n8 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



of Helvetia, which, comming downe a hill, with a great 

 caldron on his backe, he saw a beare eating a root 

 which he had pulled up with his feet ; the cowheard 

 stood still till the beare was gone, and afterward came 

 to the place where the beast had eaten the same, and, 

 finding more of the same roote, did likewise eat it; he 

 had no sooner tasted thereof, but he had such a desire 

 to sleepe, that hee could not containe himselfe, but he must 

 needs lie down in the way, and there fell a sleep, having 

 covered his heade with the caldron, to keep himself from 

 the vehemency of the colde, and there slept all the Winter 

 time without harme, and never rose againe till the spring 

 time ; which fable if a man will beleeve, then, doubt- 

 lesse, this hearbe may cause the Beares to be sleepers, 

 not for fourteene dayes, but for fourscore dayes together. 



" The ordinary food of Beares is fish ; for the Water 

 beare, and others will eate fruites, Apples, Grapes, 

 Leaves, and Pease, and will breake into bee hives 

 sucking out the honey ; likewise Bees, Snayles and 

 Emmets, and flesh, if it bee leane, or ready to putrifie ; 

 but, if a Beare doe chance to kill a swine, or a Bull, or 

 Sheepe, he eateth them presentlie, whereas other beasts 

 eate not hearbes, if they eate flesh : likewise they drinke 

 water, but not like other beastes, neither sucking it, or 

 lapping it, but as it were, even bitinge at it. 



" They are exceeding full of fat or Larde-greace, which 

 some use superstitiouslie beaten with oile, wherewith 

 they anoint their grape-sickles when they go to vintage, 

 perswading themselves that if no bodie knows thereof, 

 their tender vine braunches shall never be consumed by 

 catterpillers. 



" Others attribute this to the vertue of Beare's blood, 

 and Theophrastus affirmeth, that if bearc's grease be kept 



