CURIOUS CREATURES. 305 



Learned and Credible men which saw the same ; and 

 they thought it was not bredde in that Country, but 

 rather driven by the winde thither from some forraine 

 Nation. For Fraunce was never knowne to breede 

 any such Monsters. Among the Pyrenes, too, there is a 

 cruell kinde of Serpent, not past foure foot long, and as 

 thicke as a man's arme, out of whose sides growe winges, 

 much like unto gristles. 



" Gesner also saith, that in the yeere of our Lord 1543 

 there came many Serpents both with wings and legs 

 into the parts of Germany neere Stiria, who did bite and 

 wound many men incurably. Cardan also describeth 

 certaine serpents with wings, which he saw at Paris, 

 whose dead bodies were in the hands of Gulielmus 

 Musicus ; hee saith that they had two legges, and small 

 winges, so that they could scarce flie, the head was little, 

 and like to the head of a serpent, their colour bright, and 

 without haire or feathers, the quantitie of that which was 

 greatest, did not exceede the bignes of a Cony, and it is 

 saide they were brought out of India. . . . 



" There have beene also Dragons many times scene in 

 Germaine, flying in the ayre at mid-day, and signifying 

 great and fearefull fiers to follow, as it happened neere 

 to the Cittie called Niderburge, neere to the shore of 

 the Rhyne, in a marvailous cleere sun-shine day, there 

 came a -dragon- three -times successively together in one 

 day, and did hang in the ayre over a Towne called 

 Sanctogoarin, and shaking his tayle over that Towne 

 every time : it appeared visibly in the sight of many of 

 the inhabitants, and, afterwards it came to passe, that the 

 said towne was three times burned with fire, to the great 

 harme and undooing of the people dwelling in the same ; 

 for they were not able to make any resistance to quench 



