and by followeth matter smelling very strong swelling tumour and languishing paine and all the parts of the body affected herewith become white and when the hayre falleth off the patient sildome liueth aboue three or foure dayes after The cure hereof is by the same meanes that the poyson of the Viper the Ammodyte and Horned-serpent is cured withall And particulerly Aetius prescribeth a spuÌ„ge wet in warme vineger to be applyed to the wound or else to lay the ashes of chaffe with the earth vppon which they are burned to the place and to annoynt it with butter and hony or else lay vnto it Millet Hony likewise Bay-springs Oximell Purslaine and in their diet salt fish Aristotle writeth of a little Serpent which by some is called a sacred or holy Serpent and he saith that all other Serpents doe auoyde it and flye from it because whatsoeuer is bytten by it presently rotteth It is in length as he saith a cubit and it is rough all ouer and therefore I take this Serpent to be a kind of Sepedon Also Aristoxenus saith that he knew a man by touching this Serpent to dye and afterward that the garment which hee wore at the time of the touching the Serpent did likewise rot away And thus much for the Seps and Sepedon OF THE SLOVV-VVORME THis Serpent was called in auncient time among the Graecians Tythlops and Typhlines and Cophia because of the dimnes of the sight thereof and the deafenes of the eares and hearing vulgarly at this day it is called in Greece Tephloti Tefliti Tephlini and from hence the Latines haue taken their word Caecilia quasi caecus serpens a blind serpent it is also called Cerula Caecula and Ceriella as witnesseth Albertus because the eyes thereof are none at all or very small The Italians call it Bisa orbala and the Florentines Lucignola the Germans Blyndenschlycher the Heluetians En vieux al' annoilx and the people of Narbon Nadels It beeing most euident that it receiueth name from the blindnes and deafenes thereof for I haue often prooued that it neither heareth nor seeth here in England or at the most it seeth no better then a Mole The teeth are fastned in the mouth like the teeth of a Camaelion the skinne is very thicke and therefore when the skin is broken by a hard blow the whole body doth also breake and part asunder The colour is a pale blew or sky-colour with some blackish spots intermixed at the sides There is some question whether it hath one or two rymes on the belly for seeing they conceiue theyr young ones in theyr wombe they haue such a belly by nature as may be distended and stretched out accordingly as the young ones growe in their wombe It hath a smooth skinne without all scales The neather eye-lidde couereth all the eye it hath which is very small about the head they are more light coloured then about the other partes of the body The tongue is clouen and the toppe thereof very blacke They are in length about a spanne and as thicke as a mans finger except toward the tayle which is more slender and the Female is more blacke then the Male. The passage or place of excrements or conception is transuerse If they be killed with the young in their belly the little ones will instantly creepe out at their dammes mouth and some times as witnesseth Bellonius in this little serpent are found forty little young ones They are in Greece and England and come not abroad till Iuly and they goe into the earth in August and so abide abroad all haruest and they loue to hide themselues in Corne-fieldes vnder the rype corne when it is cut downe It is harmelesse except being prouoked yet many times when an Oxe or a Cow 〈◊〉 downe in the pasture if it chaunce to lye vppon one of these Slow-wormes it byteth the beast if remedy be not had there followeth mortalitie or death for the poyson thereof is very strong If it swell it is good to pricke the place with a brazen bodkin and then apply vnto it Fullers-earth and Vineger There is a Triacle made of the Slow-worme which smelleth like Aqua-vitae with this some men are cured of the plague And thus much of this little Serpent OF THE SNAKE THere is no reasonable Learned-man that maketh question that Anguis in Latine is a generall word for all kind of Snakes and Serpents and therefore when Virgill writeth of the Fury Alecto how she cast a Snake into the bosome of Amata he first of all calleth it Anguis a Snake and presently after Coluber Vipera a Serpent as appeareth by these verses of his following Aeneid 7. Huic dea coeruleis vnum de crinibus anguem Conijcit inque sinum praecordia adintima subdit Vipeream inspirans animam fit tortile collo Aurum
further the hearb outwardly applyed is much commended of Turneiser Beate and stampe Hearb-agrace with Garlicke and some Oyle and apply it outwardly Celsus There bee but a fevv particular cures for the bytings of Spyders that Physitions mention yet some they doe although the generall bee most effectuall Pliny against the byting of the Formicarion or Pismire-like Phalangie that hath a red head commendeth much another Phalangie of the same kind onely to be shewed to the wounded patient to looke vpon and to be kept for the same purpose though the Spyder be found dead Also a young Weasell dryed and the belly thereof stuffed with Coriander-seede and so kept till it be very old and stale and drunke in wine being first beaten to powder is likewise good for the same intention There is a certaine little beast called Ichneumon of some it is called Mus Pharaonis Pharoes Mouse and for the enmity vnto Serpents it is called Ophiomorchus as Bellonius reporteth being bruised and applyed to the byting of any Waspe-like Phalangie doth vtterly take away the vemone of them It often entereth and searcheth out the seats and holes of venomous Spiders and Phalangies and if it finde any of them shee haleth and tuggeth them cleane away as a Pismire doth a small graine of Corne and if the Phalangie offer any resistaunce the Ichneumon sparing no labour pulleth her the contrary way and by this struggling and striuing sometimes it so falleth out that the Ichneumon is wearied and then she breatheth a little and gathering new strength and courage setteth againe vpon the Phalangie with a fresh assault and woundeth her many times so that at length she carieth her to her owne lodging there to be deuoured If the Tarantula haue hurt any one the best remedy is to styrre and exercise the body continually without any intermission whereas in all hurtes that are caused by any other Spyders rest and quietnesse