64 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



Hydra brought foorth the Chimcera, Chimara by Ortlius, 

 the Sphynx, and the Ncntcean Lyon : now, this Orthus 

 was one of Gcryon's dogges. This Sphynx they make a 

 treble formed monster, a Mayden's face, a Lyon's legs, 

 and the wings of a fovvle ; or, as Ansonius and Varinns 

 say, the face and head of a mayde, the body of a dogge, 

 the winges of a byrd, the voice of a man, the clawes of a 

 Lyon, and the tayle of a dragon : and that she kept con- 

 tinually in the Sphincian mountaine ; propounding to all 

 travailers that came that way an Enigma, or Riddle, 

 which was this : What was the creature that first of all 

 goeth on foure legges ; afterwards on two, and, lastly, on 

 three: and all of them that could not dissolve that Riddle, 

 she presently slew, by taking them, and throwing them 

 downe headlong, from the top of a Rocke. At last 

 (Ediptts came that way, and declared the secret, that it 

 zvas a man, who in his infancy crcepeth on all foure, after- 

 ward, /;/ youth, goeth upon two legs, and last of all, in 

 olde age taketh unto him a staffe which makcth him to goe, 

 as it were, on three legs ; which the monster hearing, she 

 presently threwe down herselfe from the former rocke, 

 and so she ended. Whereupon (Edipus is taken for a 

 subtill and wise opener of mysteries. 



" But the truth is, that when Cadmus had married an 

 Amazonian woman, called Sphynx, and, with her, came 

 to Thebes, and there slew Draco their king, and possessed 

 his kingdom, afterwards there was a sister unto Draco 

 called Harmona, whom Cadmus married, Sphynx being 

 yet alive. She, in revenge, (being assisted by many 

 followers,) departed with great store of wealth into the 

 mountaine Sphincius, taking with her a great Dogge, 

 which Cadmus held in great account, and there made 

 daily incursions or spoilcs upon his people. Now, 



