BOOK VIII.] History of Nature. 73 



stood erect over his whole Body, and his loud barking 

 sounded like Thunder. Soon after he leapeth and flieth upon 

 him, rising and mounting against the great Beast, now on 

 one Side, and then on the other, in skilful Combat, ac- 

 cording as Opportunity offered, one while assailing and 

 another while avoiding his Enemy ; so that with continual 

 turning round, the Elephant grew giddy in the Head, so 

 that he came tumbling down to the Ground, which shook 

 with the Fall. Dogs bear Young once in a Year ; and the 

 due Time for them to be with Whelps is when they are a 

 Year old. They go with Young threescore Days. Their 

 Puppies come blind into the World ; and the more Milk 

 they suck, the later it is before they receive their Sight : but 

 it is never above twenty Days before they see, and they do 

 not open their Eyes under seven Days old. Some say that if 

 but one be born at a Litter, it will see in nine Days ; if two, 

 it will be in ten Days ; and the more Puppies she hath, the 

 more Days it will be in that Proportion before they see : 

 also, that the Bitch-whelp which cometh of the first Litter 

 discerns Fairies. 1 The best of the whole Litter is that Whelp 

 which is last to begin to see ; or that which the Bitch car- 

 rieth first into her Kennel. The Madness of Dogs is most 

 dangerous to a Man, as we have said before, while Syrius is 

 burning hot ; for they that are so bitten have a deadly Fear 

 of Water. To prevent this, therefore, it is good for thirty 

 Days to mingle Hen's Dung with the Meat of the Dogs ; or, 

 if the Disease be coming on, Hellebore. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

 Against the Bite of a mad Dog. 



THE sovereign Remedy against this Bite was revealed 

 lately by a certain Oracle : 2 being the Root of a wild Rose, 



1 The Fauni here mentioned, and again Lib. xxv. 4, and which we 

 have translated by the modern term " Fairies," were a species of Incubi, 

 supposed to occasion the nightmare and other similar diseases. Wern. 

 Club. 



3 Lib. xxv. 2. 