are the best meanes as Celsus affirmeth But their Antidote is Musicke and singing Christophorus de Honestis counselleth to take forth with Theriaca Andromachi without any delay He also aduiseth to take Butter tempered vvith Hony and the roote of Saffron in Wine His propper Bezoar saith he or the greene Berries or seedes of the Lentiske-tree Ponzettus in his booke De venenis aduiseth to take ten graynes of the Lentisk-tree in Milke or an ounce and a halfe of the iuyce of Mull-berry-leaues In the encrease of the griefe he cureth them with Agaricke or the White Vine and after much sweating they are to be comforted and refreshed or strengthened with colde Medicines as with the Water of Poppy and the like Meruâ—a saith they are to be remedied with the stone of Musicall Instruments dauncing singing and colours concerning the three former I will not contend but howe they should receiue any part of helpe or health from vewing of any colours I doe not well vnderstand considering that the eye-sight of all those that are bitten of a Tarantula is quite taken away or they see but obscurely as being mightily deceiued in their obiects Andreas Matthiolus in his Commentaries vppon the sixth booke of Dioscorides Chap. 40. reporteth a verie strange story of a cerraine Hermit his olde friende and acquaintance dwelling neere vnto Rome who cured all those who were bitten or hurt of any venomous Wormes or Serpents which in this last place I will insert although some may say that it is needlesse and belongeth not at all to this discourse in hand or else will not beleeue it For when as any of the Inhabitants in those parts were wounded of any poysonous Serpent by a Messenger forthwith fignified the same to the old Hermit who by and by demaunded of the Messenger whether he could be content to take or drinke any Medicine in the stead of the sicke patient which if the other assented too promising to take it the Hermit commaunded him without any further delay to pull off his right foot shoe and to set his foote on the earth drawing a line round about the foot with his knife then he willed him to take away his foote and within the space of the line so marked he writ or engraued these words following Caro Caruze sanum reduce reputata sanum Emanuel paracletus Then immediatly he pared away the earth with the same whittle so that all the Characters were quite defaced putting rhe same earth into a little earthen vessell full of Water letting it there so long remaine vntil the earth sunke to the bottome Lastly he strayned the water with a peece of the Messengers shirt or some other Linnen that hee wore next to his skin and being signed with the signe of the crosse gaue it him to drinke but surely saith Matthiolus it was marueylous strange and a wonderfull thing to consider how that the wounded patient was perfectly healed euen at that very houre and moment of time that the Messenger tooke the aforesaide potion of the Hermit as it is plainely knowne vnto my selfe and to all the people that dwell round about in that Territory or Shire And thus much of this heremiticall curation by the way Now will I come into my path againe A man may find a great sort both of these and the like remedies both in Pliny Dioscorides and other concerning the hurts of Spiders but I thinke I haue beene a little to tedious and you may imagine that I do nothing but Ta arachina hiphainein Aranearum telas texere That is In a friuolous matter and of small moment spend infinite and curious labour so that I had more neede to craue pardon for my long discourse about this subiect wherein though many things may want to the satisfaction of an afflicted searching head yet I am sure here is inough to warrant the discharge of my good will to repell the censure of the scrupulous Nunc imus ad illam Artificem mens nostra cui est conformis Arachnem Quae medio tenerae residens in stamine telae Quà ferit eurus atrox trepidat volitantibus auris Tangitur veresono vagus illi byssus ab aestro In English thus Vnto Arachne skilfull mistrisse let vs come To whom conformed seemes the mind of man She sits in middest of web her tender feet vpon Whiles she is tost with Eastwind now and than She trembleth at the noyse of ratling winds As when the humming Fly hard wagging finds OF THE TAME OR HOVSE Spyder ARistotle that diligent searcher and seeker out of Nature and naturall causes termeth this kind of Spyder a very gallant excellent wise creature King Salomon himselfe at whose high wisedome all succeeding ages haue and will admire amongst those foure small creatures which in wisedome doe out-strippe the greatest Phylosophers reckoneth the Spyder for one dwelling as he saith in Kings courts and there deuising and weauing his inimitable webbe The Poets fayne that the Spyder called Arachne was in times past a mayden of Lydia who beeing instructed of Minerua in the cunning
swelling of the Spleene He writeth also further that if a man catch a Spyder as she is glyding and descending downe-wards by her thred and so being crushed in the hand then applied to the nauell that the belly will be prouoked to the stoole but beeing taken as shee is ascending and applyed after the same former manner that any loosenes or fluxe is stayed and restrayned thereby The same Pliny also writeth that if a man take a Spyder and lay it vppon a fellon prouided that the sick patient may not know so much that within the space onely of three dayes that terrible and painefull griefe will be cleane taken away And besides he affirmeth that if the head and feete of a spyder be cast away and the rest of the body rubbed and bruised that it will thoroughly remedie the swelling in the fundament proceeding of inflamation If any be vexed with store of lyce and doe vse a suffumigation made onely with Spyders it will cause them all to fall and come away neither will there afterwards any moe breede in that place The fat of a Goose tempered and mixed with a Spyder and oyle of Roses together beeing vsed as an oyntment vpon the breasts preserueth them safelie as that no milke will coagulate or curdle in them after any birth Anonymus Yea that same knotty scourge of rich men the scorne of Phisitians I meane the Gowte which as some learned men hold can by no meanes be remedied yet feeleth mitigation and diminution of paine and curation also onely by the presence of a Spyder if it be taken aliue and her hinder legges cut off and afterward inclosed in a purse made of the hyde of a