SPANISH. 129 



Finally it has been republished by D. Gutierrez de la Vega in 

 the lllustracion Venatoria, 



The author, it appears, was a Captain of Cuirassiers — " Capi- 

 tan de Cavallos Corazas." 



247. FEERER DE VALDECEBRO (Andres). 

 GoviERNO GENERAL, Hioral, y politico hallado en las 

 Aves mas generosas y nobles. Sacado de sus naturales 

 virtudes y propiedades etc. Le escrive el Padre Fray 

 Andres Ferrer de Valdecebro, Calificador de la Su- 

 prema Inquisicion del Orden de Predicad6res .... 

 Madrid. 1658. sm. 4to. 



18 prelim, leaves, pp. 1-432, "con quatro Tablas Differ- 

 entes." 



Other editions, Madrid, 1670, 1676, and 1683; Barcelona, 

 1696. 



The Barcelona edition, *' en Casa de Cormellas por Thomas 

 Loriente, Impresor Ano 1696," is a reprint, page for page, of 

 that published " en Madrid, en la Imprenta de Bernardo de 

 Villa Diego, ano de 1683." This curious work may be described 

 as an illustrated volume of sermons on morality and politics, with 

 lessons deduced from a study of ornithology, by a Friar of the 

 Order of Preachers. Illustrations borrowed from hawking are 

 appositely introduced, the Peregrine Falcon being figuratively 

 likened to the Soul striving towards heaven, the Sparrow-hawk 

 to Fortune, the Heron to Fasting, etc. 



A noble kind of hawk, he says, is the Falcon, well known in 

 Spain by reason of its being flown at herons (p. 223). The 

 habit which the heron has, on being pursued by a hawk, of 

 throwing up its fish, or other food, to lighten itself and increase 

 its chance of escape, is noted and commented on (p. 145), the 

 moral being that fasting raises the soul towards heaven with a 

 light and rapid flight : — " El ayuno levanta el espiritu hasta los 

 cielos, con buelo ligero y veloz porque verdaderamente que la 

 haze pesado, y aun torpe la comida : subiilitas anwii ciborutn 

 copia impeditur^ dizo Seneca" (p. 148). 



Referring to the prices formerly paid for hawks, he says 

 (p. 237): "La estimacion que Reyes, Principes, y Senores han 



