PANTHER.] 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



231 



eyes. And this beast whelpeth but once, and the cause 

 thereof is openly known : for when the whelps wax strong 

 in the mother's womb, they hate the mother, and rend her 

 womb with claws, and therefore the mother letteth pass 

 and whelpeth them. The Panther hateth the dragon, and 

 the dragon fleeth him. And when he hath eaten enough 

 at full, he hideth him in his den, and sleepeth continually 

 nigh three days, and riseth after three days and crieth, and 

 out of his mouth cometh right good air and savour, and 

 is passing measure sweet ; and for the sweetness all beasts 

 follow him ; and only the dragon is afeard when he heareth 



his voice, and fleeth into a den, and may not suffer the 

 smell thereof, and faileth in himself, and loseth his comfort, 

 for he weeneth that his smell is very venom. And all 

 four-footed beasts have liking to behold the diverse colours 

 of the Panthers and tigers, but they be afeard of the 

 horribleness of their heads ; and therefore they hide their 

 heads, and toll [i.e., draw] the beasts to them with fairness 

 of that other deal of the body, and take them when they 

 come so tolled, and eat them. And though he be a right 

 cruel beast, yet he is not unkind to them that help and 

 succour him in any wise. 



Bartholomew (Bert be let}, bk. xviii. 82. 