Stag. Moreouer we see which all other medicines can neuer doe that all they are freed for the most part both from the Gowte in the legges and hands where the spyders are most found where they are most busie in working framing their ingenious deuised webs Doubtlesse this is a rare miracle of nature a wonderfull vertue that is in this contemptible little creature or rather esteemed to be so vile abiect and of no estimation Rich men were happy indeede if they knew how to make vse of their owne good Antonius Pius was wont to say that the sharpe words wittie sayings quirkes subtilties of Sophisters were like vnto Spyders webbes that containe in them much cunning Art and artificiall conceit but had little other good besides If any one be newly dangerously wounded and that the miserable partie feareth a bleeding to death what is a more noble medicine or more ready at hand then a thicke Spyders webbe to bynde hard vpon the wound to stay the inordinate effusion of blood Questionlesse if we were as diligent and greedy to search out the true properties and vertues of our owne domesticall remedies which we would buy of others so deerely we would not enforce our selues with such eager pursute after those of forraine Countries as though things fetcht farre off were better then our owne neere at hand or as though nothing were good wholesome vnlesse it came frō Egypt Arabia or India Surely vnlesse there were some wild worme in our brames or that we were bewitched and possessed with some Furie we would not so farre be in loue with forraine wares or be so much besotted as to seeke for greedy new phisicke and phisicall meanes considering that one poore Spyders webbe will doe more good for the stanching of blood the curation of vlcers the hindering of sanies slyme or slough to grow in any sore to abate and quench inflamations to conglutinate and consolidate wounds more then a cart-loade of Bole fetcht out of Armenia Sorcocolla Sandaracha or that earth vvhich is so much nobilitated by the impresse of a seale and therefore called Terra Sigillata the clay of Samos the durt of Germany or the loame of Lemnos For a cobwebbe adstringeth refrigerateth soldereth ioyneth and closeth vppe wounds not suffering any rotten or filthy matter to remaine long in them And in regard of these excellent vertues and qualities it quickly cureth bleedings at the nose the Haemorrhoides and other bloodie-fluxes whether of the opening of the mouthes of the veines their opertions breakings or any other bloody euacuation that too much aboundeth beeing either giuen by it selfe alone in some Wine eyther inwardlie or outwardly or commixed with the Blood-stone Crocus Martis and other the like remedies fit for the same intentions The cobwebbe is also an ingredient into an vnguent which is made by Phisitians against the disease called Serpego and beeing bound to the swellings of the fundament if there be inflamation ioyned withall it consumeth them without any paine as Marcellus Empiricus testifieth It likewise cureth the watering or dropping of the eyes as Pliny reporteth and beeing applyed with oyle it consolidateth the wounds of the ioynts and some for the same intent vse the ashes of cobwebbes with fine Meale and White-vvine mixed together Some Surgeons there be that cure Warts in this manner They take a Spyders-web roling the same vppe on a round heape like a ball and laying it vppon the wart they then set fire on it and so burne it to ashes and by this way and order the vvarts are eradicated that they neuer after grow againe Marcellus Empiricus taketh Spyders webbes that are found in the Cypresse-tree mixing them with other conuenient remedies so giuing them to a podagricall person for the asswaging of his paine Against the paine of a hollovv tooth Gallen in his first booke De Compos medicum secundum loca much commendeth by the testimony of Archigenes the egges of Spyders beeing tempered and mixed with Oleum Nardinum and so a little of it beeing put into the tooth In like sort Kiramides giueth Spyders egges for the curation of a Tertian-Ague Where-vpon we conclude with Gallen in his booke to Piso that Nature as yet neuer brought foorth any thing so vile meane and contemptible in outward shew but that it hath manifold and most excellent necessary vses if we would shew a greater diligence and not be so squeamish as to refuse those wholesome medicines which are easie to be had and without great charges and trauaile acquired I will adde therefore this one note before I end this discourse that Apes Marmosets or Monkies the Serpents called Lizards the Stellion which is likewise a venomous beast like vnto a Lizard hauing spots in his necke like vnto starres Waspes and the little beast called Ichneumon Swallowes Sparrowes the little Titmouse and Hedge-sparrowes doe often feede full sauourlie vppon Spyders Besides if the Nightingale the Prince of all singing-byrds doe eate any Spyders shee is cleane freed and healed of all diseases vvhatsoeuer In the dayes of Alexander the Great there dwelled in the Cittie of Alexandria a certaine young mayde which from her youth vp was fed and nourished onely with eating of Spyders and for the same cause the King was premonished not to come neere
Emperour And all fraudes whatsoeuer are likevvise taxed by this name vvhich were not punishable but by the doome of the supreame or highest Iudge and there-vppon Alciatus made this Embleme following Parua lacerta atris Stellatus corpore guttis Stellio qui latebras caua busta colit Inuidiae prauique doli fert symbola pictus Heu nimium nuribus cognita Zelotypis Nam turpi obtegitur faciem lentigine quisquis Sit quibus immersus Stellio vina bibat Hinc vindicta frequens decepta pellice vino Quam formae amisso flore relinquit amans Which may be englished thus The little Lyzard or Stellion starred in body graine In secrete holes and graues of dead which doth remaine When painted you it see or drawne before the eye A symbole then you view of deepe deceit and cursed enuy Alas this is a thing to iealous wiues knowne too well For whosoeuer of that Wine doth drinke his fill Wherein a Stellion hath beene drencht to death His face with filthy lentile spots all vgly it appeareth Here-with a Louer oft requites the fraude of concubine Depriuing her of beauties hiew by draught of this same wine The Poet Ouid hath a pretty fiction of the originall of this cursed enuy in Stellions for he writeth of one Abas the sonne of Metaneira that receiued Ceres