Plinies Natumll Hiftbrie. 



A a long way in a ccrtcin lawn or valley^made by mans hand for the nones5<;re they wer avvare^and 

 when they wer encloled within ditches or banksjtherc they would keep them from meat To long, 

 imtill for very hunger they would be glad to come to hand for food; & by this they might know 

 they were gentle and tame enough to be takenjif they would meekely take a braiiiich of a bough 

 prefcnred and offered unto them. But now a daiesjfince they feek after them for their teeth fakc^ 

 they make no more adoe but fhoot at their legges, which otherwife naturally are tender enough 

 and the fofteft part of their whole bodie. The Trogloditesj a people bounding upon Ethiopia, 

 tvho live onely upon the venifon of Elephants flefli5ure to clime trees thatbe neere their walke, 

 and there take aftand : from thence (letting all the heard to palTe quiedy under the trees) they 

 Icape downe upon the buttockes of the hinmoft :then_, hee that doth this feat, with his left hand 



B laieth/aft hold upon his tailej and fetteth his feet and legges fail in the flanke of the lef t fide^ and 

 fo hanging and bending backward with his bodie, he cutteth the ham- firings of one of his legs 

 with a good kceniill or hatchet that he hath of purpofeinhis right hand .-which done, the Ele- 

 phant beginneth to flacke his pacCjbyreafon that one of his legges iswQunded; .themanthea 

 rnaketh fhift to get away and alighteth on foot, & for a farewell he hougheth the fine wes likewife 

 of the other ham : and all this doth he in a trice with wonderfull agilitie and nimblenes. Others 

 have afafer way than this, but it is more fubtill and deceitfull: they fetor if icke in the ground a 

 great way off, mightic great bowes readis bent ; to hold thele fa%hey chulccertainetaiyuilie, 

 and ilrong fcllowes, and as many others as fufficient as they, to draw .with all their might and 

 mainethefaid bowes againlf the other, and lb, they letflie againffthe poore Elephantsasihey 



C paiTc by, javelins and bore-fpeares,as if they fhot fhafts, and if icke them therewith , and fo fol- 

 low them by their bloud. Of cheie beaif Sj the temalcs are much more feariull than the male kind* 



Chap. ix. 



'^'Themiinner of tamhg'Ekf bants. 



AS furious and raging mad as theybcfometime; theyarctamcd with hunger and ifripcs ; 

 but men had need to have the helpe of other Elephants that are tame akeadic,to reifrain 

 the unruly beafl: with ifrong chaines : of all times,when diey goetorut they aremoft out 

 of order and if arke wood 5 down go the Indian ftables and beail ftals then,which they oycMurn 

 P Avith their teeth : and therefore they keeps them from entring into that fit, and ieparate the fe- 

 males apart from the males, making their parkes and enclofures afunder, as they doe by other 

 beads. The tamed fort of them ferve in the warres, and carrie little caif les or turrets with armed 

 fouldiers, to enterthefquadronsandbattailons of the enemies: and for the moil part, all the 

 fervice in the warres of tlie Eaif j is perfourmed by them, and they eipecially determine the quar- 

 rell : thefe be they that breake the rankes, beare down armed men that are in the way, and if amp 

 them imder foot.Theic terrible beaif s (as outragious otherwife as they feeme) arc frighted wirli 

 the leait grunting that is of a fwine : be they wounded at any time or put into afnght,backeward 

 alwaies they goe, and doe as much mifchiefe to their owaeiide that way, as to iheir enemies. 

 The African Elephants are arfraid of the Indianjand dare not look upon them j for in truth the 

 E Indian Elephants be farre bigger. 



Chap. x. 



How they breed and brwg forth their young : attd of their 

 tJature othsnvjfe. 



THe common ibrt of mcnthinke, that they goe with young tcnyceres;birt Ariflotle^mh^ 

 that they goe but two yeeres, and that they breed but once and no more in their life, and 

 bring not above one at a time:aIfo that they livecommonly by courie of nature 200 ycef s, 

 and ibme of them 3 oo.Their youthfull time and flrength of age beginneth when they be threc- 

 F fcore yeeres old : they love rivets above airthings,and lightly ye fhall have them evermore wan- 

 dring about waters -y and yet by realon otherwiie of their bigge and unweldie bodies ^ fwim they 

 cannot. Of all things they can worif away with coldj and that is it they are moil fubje6t unto,and 

 fcele greateif inconvenience by : rroqbled they be alfo with the chollickc, and ventofities^jas al-^ 

 fo m th the fluxc of the bsllie : other maladies they feele not . I find it written in hiff ories, that if 



S iij they 



