Plim'es Natomll Hiftorie. 



A was among theili to fling weapons and darts m the aitfc fa ftrongIy,that the winds had no pov^cr 

 a^ainft them j to flouril'h alfo beforchand^yea , and to encounter and meet together in fight Jjkc 

 fword-fencers, and to make good fport in a kind of Mpriske daunce: and afterwards to goc on 

 ropes and cords : to caris (foure togethcr)one of them laid at cafe in a littcrjrefembiing the ma- 

 k nerof women newly brought a bed :laft of all/ome of them were fo nimble and well pradiifec}, 

 ' that they would enter into an hall or dining place where the tables were let full of guefts, & paffc 

 among them fo gently and daintily jweighingasit were their feet in their going/o as they would 

 not hurt or touch any of the conipanic as they were drinking* 



G HAP. I Hi 



THisisknowncfoicertaine,that upon a time there was one Elephant among the reft^ iioi 

 fo good of capaciuCjto take out his lelTonSjand learne that which was taught him : and be- 

 ing beaten and beaten againe for that blockifb and dull head of his, was found ftudying 

 ^ and conning thofe feats in the nightjwhich he had been learning in the day time. But one ot the 

 grcateft wonders of theiu was this> that they could mount upanddimbc againft a rope 5 but 

 more wonderfull, that they fhould Aide downc againe with their heads forward. {Ji^maKU-s^z 

 man who had in his time beenc thrice Confull, reporteth thus much of one of them, thk 

 ^ liee had learned to make the Greeke charaders, and was woont to write in that language thus 

 ' miichiTks have Jmttten^nd made an offering of the Celticke f^oi'es, Likewife hcs faithjthat him- 

 Q felfc fawatPuteolijacertainefhip difcharged of Elephants embarked therein rand when they 

 iTiSlild bee fet afnorCjand breed to goe forth of the veflell^to which purpofc there was a bridge 

 made for them to paffe over ^they were affrighted at the length thereof, bearing out fo farrefronl 

 the land into the water :and therefore to deceive themfelves, that the way might not fceme fo 

 longjwent backward with ilicir taiks to the banke,and their heads toward the ica.l hey are ware, 

 and know full well that their oncly riches(for loveof which^mcnlay wait for them) lieth in their 

 armes and weapons that Nature hath given them: king/-f/^4 callsth them their homes :but Be- 

 rodotui ^miomoiQ long before him^andthecuftomeof fpecch, hath rearmed them much bet- 

 I ter,Tecth . And chereiore wlicn they are flied and fallen off, either for age^ or by feme cafualticj 

 the Elephants themfelves hidethcm within the ground. And this in truth is theonelyyvorie: 

 X) for, all the reft, yea and thcfcteeth alfo fo farre as lay covered within the fiefli, is of no pricSjUnd 

 taken tor no better than bone. And yet of kie daies,for great fcarcitie & want of the righ t teeth, 

 men have been glad to cut and faw their bones into plates,and makeyvorie thereof. For hardly 

 can wee now coiiie by lecih of any bignefle,unlelie wcc have them out of India. For all the reil 

 that might bee gotten in this part of the world betweene usand them, hath been cmploied in fu- 

 perfluities onely,and fetved for vvanton toics.You may knowyoungElephants by the whitcnelfc 

 r of thefe teeth : and a fpeciall care and regard have thefc bcails of thcnijabove all, They look to 

 one of them alwaies,that the point be fliarpc: and therefore they forbears to occupie it^ kaft it 

 ihould bee blunt againfl; they come to fight : the other they uic ordinarily jcither to get up roots 

 out of the earthjor to caff, down any bankcs or mures that ftand in their way .When they chance 

 E to bee environned and compailed round about with hunters.they fet fornioft in the ranke to bee 

 feene, thofe of the heard that have the Icaft teeth : to the end, that their price might not bee 

 thought worth the hazard &veip£ure in chafe for them.But afterwards,vt}hen they fee the hunters 

 €ager,3nd themfelves over match. d and wc3rie,theybrcake diem with running againfl the hard 

 trces,and leaving them b€hind,efcape by this raunfome as itwere^out of dieir hands^s 



Ch A?. nn« 



Thedemenckof'Ek^hiints :thsir fore ftght and knowledge of ihsircmiedan- 

 I gm : alfo the fell fsrcenejfe of the Tjgre, 



Wonder it isin many of thele creatures, that they fhould thus know wherefore they are 

 ^hunted,and withall take heed and beware of all their dangers.lt is faid,ihat if anEkphant 

 chaunce to meet with a man wandering fimply out of his way in the wilderneffe, hee will 

 mildly and gently fet him into theright way againe.But if he perceive a mans frefh footing, be- 

 fore he efpie the man,he v?ili quake and tremble for feare of being forelaied and (iirprifed : he will 



S flay 