kindly into her house and gaue her hospitalitie whereat the said Abas beeing displeased derided the sacrifice which his mother made to Ceres the Goddesse seeing the wretched nature of the young man and his extreame impietie against the sacrifice of his Mother tooke the Wine left in the goblet after the Sacrifice and poured the same vppon his head wherevpon he was immediatly turned into a Stellion as it is thus related by Ouid Metam 5. Combibit os maculas quae modo brachia gessit Crura gerit cauda est mutatis addita membris Inque breuem formam ne sit vis magna nocendi Contrahitur paruaque minor mensura lacerta est In English thus His mouth suckt in those spots and now where armes did stand His legges appeare and to his changed parts was put a tayle And least it should haue power to harme small was the bodies band And of the Lizards poysonous this least in shape did vayle Their bodyes are very brittle so as if at any time they chaunce to fall they breake their tayles They lay very small egges out of which they are generated and Pliny writeth that the iuyce or liquor of these egges layde vppon a mans body causeth the hayre to fall off and also neuer more permitteth it to grow againe But whereas wee haue said it deuoureth the skinne to the damage hurt of men you must remember that in auncient time the people did not want their pollicies and deuises to take away this skinne from them before they could eate it And therfore in the Sommer-time they watched the lodging place and hole of the Lyzard and then in the end of the winter toward the Spring they tooke Reedes and did cleaue them in sunder these they composed into little Cabonets and set them vppon the hole of the Serpent Now when it awaked and would come forth it being grieued with the thicknes and straightnes of his skinne presseth out of his hole thorough those Reedes or Cabonet and finding the same some-what straight is the more gladde to take it for a remedie so by little and little it slydeth thorough and beeing thorough it leaueth the skinne behind in the Cabonet into the which it cannot reenter to deuoure it Thus is this wylie Serpent by the pollicie of man iustly beguiled loosing that which it so greatly desireth to possesse and changing nature to line his guttes vvith his coate is preuented from that gluttony it beeing sufficient to haue had it for a couer in the Winter and therefore vnsufferable that it should make foode thereof and it the same in the Sommer These Stellings like as other Serpents haue also theyr enemies in nature as first of all they are hated by the Asses for they loue to be about the maungers and rackes on which the Asse feedeth and from thence many times they creepe into the Asses open nostrills and by that meanes hinder his eating But aboue all other there is greatest antipathy in nature betwixt this Serpent and the Scorpion for if a Scorpion doe but see one of these it falleth into a deepe feare and a cold sweat out of which it is deliuered againe very speedily and for this cause a Stellion putrified in oyle is a notable remedie against the byting of a Scorpion and the like warre and dissention is affirmed to be betwixt the Stellion and the Spyder Wee haue shewed already the difference of Stellions of Italie from them of Greece how these are of a deadly poysonous nature and the other innocent and harmelesse and therefore now it is also conuenient that wee should shew the nature and cure of this poyson which is in this manner Whensoeuer any man is bytten by a Stellion hee hath ache and payne thereof continually and the wound receiued looketh very pale in colour the cure whereof according to the saying of Aetius is to make a playster of Garlicke and Leekes mixed together or else to eate the said Garlice and Leekes drinking after them a good draught of svveete Wine vnmixed and very pure or else apply Nigella Romana Sesamyne and sweet water vnto it Some as Arnoldus writeth prescribe for this cure the dunge of a Faulcon or a Scorpion to be bruised all to peeces and layd to the wound But sometimes it happeneth that a mans meate or drinke is corrupted with Stellions that fall into the same from some high place where they desire to be clymbing and then if the same meate or Wine so corrupted be eaten or drunk it causeth vnto the partie a continuall vomiting payne in the stomacke Then must the cure be made also by vomits to auoyd the poyson and by Glysters to open the lower passage that so there may be no stoppe or stay to keepe the imprisoned meate or drinke in the body And principally those thinges are prescribed in this case which are before expressed in the Cantharides when a man hath by any accident beene poysoned by eating of them The remedies which are obserued out of this Serpent are these Beeing eaten by Hawkes they make them quickly to cast theyr old coates or feathers Others giue it in meate after it is bowelled to them that haue the Falling-sicknesse Also when the head feete and bowels are taken away it is profitable for those persons which cannot hold in their vrine and beeing sodden is giuen against the Bloody-flixe Also sodde in wine with blacke Poppy-seede cureth the payne of the loynes if the wine be drunke vp by the sicke patient The oyle of Stellions beeing annoynted vpon the arme-holes or pittes of chyldren or young persons it restraineth all hayre for euer growing in those places Also the
haue wrote they haue conceiued at theyr mouth or that the Male perished at the time of engendering or the Female at the time of her deliuery Thus saith Amatus Theophrastus he likewise writeth in this manner The young Vipers doe not eate out their way or open with their teeth theyr Mothers belly nor if I may speake merrily make open their owne passage by breaking vp of the doores of their Mothers womb but the wombe being narrow cannot containe them and therefore breaketh of it owne accord and this I haue prooued by experience euen as the same falleth out with the Fish called Acus and therefore I must craue pardon of Herodotus if I affirme his relation of the generation of Vipers to be meerely fabulous Thus farre Theophrastus Apollonius also writeth that many haue seene the olde Vipers lycking theyr young ones like other Serpents Thus haue I expressed the different iudgements of sundry Authors both new olde touching the generation of Vipers out of which can be collected nothing but euident cōtradictions and vnreconcileable iudgements one mutually crossing another So as it is