CURIOUS CREATURES. 95 



" When Joannes Ferrerius of Piemont had read these 

 thinges, he wrote unto me, that, in the Temple of 

 Dennis, neare unto Paris, that there was a Unicorne's 

 home six foot long, . . . but that in bignesse, it 

 exceeded the home at the Citty of Argentorate, being 

 also holow almost a foot from that part which sticketh 

 unto the forehead of the Beast, this he saw himselfe in 

 the Temple of S. Dennis, and handled the home with 

 his handes as long as he would. I heare that in the 

 former yeare (which was from the yeare of our Lord), 

 1553, when Vercella was overthrown by the French, 

 there was broght from that treasure unto the King of 

 France, a very great Unicorn's home, the price wherof 

 was valued at fourscore thousand Duckets. 1 



"Paulus Poceius describeth an Unicorne in this manner; 

 That he is a beast, in shape much like a young Horse, 

 of a dusty colour, with a maned necke, a hayry beard, 

 and a forehead armed. with a Home of the quantity of 

 two Cubits, being seperated with pale tops or spires, 

 which is reported by the smoothnes and yvorie white- 

 nesse thereof, to have the wonderfull power of dis- 

 solving and speedy expelling of all venome or poison 

 whatsoever. 



" For his home being put into the water, driveth away 

 the poison, that he may drinke without harme, if any 

 venemous beast shall drinke therein before him. This 

 cannot be taken from the Beast, being alive, for as much 

 as he cannot possible be taken by any deceit : yet it is 

 usually scene that the home is found in the desarts, as 

 it happeneth in Harts, who cast off their olde home 



1 Taking the Ducat at 95. 4^d., it would come to 37,000, but if this were 

 multiplied by three, the lowest computation of the value of money then, and 

 now, it would be worth considerably over ^100,000. 



