Plinies Natural! Hiftorie, 



A in mcWjthofc that fed poukrie in barton or coupe : to the end that he fliould be Ignorant of No- 

 thing in this behalfejbut be advertifed by them^according to his comniiffionjof all things in the' 

 world. By his conference with themjhecollededromuch^as thereof he compiled thole excel- 

 lent book€s-^ff t^mimahbrn^i, of Living creatiires^to the nuinber almoft of fiftie. Which be- 

 ing couched by me in a narrow roiime^ and breefe Siimmaricj with the additionalfo of fome 

 things ek which he never kncw^ I befeech the readers to take in good worth : and for the difco- 

 verie and knowledge of all Natures workesjwhich that moft noble & famous king that ever was 

 defiredfo earneftly to know, to make a fliort flart abroad with mee^and in a breeiedifcourfe by 

 mine ownepaines and diligence digeftedjto fee all.To return now unto our former matter.That 

 great Phiiofopher Arifiotlc therfore reportcth, that theLioneffe at her M litter bringeth forth 

 B five whelpcsjand every yeareafter3fewerbyone:and whenfhecommeth tobringbut onealonCs 

 fliee givech overjand becommeth barren. Her whelpes atthefirft arc without ftiapej like fmall 

 gobbets of flefh, no bigger than weafels. When they arc fixe months oldjihey can hardly go^ 

 and for the two firfl^they ihrre not a whit. Lions there be alfo in Europe (onely betweene the ri- 

 vers Achelous and Nefius) and ihefe verily befarreflronger than thofe of Affricke or Syria^ 

 Moreoverjof Lions there be two kinds : the one fhort^well trulTed and compatljwith more crilp 

 and curled mainesjbutthcfe are timerous and but cowards to them that have long and plains 

 haire, for thofe palle not for any wounds whatfbever. TheLions lift up a legge when they pilfcj 

 as dogges doe : and over and befides that, they have a ftrong and (linking breathjtheir very bo- 

 die alfo finelleth ranke.Seldome they drinke^and eat but each other day : and if at any time they 

 Q feed till they be full,they will abftaine from meat three daies after. In their feeding, whatfocver 

 they can fwallow without chawing^down it goes whole : and if they find their gorge and ftomack 

 too full, and not able indeed to receive according to their greedie appetite, they thruft their 

 pawes downe their throats and with their crooked clees fetch out fome of it againCgtothe end 

 ihcy iliould not be heavie and flow upon their fuinefTejif haply they be put to find their feet and 

 fiic.Mine author Arijloth faith moreover,that they live verie iong.-and heprooveth it by this ar- 

 gument,That many of them are found toothles for very 2gQ,Poljbim who accompanied \Seifto] 

 JEmjltanm in his voyage of AfFrick,reporteth of them,That v^hen they be grown aged, they will 

 prey upon a man : the reafon is,becaufe their llrength will not hold out to purfue in chafe other 

 wild beafis.Then, they come about the cities and good towns of Aifrick,lying in await for their 

 J) prey,if any folk come abroadr&for that caulGjhefaithjthat whiles he was with Scipo ht faw ibme 

 of them crucified & hanged up,to the end that upon the fight of thcm^other Lions fliould take 

 example by them, and be skared from doing the like milchiefe.The Lion alone of all wild beafis 

 is gentle to thofe diat humble themfcives unto him, and will not touch any fuch upon their fub- 

 miilion, but fpareth what creature foeverlieth prolhate bcforehim. As fell and furious as hce is 

 otherwhiles, yet he difchargeth his rage upon mcn,before that he (etteth upon women,and ne- 

 ver preyeth upon babes unleffc it be for esaeame hunger . They are verily perfuaded in Libya, 

 that they have-a certainc underflanding,whcn any man doth pray or entreat them for any thing* 

 1 have hard it reported for a truth^by a captive woman of Gerulia (which being fied was brought 

 homeagainetohermafier}Thatflieehad pacified the violent fuiie of many Lions within the 

 E woods and forrcfts,by fa ire language and gentle fpeech^and namely, that for toeicape their ragCj 

 flic hath been fo bardie as to fay,rheewas a fillie woman,a banifhedfugitive,afickely,feeble3and 

 weake creature , an humble uuter and lowly fiippliant unto him the noblefi of all other living 

 creatures, the fovcraignc and commaundcr of all the reft , and that flice was too bale and not 

 vvorthie that his glorious majeflie fboiild prey upon her.Many and divers opinions are currant^ 

 accordin^to the fundrie occurrences that have hapned, or the inventions that mens wits have 

 deviled.^s touching this matter, namely, that favage bcafts are dulced and appeafed by good 

 words and fairc Ipeech : as alfo that fell fcrpents may bee trained and fetched out of their holes 

 bycharmesjyea and bycertaincconjurations and menaces reftrainedand kept under forapu- 

 nilhment : but whether it be true or no,I fee it is not yet by any man fet downe and determined* 

 p To come againe to our Lions : the figne of their intent and difpofition, is their tailc ; like as in 

 horfes,their ears :for thefe two marks and tokens, certainly hath Nature given to the mofl cou- 

 ragious beafts of all others,to know their aftedions by ; for when the Lion flirreth not his taile, 

 bee is in a good mood, gentle, mild, pleafantly difpofed, and as if hee were willing to be plaied 

 widiail J but in chat fit he is feldome feene : for lightly hee is alwaies angrie. At the fitft,when hce 



cntreth 