vnpossible that they should be both true and therefore it must be our labour to search out the truth both in their words and in the conference of other Authors Wherefore to beginne thus writeth Aristotle The Viper amongst other Serpents almost alone bringeth forth a liuing creature but first of all she conceiueth a soft egge of one colour aboue the egges lyeth the young ones folded vppe in a synnes skinne and some-times it falleth out that they gnaw in sunder that thinne skinne and so come out of their mothers belly all in one day for she bringeth forth more then twentie at a time Out of these words of Aristotle euilly vnderstood by Pliny and other auncient Wryters came that errour of the young Vipers eating their way out of their mothers belly for in stead of the little thinne skinne which Aristotle saith they eate thorough other Authors haue turned it to the belly which was cleane from Aristotles meaning And another error like vnto this is that wherein they affirme that the Viper doth euery day bring forth one young one so that if shee hath twentie young ones in her belly then also shee must be twenty dayes in bringing of them forth The words of Aristotle frō whence this errour is gathered are these Tectei de en mia emera kathon Tictei de pleio he ei kosni which are thus translated by Gaza Parit enim singulos diebus singulis plures quam viginti numero That is to say she bringeth forth euery day one more then twentie in number But this is an absurd translation and agreeth neither with the words of Aristotle nor yet with his mind for his words are these Parit autem vna die singulos parit autem plus quam viginti numero That is to say in English shee bringeth forth euery one in one day and shee bringeth foorth more then twentie so that the sence of these words shall be that the Viper bringeth forth her young ones seuerallie one at a time but yet all in a day But concerning her number neither the Phylosopher nor yet any man liuing is able to define and set it downe certaine for they varry being sometimes more and sometimes fewer according to the nature of other liuing creatures And although the Viper do conceiue eggos within her yet doth shee lay them after the manner of other Serpents but in her body they are turned into liuing Vipers and so the egges neuer see the sunne neither doth any mortall eye behold them except by accident in the dissection of a female Viper when she is with young I cannot also approue them that doe write that one namelie the Viper among all Serpents bringeth forth her young ones aliue and perfect into the world for Nicander and Greuinus doe truly affirme with the constant consent of all other Authors that the horned Serpent called Cerastes of which we haue spoken alreadie doth likewise bring forth her young ones aliue And besides Herodotus writeth of certaine winged-Serpents in Arabia which doe bring foorth young ones as well as Vipers and therefore it must not be concluded with apparant falsehood that onely the Viper bringeth her young ones perfect into the world The like fable vnto this is that generall conceit of the copulation together betwixt the Viper and the Lamprey for it is reported that when the Lamprey burneth in lust for copulation she forsaketh the waters and commeth to the Land seeking out the lodging of the male Viper and so ioyneth herselfe vnto him for copulation He againe on the other side is so tickled with desire hereof that forsaking his owne dwelling and his owne kind doth likewise betake himselfe vnto the waters and Riuers sides where in an amorous maner hee hysseth for the Lamprey like as when a young man goeth to meete and call his Loue so that these two creatures liuing in contrary elements the earth and the water yet meete together for the fulfilling of their lusts in one bed of fornication Vppon which Saint Basill writeth in this manner Vipera infestissimum animal eorurquae Serpunt cum murena congreditur c. That is to say the Viper a most pernitious enemy to all liuing creeping things yet admitteth copulation with the Lamprey for he forsaketh the Land and goeth to the water-side and there with his hyssing voyce giueth notice to the other of his presence which she hearing instantly forsaketh the deepe waters and comming to the Land suffereth herselfe to be embraced by that venomous beast Also Nicander wryteth thus thereof in his verses Fama est si modo vera quod haec suapascua linquat Atque eat in siccum cogente libidine littus Et cum Vipereo coiens serpente grauetur Which may be englished thus Fame saith if it be true that she her feede forsakes I meane the shore and goes vpon dry land Where for her lust the Viper-male she takes In fleshly coiture to be her husband But this opinion is vaine and fantasticall as Pliny and diuers others haue very learnedly prooued for the Lamprey cannot liue on the Land nor the viper in wet places besides the waters and therfore besides the impossibility in nature it is not reasonable that these will hazard their owne liues by forsaking their owne elements for the satisfaction of their lusts there beeing plenty of eyther kindes to worke vppon that is to say both of female Vipers in the Land to couple with the male and male Lampreys in the water to couple with the female Although I haue else-where confuted this errour yet I must heere againe remember that which is said already The occasion of this fable is this the male Lamprey is exceeding like a Viper for they want feete and haue long bodies which some one by chaunce seeing in copulation with his female did rashly iudge it to be a Serpent because of his likenesse as afore-said and
