4 



The tenth Booke of 



times they ftcalc a foling, before their maifler beware that they are with fole. VVc have read 

 inChronicleSj that Echecratides theThefTalianhad a Mare, which even then wheniheewas 

 gone farre with folc.woon the beft game in the Olympian race.They that have fought more nar- 

 rowly into the fecrets of Nature, fay,That ftonc-Horfesj Dogs, and Bores, dcfire the females in 

 a morning : but Mares, Bitches, and Sowes make meanes to the male after noone. Mares that 

 are kept within houfe atracke and manger with hay and provender , defire to be covered three- 

 fcorc daies before thofc that goc abroad in the heard* Swine alone of all creatures when they be 

 brimmingjfrothandfomcat the mouth. And as for the Bore, if hehearethegruntinaof aSow 

 that feekes to be brimmed, unlcffehcmaycomctoher, will forfake his meat, untillhebc leanc 

 and poore : and (he againc will be fo farre enraged, that fhe will be readie to run upon a man and 

 all to leare him, efpeciallyif his cloths be white. But this rage and woodnefle of hersis aHua- 

 gcd and allaied, onely with bathing her fharc behind with vineger. Some thinke there be cer- 

 taine meats will provoke bcafts to fleflilyluft, namely. Onions given inmeattoabeaftjlike as 

 Rocket to a man or woman. Moreover, it is fuppofed, that whatfoever is made tame, which by 

 kind was wild, the fame will not breed, as Geefe and Ganders. In like manner, wild Swine and 

 red Deere, if they be tamed 5 or if they doe, it is very long firft : and fuch onely as were brought 

 to hand even from the time that they were very young. Finally, this one thing is ftraungeand 

 wonderfull, that all fourc-footed beafts, fave onely the Mare and the Sow, if they find them- 

 felves to be with yong, drive the male from them. But the Connie and the Hare alone will con- 

 ceive againe when they be gone with youn g. 



Chap. L XII 1 1. 



^ The varietie in living creatures^ as touching their comining into the tvorld* 



WHatfoever have quicke creatures within them,bring the fame forth with the head for- 

 ward.For when the time is comejthc young thing turneth about a little before,which 

 otherwile lay ftreight out at length in the bellie.Fourefooted beafts,whiles their dams 

 goe with them,lie with their legs ftretched aIong,clofe unto their owne bellies. An infant whiles 

 it is in the mothers wombc^gathereth round into a ball,and hath his nole lying juft betweene his 

 two knees. As for falie conceptions otMdonc-GaIves(whereof wee (pake before) fome thinke 

 theyare engendredof the womansfted onely .- namely, when fliee is not conceived by a man, 

 but by herfelfe: and hereupon itis, that the faid conception hath no vitall nor animal! lifcjbe- 

 caufeitproceedeth not of theconjun(^ionofmaleand female both* True it is, that it is endu- 

 ed with a certaine vegetative power, to bee nouriihed and to grow, like as wee fee in trees and 

 other plants. 



Chap, ixv* 

 ^The breed ofLM ke and Eats, , 



OF all creatures that bring foorth their young pcrfe(5l:, Swine onely farrow one Pig and two 

 Pigs at a time, ycajand Ibmetimes a number of them. Alfo they alone contrarie to the 

 nature of all thofe that either be whole hoofed, or cloven footed in twaine, bring a num- 

 ber of young ones at one farrow. But above all, Mice and Rats for fruitfulnefle docpafle. And 

 therefore I cannot put off the dilcourfe of them any longer : and yet therein I mufi follow t^ri- 

 jlotleioi mine author, and the report withall of the fbuldioursthatfcrved under Alexander the 

 great. It is faid that they engender by licking, without any other kind of copulation : and that 

 one of them hath brought fixe fcoreat a time: alfo that in Perfia there have been young Mice 

 found with young,even in the bellie of the old dam. And fome are of opinionjthat they will bee 

 bagged, if theytaftbut of a little fait. Why ihbuld wee then wonder any more how fuch multi- 

 tudesof field-Micc and Rats {hould come to devour whole fields of corne? Howbeit,therealbn 

 is not yet knowne, howfuch numbers of them fbould all of a fuddaine confume away andcome i 

 to nothing. For neither bee they found Jying dead above ground, neither can any man come 

 forth and fay, that hee hath turned up any one with hisfpade as hee digged in the Winter. The 

 countrey of Troas is exceedingly given to breed great itore ofthem,infomuch,as they have for- 

 ced alreadie the inh^ibitants to abandon the place and departs Men fay, that the feaibn proper 



" and 



