COMMON WEESEL. 425 



But we have also the testimony of Aldrovandus 

 in favour of the Weesel's being sometimes com- 

 pletely tamed ; so that Buffon might have found 

 an exception to his general character of the ani- 

 mal, even if he had not received these modern 

 attestations. Aldrovandus even expressly asserts, 

 that Weesels are easily tamed, and that, when 

 tame, they are remarkably playful; adding at the 

 same time, from Cardan, that their teeth should 

 be rubbed with garlick, after which they will not 

 presume to bite. 



" Caeterum animadvertendum est inter ani- 

 malia mustelas facile cicurari, & prascipue quando 

 ad mentem Cardani, illarum dentes allio perfri- 

 cantur, quia imposterum quempiam mordicus ap- 

 prehendere non audent, et cicuratae collusionibus 

 quotidie indulgent." 



Aldrovandus also quotes (from Strozza) part of 

 an elegy on the death of a tame Weesel. 



Nil poterat puero te gralius esse, nee illi 



Morte tua quicquam tristius esse potest. 

 Tu digitos molli tentabas improba morsu, 



Porrecto ludens semisupina pede, 

 Et mollem e labiis noras sorbere salivam, 



Et quiddam exiguo murmure dulce queri. 



Loving and lov'd, thy master's grief ! 



Thou could'st th' uncounted hours beguile, 

 And nibbling at his finger soft 



Watch anxious for th' approving smile : 

 Or, stretching forth the playful foot, 



Around in wanton gambols rove, 

 Or gently sip the rosy lip, 



And in light murmurs speak thy love. 

 v. I. P. II. 28 