my hands in whose cure when generous medicines auailed nothing at last with consent of her husband I purposed to try her with Vipers flesh where-vpon a female Viper beeing cleansed and prepared after that sort as Galen prescribeth in his booke De Theriaca mingling the flesh of the Viper with Galangall Saffron c. I sod her very well Then I tooke a chicken which I commaunded well to be sod in the iuyce and broth of the Viper And least shee should take any harme there-by I first ministred vnto her Methridate then the Chicken with the broth by eating whereof she said she felt herselfe better Which when I saw I tooke another male viper whom I sod alone without adding any other thing and the broth thereof I ministred to her three dayes where-vpon she began to sweat extreamely the sweat I restrained by syrop of Violets and pure water After sixe dayes scales fell from her and shee was healed Moreouer shee soone after conceiued a man-child hauing beene barren before the space of forty yeeres Antonius Musa a Phisitian when he met with an incurable Vlcer he gaue his patients Vipers to eate and cured them with maruailous celeritie When the scruaunt of Craterus the Phisitian fell into a strange and vnusuall disease that his flesh fell from his bones and that he had prooued many medicines which profited him nothing he was healed by eating a Viper dressed as a fish Vipers flesh if it be sod and eaten cleareth the eyes helpeth the defects of the sinewes and represseth swellings They say they that eate vipers become lousie which is not so though Galen affirme it Some adde them to liue long who eate that meate to wit Vipers Isogonus affirmeth the Cirni a kind of Indians to liue an hundred and forty yeeres Also he thinketh the Ethyopians and Seres and the inhabitants of Mount Athos to be long liued because they eate Vipers flesh The Scythians cleaue the head of the viper betwixt the eares to take out a stone which they say she deuoureth when she is affrighted The heads of Vipers burnt in a pot to ashes and after beaten together with the grosest decoction of bitter Lupines and spred as an oyntment on the temples of the head stayeth the continuall rhume of the eyes Their ashes lightly beaten alone and applyed as a dry medicine for the eyes greatly amendeth a dimme sight The head of a viper kept dry and burned and after beeing dipped in Vineger and applyed cureth wild fire The gall of the viper doth wonderfully cleanse the eye and offendeth not by poyson It is manifest against the stinging of all Serpents though incurable that the bowels of the very Serpents doe helpe and auaile and yet they who at any time haue drunke the liuer of a sod Viper are neuer stung of Serpents The fat of a viper is effectuall against the dimnesse and suffusions of the eyes mixed with Rosin Honny-attick and a like quantity of old oyle For the Gowte they sayâ—t auaileth much to annoynt the feete with the fatte of Vipers Vipers fatte healeth them that are burned The slough of the Viper cureth the Ring-worme The skinne of the viper beaten to powder and layd vpon the places where the hayre is fallen it dooth wonderfully restore hayre againe Some extend and dry whole Vipers and after beate them to powder and minister theÌ„ in drinke against the Gowte Others about the rising of the Dog-star cut off the head tayle of Vipers and burne the middle then they giue those ashes to be drunke 21. dayes so much at a time as may be taken vp with three fingers and so cure the swelling in the neeke Ioynts payned with the Gowte are profitably annoynted with oyle wherein a Viper hath beene sodden for this cureth perfectly The making of oyle of Vipers is described in these words Take three or foure Vipers cut off their extreame parts the head and the tayle in length foure fingers deuide the rest into foure gobbets and put them in a pot open aboue and below which pot must be put into another greater pot then the mouth of them must be well shutte with clay that they breathe not forth then put them into a caldron full of seething water and there let them continue boyling two houres in those pots then will distill a liquour from the Vipers which were in the pot open aboue and below with that oylie liquour annoynt the members of the partie molested with the Palsey for by a secret propertie it cureth the greefe of that disease Of Triacle and Trochuks of Uipers THeriace or Triacle not onely because it cureth the venomous byting of Serpents but also because the Serpents themselues are vsually mingled in the making thereof fitly is so named of both significations Heere also we will insert something concerning Trochuks of Vipers vvhich are mingled in the making of Triacle Triacle is very auncient and hath alwaies very carefully and not without ambition beene refined by the Phisitians till Andromochus Nero his Phisitian added the flesh of Vipers as the full accomplishment of this drugge The flesh of Vipers alone is mingled in Triacle and not the flesh of other Serpents because all the rest haue some-thing malignant more then Vipers Vipers are thought to haue lesse poyson in them then other Serpents Vipers for Triacle must not be taken at any time but chiefely in the beginning of the Spring when hauing left their dennes they come forth into the sunne-shine and as yet haue not poyson much offensiue Take female Vipers for we must take heede how we take male vipers for the confection of Antidotes For Trochuks all vipers are not conuenient but those which be yellow and of the yellow the females onely Vipers great with young you must refuse for being pregnant they are more exasperate then themselues at other times Of Vipers be made Trochisches which of the Graecians are called Therâ—acy foure fingers beeing cut off at either end and the inwards taken out and the pale matter cleauing to the backe-bone the rest of the body must be boyled in a dish in water with the herbe Dill the back-bone must be taken out and fine floure must be added Thus these Trochuks being made they must be dryed in the shade apart from the Sunne-beames and beeing so prepared they be of very great vse for many medicines The vse of Triacle is profitable for many things for not onely by his owne nature it auayleth against the byting of venomous creatures and poysons but also it is found by experience to helpe many other great infirmities For it caseth the Gowte and payne in the ioynts it dryeth fluxes it very much profiteth men molested with the Dropsie leaprous and melancholicke persons those that haue Quartane-Agues or the Iaundise those that haue a weake voyce or that spet blood those that are troubled with aking of the reynes with disentery with the stone
