326 HISTORY OF 



4. The bear is a groat sleeper, a dull beast, and given to 

 ease, and yet not noted for long life; nay, he hath this 

 sign of short life, that his bearing in the womb is but short, 

 scarce full forty days. 



5. The fox seems to be well disposed in many things for 

 long life ; he is well skinned, feeds on flesh, lives in dens, 

 and yet he is noted not to have that property. Certainly 

 he is a kind of dog, and that kind is but shortlived. 



6. The camel is a long liver, a lean creature, and sinewy ; 

 so that he doth ordinarily attain to fifty, and sometimes to 

 a hundred years. 



7. The horse lives but to a moderate age, scarce to forty 

 years, his ordinary period is twenty years, but perhaps he 

 is beholden for this shortness of life to man ; for we have 

 now no horses of the sun that live freely, and at pleasure, 

 in good pastures ; notwithstanding the horse grows till he 

 be six years old, and is able for generation in his old age. 

 Besides the mare goeth longer with her young one than 

 a woman, and brings forth two at a burthen more rarely. 

 The ass lives commonly to the horse s age, but the mule 

 outlives them both. 



8. The hart is famous amongst men for long life, yet not 

 upon any relation that is undoubted. They tell of a certain 

 hart that was found with a collar about his neck, and that 

 collar hidden with fat. The long life of the hart is the 

 less credible, because he comes to his perfection at the fifth 

 year, and not long after his horns (which he sheds and 

 renews yearly) grow more narrow at the root, and less 

 branched. 



9. The dog is but a short liver, he exceeds not the age of 

 twenty years, and, for the most part, lives not to fourteen 

 years ; a creature of the hottest temper, and living in ex 

 tremes, for he is commonly either in vehement motion, or 

 sleeping; besides, the bitch bringeth forth many at a 

 burden, and goeth nine weeks. 



10. The ox likewise, for the greatness of his body and 

 strength, is but a short liver, about some sixteen years, and 

 the males live longer than the females : notwithstanding 

 they bear usually but one at a burden, and go nine months ; 

 a creature dull, fleshy, and soon fatted, and living only 

 upon herby substances, without grain. 



1 1. The sheep seldom lives to ten years, though he be a 

 creature of a moderate size, and excellently clad ; and, that 

 which may seem a wonder, being a creature with so little 

 a gall, yet he hath the most curled coat of any other, for 



