n6 ' . The eighth Booke of 



liKiips of vshhe fiefli without all formcjlittle biggec than rattons, without eyes^ancl wanting hair : G 

 onely there is fome fhew and apparance of clawes chat put forth* This rude luiiipe, with licking 

 they fafliion by little and little intpfome fhaperand nothing is more rare to be fcen in the woiMj 

 than a fheebeare bringing foorth her young: and thisisonecaufe that the male bcares are noe 

 tobefeenein4odaies5nor the female for 4 monethsjf they have no holes and dennes for the 

 f? purpofcj they build themfelvcs cabbinsof wood, gathering togetlier a ifealeof boughesand 

 bufhes, which they couch and lay artificially together^ to beare off any fhowre, fo as no raine is 

 able to enter; and thole they flrew upon the floore with as loft leaves as they can meet withall. 

 For the firft fourteen daies(afcer they have taken up their lodging in this manner) chey flcepe fb 

 foundly^ that they cannot pojibly bewakened,ifaman fhouldlay on and wound them . In this 

 drowfinefle of theirs, they grow wondrous fat. This their greafe and fat thus gotten, is it that is H 

 fo medicinablCjand good for thofe that (hcd their haire.Thefe.14 dayes once paft, they (it upon 

 theirrumpeor buttocks, and fall to fucking of their fore-feet, and this is all their food whereof 

 they live for the time. Their young whelpes, when tli*y are flarkeand ftiffe for coldi, they huggle 

 in their bofbmc and keepe clofe to their warme breaft^much like to birds that fit upon their egs. 

 A fttaunge and wonderluU thing it is to be told, and yet 7 heo^hraflmhdt^ytih it. That if a maa 

 take beares flefh during thole daies, and feeth or bake the fame, if it be fet up and kept iafe, ic 

 will grow neverthelefle. All this time they dung notjueither doth there appeare any token or csn 

 crement of meat that they have eatcn:and very little water or aquofitie istoundwithin their be]- 

 lie. As for bloodjfome few fmall drops lie about the heart only, and none at all in the whole bo- 

 die befides. Now when fpring is come, forth they goe out of their denne , but by that time, the |. 

 males are exceeding overgrowne with fat : and the reafon thereof cannot be readily rendredjfor 

 as we faid beforejthey had no more but thatfortnights fleepe to fat them withalLBeing now got- 

 ten abroadjthe firft thing that they doe, is to devoure ^ certaioe hearb named Aron j /. Wak^- 

 robin^ and that they doe to open their guts,which otherwife were clunged and growne togitheifj 

 and for to prepare their mouthes and teeth again to eat, they whet and fet the edge of them with 

 the yong flioots and tendrons of the briers and brambles. Subjcil they are many times to dim- 

 neffe of fight: for which caulc eipecially they leckcaftechony-cQmbeSjthat the bees might ku 

 tic upon them, and with their ftings make them bleedijbmitihej:iead, and by thaimeanes dif- 

 charge them of that heavinefle which troubleth. their eyeskThe Tions are mi fo ftrong in the 

 head,but beares be as weake and tender there : and therefore when they be chafed hard by hun- 

 tersandput to a plunge, ready to cad themfelves hcadlotig from a rocke, they cover and arm£ 

 ^ their heads with their tore-feec and pawes,asitwcrewith handsjandfo jumpe downe:ye3and 

 many times, when they are baited in the open lliew-place^ wc baveknownc them laid flreaking 

 for dead with one cuife or box of the eare given ihemiwith a mans fiftvln Spaine it is held for cer- 

 tainc,that in their braine there is a venimous quaiitie^and if it be taken in drinkcjdriveth menin- 

 to a kind ofmadnefle, fo as they will rage as it they were beares : in token whereof, whenfoevet 

 any of them be killed with baiting, they makefure worke and burn their heads all whole. Wlien 

 they lifl, they will go on their two hinder feet upright : they creepe downe from trees backward : 

 when they fight with bulls,their manner is to hang with all their foure feet, about their head and 

 homes, and lb with the very weight of their bodies wearie them. There is not a living creature £l 

 more craftie and foolifh withall, when it doth a jlirewd turncWe find it recorded iHthe Annate 

 oftheRomanes,ihat when LM.Pifo and CMMefala were ConMslI^mif^mJBpdarh^fm ^- 

 dilc Curule, upon the 14 day before the Calends of Odoberv: exhibited looNumjdian besides 

 to be baited and chafed in the great Cirque, and as many -^Ethiopian hunters ^ , And I mmph 

 muchjihat the chroiiicle nameth N umidian^ fince it is certeing that np beais come <H^^^ 



Chap, xxxvii. 



J§> Oft^e Rats of Fontm^ and the t^l^es : alfe of frchim 



and Hidgtkogii ' ^ 



M 



THe Rats of Pontusjwhich be onely white, come not abroad ajl winter : they h^ve a mofi 

 fine and cxquifice taft m their feeding 3 buti wonder hoW; the Auchours that have writer 

 this,fhould come to the knowledge of fo much. Thofe of die Alpes Iikewiife,;jMarmf(^- 

 tanesj which are as bigge as Brocke§ or Badgers^ keepe; in^ dui ii^- j^^fnter : b ut they ar^ provided 



■of 