great heapes round about their King if he be a good one ending all their quarrell in one set battell In their order of fighting how great vertue courage strength and noblenesse these poore creatures shew as well wee our selues can testifie and they better who haue assured vs by their writings that whole armies of armed men haue beene tamed by the stings of Bees and that Lyons Beares and Horses haue beene slaine by meanes of them And yet how fierce and warlike soeuer they seeme to be they are appeased and made gentle with continuall or daiely company and vnlesse they be to much netled and angred they liue peaceably inough without any great trouble neuer hurting any one maliciously or deceitfully that standeth before their Hiues If I should goe about to declare at large their ingenie naturall inclination cunning worke-manship and memory I should not onely giue vnto them with Virgil Particulam aurū diuinae but also haustus mentis aethereae and liceat Pythagoricè errare the Metempsuchoosis of that ingenious Philosopher For after that they are inclosed in a cleane and a sweet hiue they gather out of gummie and moist licqour-yeelding trees a kind of glutinous substance thicke clammy and tough called of the Latines Comosis and of the Greekes Mitys especially from Elmes Willowes Canes or Reedes yea euen from stones and this they lay for the first foundation of their worke so couering it all ouer as with a hard crust at first bringing to it afterwardes another layer of Pissocera which is a kinde of iuyce of Waxe and Pitch made with Gumme and Rosin and ouer that againe they lay Propolis which we call Bee-glew In this same three-fold tilie and sure ground-worke thus artificially begunne they doe not onely laugh to scorne iest at and mocke the eyes of the ouer-curious spectators of their Common-wealth and workes but that which no man considers they doe heereby defend both themselues and theirs against raine cold small vermin and beasts and all their enemies Then after this they build their Combes with such an Architectonicall prudence that Archimedes in respect of them seemes to be no body For first of all they set vp the cells of their Kings and Princes in the higher place of the hony-combes beeing large fayre sumptuous stately and loftie beeing cunningly wrought of the most tryed purest refined Waxe trenching them round for the greater defence of the regall Maiestie with mound and enclosure as it were with a strong Wall Bulwarke or Rampire And as Bees in regard of their age and condition are of three sorts so likewise doe they deuide their Cells for to the most auncient they appoint houses next to the Court as those that are the fittest to be of his priuie counsaile garders of his person next to these are placed the young Bees and those that be but one yeere old And they of middle yeres and stronger bodies are lodged in the vttermost roomes as those that are fittest and best able to fight for their King and country Yet Aristotle saith that Bees in the making of their Tents or Cells doe first of all prouide for themselues and next for their King his Nephewes and lastlie for the Drones And as in the fabricature of their hony-combes they make the fashion according to the magnitude and figure of the place fashioning it either orbicular long square sword-like or foote-like c. according to their owne liking running out sometimes in length eyght foote so their little Cells contrariwise are framed after a certaine forme in a Geometricall proportion and measure for by rule they are iustly Sexangular and capable enough to hold the tenant The whole combe containeth foure orders of Celles The first the Bees occupie the next the Drones possesse the third those that are called of the Greekes Chadoones of the Latines Apum soboles call them if you please Schadones The last is appointed for the roome of hony making There be some who constantly auerre that the Drones do make combes in the same hiue the labouring Bees doe but that they lacke the skill and power of mellification it beeing vncertaine whether this comes to passe either through theyr grossnes and bigbellied fatnes or through their setled naturall lazines And if through the weightines of the honie the combes beginne to shake and wagge and to leane bend as though they were readie to fall then doe they reare them vp and vnderproppe them with pillars made archwise that they may the more readilie dispatch their businesse and execute their charges for it is necessarie that to euery combe there be a ready way In some places as in Pontus and in the Cittie of Amisus Bees make white hony without any combes at all but this is sildome seene And if a man would consider the rare and admirable contexture and fabricke of their honie-combes farre excelling all humane Art and conceit who would not subscribe with the Poet Esse Apibus partem diuinae mentis et haustus aethereos who will deny them I say either imagination fantasie iudgement memorie and some certaine glimse of reason But I will not dispute of this neither am I of Pythagoras mind who conceited that the soules of wise men and of other ingenious creatures departed into Bees But whosoeuer will diligently examine how they deuide their labours as some to make vppe the combes some to gather hony to heape together their meate to trimme and dresse vp the houses to clense the common draught to vndershore the ruinous walls to couer those places wherein any thing is to be kept to draw out the very strength of the hony to disgest it to carry it to their Cells to bring water to the thirstie labourers to giue foode at set and appointed howres to the old Bees that sitte to defend their King with such ouer-sight and painefull regard to driue away Spyders and all other enemies to carry forth the dead that no stinke or ill sauour hurt euery one to know and goe to his owne proper cell and generally all of them not to stray farre from home to seeke their liuing and when the flowers are spent neere their lodgings to send out their espialls to looke for more in places further distant to lye with their faces vpward vnder the leaues when they haue set foorth any voiage by night least their wings beeing much moistened by the dew they should come tardie home the next day to ballance and peize their light bodies with carrying a stone in stormie weather and when there is anie whirlewind to fly on the further side of the hedge for feare least either they might be disturbed or beaten downe by the boisterous violence thereof Whosoeuer I say wil dulie consider all this must needes confesse that they obserue a wonderfull order and forme in their Common-wealth and gouernment that they are of a very strange nature and spirit I had almost omitted to speake of that naturall loue which they beare to theyr
