90 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



there be any such Beast as this, or no. But the great 

 esteem of his Horn (in many places to be seen) may 

 take away that needless scruple. . . . 



" Touching the invincible Nature of this Beast, Job 

 saith, ' Wilt thoti trust him because his Strength is great, 

 and cast thy Labour unto him ? Wilt thou believe him, that 

 he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy Barn ? ' 

 And his Vertue is no less famous than his Strength, 

 in that his Horn is -supposed to be the most powerful 

 Antidote against Poison : Insomuch as the general Con- 

 ceit is, that the wild Beasts of the Wilderness use not 

 to drink of the Pools, for fear of the venemous Serpents 

 there breeding, before the Unicorn hath stirred it with 

 his Horn. Howsoever it be, this Charge may very 

 well be a Representation both of Strength or Courage, 

 and also of vertuous Dispositions and Ability to do 

 Good ; for to have Strength of Body, without the Gifts 

 and good Qualities of the Mind, is but the Property of 

 an Ox, but where both concur, that may truly be called 

 Manliness. And that these two should consort together, 

 the Ancients did signify, when they made this one Word, 

 Virtus, to imply both the Strength of Body, and Vertue 

 of the Mind. . . . 



" It seemeth, by a Question moved by Farnesius, That 

 the Unicorn is never taken alive ; and the Reason being 

 demanded, it is answered ' That the greatness of his 

 Mind is such, that he chuseth rather to die than to be 

 taken alive : Wherein (saith he) the Unicorn and the 

 valiant-minded Souldier are alike, which both contemn 

 Death, and rather than they will be compelled to undergo 

 any base Servitude or Bondage, they will lose their 

 Lives.' . . . 



"The Unicorn is an untameable Beast by Nature, as 



