CURIOUS CREATURES. 315 



under willowes and greene hollow bankes, till some 

 people come to the waters side to draw and fetch water, 

 and then suddenly, or ever they be aware, they are taken, 

 and drawne into the water. 



" And also, for this purpose, because he knoweth that 

 he is not able to overtake a man in his course or chase, 

 he taketh a great deale of water in his mouth, and 

 casteth it in the pathwaies, so that when they endeavour 

 to run from the crocodile, they fall downe in the slippery 

 path, and are overtaken and destroyed by him. The 

 common proverbe also, Crocodili lachrimce, the Crocodile's 

 teares, justifieth the treacherous nature of this beast, 

 for there are not many bruite beasts that can weepe, but 

 such is the nature of the Crocodile, that to get a man 

 within his danger, he will sob, sigh, and weepe, as 

 though he were in extremitie, but suddenly he destroyeth 

 him. Others say, that the Crocodile weepeth after he 

 hath devoured a man. . . . 



" Seeing the friendes of it are so few, the enemies of 

 it must needes be many, and therefore require a more 

 large catalogue or story. In the first ranke whereof 

 commeth (as worthy the first place), the Ichneumon or 

 Pharaoh's Mouse, who rageth against their egges and 

 their persons ; for it is certaine that it hunteth with all 

 sagacity of sense to find out theyr nests, and having 

 found them, it spoyleth, scattereth, breaketh, and 

 emptieth all theyr egs. They also watch the old ones 

 a sleepe, and finding their mouths open against the 

 beames of the Sunne, suddenly enter into them, and, 

 being small, creepe downe theyr vast and large throates 

 before they be aware, and then, putting the Crocodile to 

 exquisite and intollerable torment, by eating their guttes 

 asunder, and so their soft bellies, while the Crocodile 



