%m The eighth Booke of 



Vn,a mightie ftrong beaft^and a Mt : ivhich the ignorant people call BuflW, whereas indeed G 

 the Buffle is bred in Affricajand cariethfomc refemblance of a caifc ratherjOr a fta g. The Nor- 

 thernc regions bring forth wild horfes, which thercare found in great troupes : like as in Afia 

 and in Affrickc there are to bee feene wild afTes. Moreover, a certaine beafl,calkdthe Alce^very 

 like to an horfcjbiit that his eares are longer : and his necke likcwife with two markes- diftingiiiOi 

 themafiinder. Moreover, in the Ifland Scandinavia, there is a beaft called Machlis, not much 

 unlike to the Alee abovenamed: common he is therejand much talk we have heard of him,how- 

 beit in thefe parts hee was never feene. Hedrefembleth,! fay^the Alce^but that Irec hath neither 

 joint in the hough,nor pafternes in his hind-legs : and therefore hee never lieth downe, but ilee- 

 peth leaning to a tree. And therefore the hunters that lie in await for thefe beafts,cut downe the 

 tree whiles they are afleepe, and fo take them : otherwife they (liould never bee taken/o fwift of n 

 foot they arc, that it is wonderful!. Their upper lip is exceeding great, and therefore as they 

 grafe and feed, they goc retrograde, leafl if they were pafTant forward, they fhould fold double 

 that lip under their muzzle . Thereis(theyfay) awild beaftinPseoniaj which is callcdBonafus, 

 with a maine like an horfe, otherwife refembling a bull : marie, his homes bend fo inward with 

 their tips toward his head, that they fervc him in no ileed at all for fight, either to offend of de- 

 fend himfelfe; and therefore, allthehelpethathe hathjisin hisgoodfootmanfliipj and other- 

 whiles in his flight by dunging,which hee will fquirt out from behind him three acres in length. 

 This ordure of his is fo flrong and hot, that it burneth them that follow after him in chafcj like 

 fire,if haply they touch it. A itrange thing it isjand wonderfull^thac the Leopards, Panthers^Li- 

 ens (and fuch like beafls)as they go, draw in the points of their clawes within their bodie, as it j 

 were into fbeathsjbecaufe they fhould neither breake nor waxeblunt,but bee alwaies keeneand 

 fliarpe : alfo, that when they run, they fhould turne the hooked nailes of their pawes backe, and 

 never ftretch them forth at length,but when they meane to aflaile or ifrike any thing. 



Chap, xvi. 

 of Lions, 



THe Lions arc then in their kind moil f^rong and courageousjwhen the haire of their main 

 orcollerisfolong,thatitcovereth both necke and fboulders.And this commeth to them 

 a; a ccrtaineage^namelyjtothofe that are engendered by Lions indeed . Forfuch as have li 

 Pa.xds to their fires, never have this ornament, no more than the LionelTe. Thefe LionelTes are 

 Very letcherous,snd this is the very caufe that the Lions are fo fell and cruell.This,Affricke kiio- 

 wethbefl, and feethmofl: and efpecially in time of a great drought, when for want of water, a 

 number of wild beaffs refort by troups to thofe few rivers that be there,and meet together. And 

 hereupon it is, that fo many flrange fhaped bcafls, of a mixt and mungrell kind are there bred, 

 whiles the males either perforce, or for pleafure,leape and cover the females of all forts. From 

 hence it is alfb, that the Greekes have this common proverbe, T^af uijfMs evermore br 'mgcth 

 forth fome new andjlrange thing or other. The Lion knoweth by fent and finell of the Pard, when 

 theLionefle his matehathplaiedfalfe,andfufferedherfelfeto be covered by him rand preient- 

 ly with all his might and maine runneth upon her for to chaflife and punifh her . And therefore L 

 tvhen the Lionefle hath done a fault that wayjfhee either goeth to a river^and wafheih away the ■ 

 flrong and ranke favour of the Pard, or els keepeth aloofe,and followeth the Lion farrc on^thac 

 hee may not catch the faid fmell. I fee it is a coii^mon received opinion, that the Lionefle brin- 

 geth forth young but once in her life,forthat her whelpesin her kinlingjteare her belly with their 

 nailes,and make themfelves roume that way. thrift otic wriccth otherwife,a man whom 1 cannot 

 namejbut with great honour and reverencc,and whome in the hiflorie and report of thefe mat- 

 ters I meane for the mofi: part to follow. And in very truth kingi^ lex ander the great, of an ar* 

 dent defire that he had to know the natures of all living creatures^gavc this charge to Ariflotle^ a 

 man fingular and accomplifhed in all kind of fcience and learning, to fcarch into this matter, 

 and to fet the fame downe in writing: and to this effed commanded certaine thoufands of men, M 

 one or other,throughout all the tradjas well of Afia as Greece:;to give their attendance, & obey 

 him : to witjail Hunters^Faulconers, Fowlers,and Fifhersjthat lived by thofe profcifions. Item, 

 all Forrefters,Patk- keepers, and Wariners :all fuch as had the keeping of beards and flockcs of 

 cattell : of bee-hives^fiih-poolesaflewesjand ponds : as alfo thofe that kept up foule^tame or wild, 



in 



