CURIOUS CREATURES. 



123 



reported of henbane, another herb. But there is a 

 certaine blacke fish in Armenia full of poison, with the 

 pouder whereof they poison figs, and cast them in those 

 places where wilde beastes are most plentiful!, which 

 they eat, and so are killed. 



" Concerning the Industrie or natural! disposition of 

 a beare, it is certaine that they are very hardlie tamed, 

 and not to be trusted though they seeme never so tame ; 

 for which cause there is a storie of Diana in Lysias, 

 that there was a certaine beare made so tame, that it 

 went uppe and downe among men, and woulde feede 

 with them, taking meat at their handes, giving no 

 occasion to feare or mistrust her cruelty ; on a daye, a 

 young mayde playing with the Beare, lasciviously did 

 so provoke it, that he tore her in pieces ; the Virgin's 

 brethren seeing the murther, with their Dartes slew the 

 Beare, whereupon followed a great pestilence through 

 all that region : and when they consulted with the 

 Oracle, the paynim God gave answeare, that the plague 

 could not cease untill they dedicated some virginnes 

 unto Diana for the Beare's sake that was slaine ; which, 

 some interpreting that they should sacrifice them, 

 Embarus, upon condition the priesthoode might remaine 

 in his family, slewe his onely daughter to end 'the 

 pestilence, and for this cause the virgins were after 

 dedicated to Diana before their marriage, when they were 

 betwixt ten and fifteene yeare olde, which was performed 

 in the moneth of January, otherwise they could not be 

 married : yet beares aie tamed for labours, and especially 

 for sports among the Roxalani and Libians, being taught 

 to draw water with wheeles out of the deepest wels ; 

 likewise stones upon sleds, to the building of wals. 



" A prince of Lituania nourished a Beare very tenderly, 



