CURIOUS CREATURES. 119 



in a vessell, at such time as the beares lie secret, it will 

 either fill it up, or cause it to runne over. The flesh of 

 beares is unfit for meate, yet some use to eate it, after 

 it hath been twice sodden ; other eat it baked in pasties, 

 but the truth is, it is better for medicine than food. 

 Theophrastus likewise affirmeth, that at the time when 

 beares lie secret, their dead flesh encreaseth, which is 

 kept in houses, but beare's fore feet are held for a verie 

 delicate and well tasted foode, full of sweetnes, and much 

 used by the German Princes. 



" And because of the fiercenesse of this beast, they are 

 seldome taken alive, except they be very young, so that 

 some are killed in the Mountaines by Poyson, the Country 

 being so steepe and rocky that hunters cannot followe 

 them ; some taken in ditches of the earth and other 

 ginnes. Oppianus relateth that neare Tygris and Armenia, 

 the inhabitauntes use this Stratigem to take Beares. 



" The people go often to the Wooddes to find the 

 Denne of the Beare, following a learn hound, whose 

 nature is, so soone as he windeth the beast, to barke, 

 whereby his leader discovereth the prey, and so draweth 

 off the hounde with the leame ; then come the people in 

 great multitude, and compasse him about with long nets, 

 placing certaine men at each end : then tie they a long 

 rope to one side of the net, as high from the ground, as 

 the small of a Man's belly ; whereunto are fastned divers 

 plumes and feathers of vultures, swannes, and other re- 

 splendant coloured birdes, which, with the wind make 

 a noise or hissing, turning over and glistering ; on the 

 other side of the net they build foure little hovels of 

 greene boughes, wherein they lay foure men covered all 

 over with greene leaves ; then, all being prepared, they 

 sound their Trumpets, and wind their horns ; at the 



