The eighth Booke of 



' ■?'QtA^i:bCiK%pi::.:i::.A-ti>r\C .: ' : 



AS touching Serpents, wee lee itordinatie thatfor the feoft-|)WC ch€y,amc>£ the eolour pf 

 the earth wherein they lie hidden : and an infinite numhea: of forts there hA of them. The 

 Serpent Ceraftes hath many times fourcfmall hornesjftanding out doubfe 

 whereof fhee amufeth the birds^and traineth them unto her for tocateh theiDjhiding all the reil 

 ofhcrbodie» 



The AmphisbiEnahath two hcadsjas it werCjthat is to fayjone at the taile^as if fhcc were not 

 hurtfull ynough to eaft her poifon at one mouth only. Some are skaledjOthers fpotted and pa in- 

 ted : but generally, thevcnome of them all is moiVdeadly. There bee of themj thatfronuhe 

 boughesoftrecs (boot and launcethemfelves : in fueh manner, as that we are not onely to take 

 heed of Serpents, as they goe and glide upon the ground, but alfo to looke unto them that fiie 

 as a dart or arrow fcnt out of an engine. The Aff>ides (well about tfie necke when they purpo;fe 

 tofting : and noremedie is there for them that are ftung or lyt^CQ by themj unleflfc the parts 

 that arc wounded, beecut off preicmly. This peftjlent Gteature^^a^ venomo us ?shee is, hath one 

 point yet of underftanding or aftcdion rather : you fhal not fee thefn wandering abroad but two 

 and two together,the male and female,as if they were yoked together ; and unncth, or not at all, 

 ' can they live alone stithout their mate : fo that if the one of them bee killed, itisincredible how 

 the other feeketh to bee revenged. Itpurfueth the murderer, it knoweth him againearaongil: a j 

 number of people,be they never fo many : him itcourfeth,and laieth for his hfe ; notwithltan- 

 ding what difficulties foever,it breaketh through al!,be it never Jo farre thither ^and nothing may 

 impeach this revenging humor,unIefle fbme river be betweene to keepe it backe,or that the par* 

 tie make fpced and efcape away in great haft. And I aflfure you,I am not able to fay,whether Na^ 

 ture hath beene more free and prodigall in (ending^mong us fuch noifbme things, or givingus 

 remedies againe for them. For to begin withall : (he hath affourdedto this hurtfull creature but 

 a darke fight, and a dim paireof eies ; and thofe not placed in the fore-part of the head, to fee 

 forward and diredlvjbutfet in the very temples.. Ahd^hereof it is, that thefe Serpents are railed 

 oftener by their hearing than fight. 



r '' ^ 

 Chap, : XXI 1 1 1. 



^ of the Rat of India ^ called Iclmetmmh 



BEfidcs the forefaid infirmitie, there is mortall warre betweene ihem and the Ichneumones 

 or rats of India. A beafl: this is,wcll knowne to the Afpis, in this regard efpecially, that it is 

 bred likewife in the fame ^gypt. The manner of this Ichneumon is, to wallow ofcentimes 

 within themudjand then to drie itfelfe againft the Sunne: and when heehath thus armed him- 

 felfe as it were with many coats hardne^ in this manner, he goeth forth to combat with the Af^ 

 pis. Infighthefetsuphistailc,& whips about,turninghis tailetotheenemie,& therin latcheth 

 and receiveth all the ftrokes of the Arpis,and taketh no harme thereby : and fo long maintaineth £ 

 he a defenfive battell,untill he fpie a tiniCjturning his heaE^ato-fide, that he may catch the Afpis 

 by the throatjS^ throttle it. And not content thus to have vanquifhed this cnemie, he addreifeth 

 hknfclfe to a eonfli(3t with anothcr,as hurtfull every way and dangerous as the former. 



Chap. XXV. 



of theCrocodile^Scmke^andRiver-herfe. 



THe river Milus nourifheth the Crocodile : a venomous creature, foure footcd,as daunge- 

 rous upon water as the land. This beaft alone,of all other that kcepe the land,hath no ufc 

 of a tongue. He onely moveth the upper jaw or mandible,whcrewith he biteth hard : and y{ 

 otherwife terrible hce is,by reafon of the courfc and ranke of his teeth which clofe one with.n a- 

 nothetjas if two combes grewtogether. Ordinarily,he is above eightcene cubiies in length.Ths 

 female laieth egs as big as geefc doe; and fitteth ever upon them out of the water. For a certaine 

 naturall fore-knowledge (he hath, how farre Nilus the river will chat yeare nlc when bee is at the 