young a great vertue and sildome seene in the parents of this age For Bees doe sitte vpon theyr combes when they haue laid their increase almost like vnto birds neither wil they stirre from thence but in case of pinching hunger returning out of hand to their breeding place againe as though they were afeard least that by any long stay and absence the vvorke of their little cell might be couered ouer by some Spyders web which often happeneth or the young by taking cold might be endangered Their young ones be not very nice or tender nor cockeringly brought vp for being but bare three dayes old as soone as euer they begin to haue wings they enioyne them their taske haue an eye to theÌ„ that they be not idle though neuer so little They are so excellent in diuination that they euen feele afore-hand and haue a sence of taine and cold that is to come for then euen by Natures instinct they fly not far from home and when they take their iourney to seeke for theyr repast which is neuer done at any set and ordinary time but onely in faire weather they take paines continually and diligently without any stay beeing laden with such plentie of hony that oftentimes being ouer-wearied they faint in their returne to their own priuate cotages not beeing able to attaine them And because some of them in regard of their roughnes are vnfit to labour by rubbing their bodies against stones and other hard matter they are smoothed afterwards addressing themselues most stourly to their businesse The younger sort bestirre theÌ„ right doutelie without dores bringing to the hiue all that is needfull The elder looke to the family placing in due order that hony which is gathered and wrought by the middle-aged Bees In the morning they be all very silent till one of them awaken all the rest with his thrise humming noyse euery one bustling himselfe about his owne proper office and charge Returning at night they are as it were in an vproare at the first and after that they make a little muttering or murmuring among themselues vntill the principall officer appointed for setting of the watch by his flying round about and his soft and gentle noyse dooth as it were couertly and priuily charge them in their kings name to prepare themselues to rest and so this token being giuen they are as silent as fishes so that laying ones â—are to the mouth of the hiue you shall hardly perceiue any the least noyse at all so dutifull they are to their Kings officers and rulers reposing themselues wholie in his bookes fauour and pleasure And now I will intreate of theyr excellencie and vse Whereas the Almightie hath â—…ared all things for the vse seruice of 〈◊〉 so especially among the rest hath he made Bees not onely that they should be vâ—… vs patternes and presidents of politicall and oeconomicall vertues of the which before I haue discoursed but euen Teachers and Schoolemaisters instructing vs in certain diuine knowledge and like extraordinary prophets premonstrating the successe eâ—ent of things to come For in the yeeres 90. 98. 113. 208. before the birth of our blessed Sauiour vvhen as great swarmes of Bees lighted in the publique and oxe-market vpon 〈◊〉 houses of priuate Cittizens and the Chappell of Mars many conspiracies and trâ—â—ons were intended against the state at Rome with which the common-wealth was well-nigh deceiued insnared yea and ouerthrowne In the dayes of Seuerus the Emperour Bees made their combes in the Ensignes banners and standerds of the souldiers and most of all in the campe of Niger after which ensued diuers conflicts betwixt the Armies of Seuerus Niger Fortune for a time imparting her fauours equally to them both but at length Seuerus side carried away the bucklers Swarmes of Bees also filled the Statuaes which were set vp in al Hetruria representing Antonius Pius and after that they fell in the campe of Cassius and what hurly burlies after that followed Iulius Capitolinus will resolue you At which time also a great number of Romans were intrapped and slaine by an ambush of Germaines in Germany P Fabius and Q Elius beeing Consuls It is written that a swarme lighted in the tent of Hostilius Rutilus who was in the Army of Drusus and did there hang after such a maner as they did enclose round his speare which was fastened to his pauilion as if it had beene a rope hanging downe M Lepidus and Munatius Plancus beeing Consuls Also in the consulship of L Paulus and Caius Metellus a swarme of Bees flying vp and downe presignified the enemy at hand as the Soothsayers well diuined Pompey likewise warring against Caesar when for the pleasuring of his friends he had set his Army in aray going out of PyrrhaciuÌ„ Bees met with him darkened eâ—en the very ancients with their great multitude We read in the histories of the Heluetians how that in the yere of our Lord God 1385. when Leopold of Austrich prepared to goe against Sempach with an host of men being yet in his iourny a swarme of Bees fled to the towne and there rested vpon a certaine great tree called Tilia wherevpon the vulgar sort rightly fore-told the comming of some strange people to them So likewise Virgill in the 7. booke of his Aeneades seemeth to describe the comming of Aeneas into Italy after this manner Lauri Huius Apes summum densae mirabile dictu Stridore Nigenti liquidum trans aethera vectae Obsedere apiâ—em et pedibus per mutua nexis Examen subitò ramo frondente pependit Continuò vates externum cernimus inquit Aduenture virum that is A tale of wonder to be told there came a swarme of Bees Which with great noyse within the ayre a Bay-tree did attayne Where leg in leg they cleaped fast and top of all degrees O're-spread and suddenly a hiue of them remaind There hanging downe whereat the Prophet said Some stranger heere shall come to make vs all afraid Which thing also Herodotus Pausanias and diuers other Historiographers haue with greater obseruation then reason confirmed Laon Acraephniensis when he could not finde the Oracle of Trophonius by a swarme flying thither hee found the place In like sort the Nurses being absent Iupiter Melitaus Hiero the Siracussan Plato Pindarus Ambrosius were nourished by hony which Bees by little and little put in their mouthes as Plutarch Pausanias and Textor are Authors Zenophon likewise in his Oeconomicks termeth hony-making the shop of vertues and to it sendeth mothers of housholds to be instructed Poets gladly compare themselues with Bees who following Nature onely as a Schoole-mistres vseth no Art So Plato saith that Poets ruled by Art can neuer performe any notable matter And for the same reason Pindarus maketh his brags that hee was superiour to Bacchilides and Simonides hauing onely Nature not Art to his friend Bees vnlesse they be incensed to anger doe no hurt at all but being prouoked stirred vp they sting most sharply