Plimcs Naturall Hiftorie. zij 



A' commonly continueth thirtie daies^namely/rom the irifing of the Dolphin ftarre, unto the day 

 before the Nones of lanuaricHowbeit/ome there be that goe to fellow in Autumne. CerteSjirt 

 ihofe countries where the people live altogether of milk,they order the n jatrer fo,that their kine 

 calveatailtimesjfo as they are not without their food offrerti milkeall theyeare long. Buls wil- 

 lingly leape not above two kine at moft in one day.Boeufes alone of al living creatures can grafe 

 going backward: and verily among theGaramants they never feed othcrwife. Kine live nota- 

 bove fifteene yeares at the utmoft : B uls and Oxen come to twentie.They be in their full firength 

 when they are five yearesold.lt is faidj that they will grow fatjif they be bathed with bote water : 

 or if a man flit their hide^and with a reed or pipe blow wind betweene the flefn and the skin^even 

 » into their entrailes.KinejBuls,and Oxen^are notto be delpiled as unkindly jalthough they.looke 

 g butillfavouredlyjandbeenotfofairetotheeie :forinthe Alpesj theleaft of bodieare thebeft 

 milch kine. And the beiUabouring Oxen are they which are yoked by the head, and not the 

 necke.In Syria they have no dewlaps at all hanging under the neck^ but bunches (landing up on 

 their backs in fi:ced therof. They of Cariaalfo^acountrey in Afiajareillfavouredtobe fee/i^ha- 

 ving between their necks & fliouidcrs a tumor or fwelling hanging over^ befideSjtheir horns are 

 loole5and(as it were)ouc of jointrand yet by report they are palling good of deed^and labor moft 

 ftoudy.Furthermorejit is generally held for certaine,that the black or white in this kind are fira- ■ 

 ply the worft for worke,and condemned. Buls have lefler and thinner homes than either Kine oc 

 Oxen. The beft time to bring theOxeor the Bull to the yoke, and make him draw, is at three 

 yeares of age:after^itistoolate3andbefore3withthefoonert.AyongSiereisfoonefi; trained and 

 Q taught to drawjif he be coupled in one yoke with another that hath beene wrought alreadie and 

 beaten to his worke.For this beaft is our companion^ and laboureth together with us, in earing 

 and plowing the ground : and (b highly regarded was the Oxe in old time ofourforelaihers,thac 

 we find it regiftred upon record,That a certaine Romane was judicially enditedjaccufed^S^ con- 

 demned by the people of Rome^ for that (to fatisfie the mind of a wanton minion and catamite 

 of his5who faid he had not eaten any tripes all the while he was in the countrey)he killed an Oxe, 

 although he was his owne cyeajand for this fad was baniflied, as if hee had ilainehis Grangier 

 andBaiiifeof hishusbandne. Bulsareknownetobec of a good kind and courageous, by their 

 fierce and grim couatenancejfor they alwaies looke crabbed and frowning: their eares are over- 

 growne with ftiffe haires,and their homes fo Ibndingjas if they were ever difpoled and readie to 

 J) fight.But all his threatening and menaces appearc in his forefeetjwich them hee gives warning, 

 and as he is more and more angricjhee beitirrdth himfelfc now with the onefoot,and then with 

 another, in courfe and byiurnes, (lamping and pawing with'thcmagainft the ground, raifing 

 and flinging the dull about him aloft into the aire : and ot all other beafts,he alone after this ma- 

 ner enchauTcth himielfejand giveth an edge unto his anger. I my felfe have feeii them fight one 

 with another for the maiftrie : 1 have feene them, being turned and fwong round about in their 

 fallj caught up with the hor^ies of others, and yet rife againe and recover themfelves : 1 have 

 feene them lying alongj to be raifed aloft from the ground ; and when they have run all am,aine 

 wich full pace, galloping in their chariots, yetftaiedand ftoodftill when they fhould, as if the 

 charloters lj|^caufed them to rell.TheTheflalianswere they who dcvifed withprauncing hoife 

 £ to ride gallop clqfe to the Buls head to take them by the horne,wryth their necks downe, andfo 

 kill them. The firft that exliibited this pleafant iliew unto the people at Rome, was Cdfar Di^ta- 

 tour. The Bull yeeldeth the principall and moflfumptuousfacrificc of all other unto the gods,^ 

 and therewith are they beft pleafed.This beaft alone, of all thofe that are long tailedjwheh it firft. 

 commeth intothe world, hath not the taile of the full meafure and perfe<S lei)gth,as others :buc 

 it groweth ftill^untill it reach downe to the very heeles,and touch the ground. And'hexeupon it 

 iSjthat in chufingofcalves to facrificewith,thofe are allowed for good and fufficient, whole taile 

 commeth downe to the jointof the haugh or gambriil : for ifit.be lliorter, they will not berecei- 

 ved and accepted of the gods. This alfo is noted by experiencejthat calves fo*little(that they bee 

 brought on mens fliouiders to the altars for to bee killed)lightly arenotfufficient to appeafe the 

 p gods. Neithcr are they pacified and wcll pleafed with abeaft that is lame and maimed^nor with 

 ihatwhich is not appropriat unto themjbut to fome other godsjne yet with itchatreculcth froni 

 the altar,and is loth to come to it. In the prodigies that wee read of auneient times,wee find very 

 often thatKine and Oxen have (poke : upon the report of which ftraunge token, the Senate was 

 ever wont ,tO;afTpmble in fome open place abroad^and not to fit either in hall or chamber. 



Chap. 



