CURIOUS CREATURES. 151 



feats, whereof there were great plenty in Egypt in the 

 time of king Ptolemy, which were taught to leap, play, 

 and dance, at the hearing of musicke, and in many poore 

 men's houses they served insteed of servaunts for divers 

 uses. 



" These are also used by Plaiers and Puppet-Mimicks 

 to worke straunge trickes, for the sight whereof they get 

 much money ; such an one was the Mimick's dog, of 

 which Plutarch writeth that he saw in a publicke spec- 

 tacle at Rome before the Emperor Vespasian. The dog 

 was taught to act a play, wherein were contained many 

 persons' parts, I mean the affections of many other 

 dogs ; at last, there was given him a piece of bread, 

 wherein, as was saide, was poison, having vertue to 

 procure a dead sleepe, which he received and swallowed ; 

 and presently, after the eating thereof, he began to reele 

 and stagger too and fro like a drunken man, and fell 

 downe to the ground, as if he had bin dead, and so 

 laie a good space, not stirring foot nor lim, being drawne 

 uppeand downe by divers persons, according as the gesture 

 of the play he acted did require, but when he perceived 

 by the time, and other signes that it was requisite to 

 arise, he first opened his eies, and lift up his head a 

 little, then stretched forth himself, like as one doth 

 when he riseth from sleepe; at last he geteth up. and 

 runneth to him to whom that part belonged, not without 

 the joy, and good content of Ccesar and all other 

 beholders. 



" To this may be added another story of a certaine 

 Italian about the yeare 1403, called Andrew, who had a 

 red Dog with him, of strange feats, and yet he was 

 blind. For standing in the Market place compassed 

 about with a circle of many people, there were brought 



