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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13821	The historie of serpents. Or, The second booke of liuing creatures wherein is contained their diuine, naturall, and morall descriptions, with their liuely figures, names, conditions, kindes and natures of all venemous beasts: with their seuerall poysons and antidotes; their deepe hatred to mankind, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, and destruction. Necessary and profitable to all sorts of men: collected out of diuine scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: amplified with sundry accidentall histories, hierogliphicks, epigrams, emblems, and ænigmaticall obseruations. By Edvvard Topsell.	Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?	1608 (1608)	STC 24124; ESTC S122051	444,728	331

surprize the young for the old ones will flye away chattering and chirping in mournfull sort not beeing able to hinder or resist their chicke-deuouring foes But at the last when they see all their young ones dispatched as if they could not endure to liue for sorrow or els thinking it possible to fly into the snakes belly to fetch out againe their deuoured young ones they fall downe vpon their enemies iawes doing what they can to make them deuoure and swallow them vp also And thus much for the hatred betwixt fowles and serpents Wherein although they kill the serpent either in their owne defence or els for rauen pray yet may we admire the prudence of the most mightie Creator who hath so disposed of his power that he causeth the fowles of heauen to reuenge mans quarrell vpon the serpents of the earth by whose subtiltie man was plucked from heauen and they made subiect to corruption In the next place God hath also framed an opposition betwixt serpents the beasts of the earth and water which liue with serpents in the same Element that so they might be both annoyed at home and abroade I will therefore beginne with the dogge who is a notable enemie to the serpents as I my selfe haue seene many in England for hee vvill earnestly seeke them out with nose and foote both in waters dunghills and hedges and when he hath found any one he will suddainly snatch him into his mouth biting him about the middle so holding it in equall poyse will fling and shake it about his eares very fast and violently till hee perceiue it can stirre no more and then suddainly againe letteth it fall out of his mouth to the earth but if it beginne to stirre he snatcheth it vp againe and shaketh it about his eares as before and so neuer giueth ouer till it appeare dead but they sildome kill them onely they astonish them and so may a young childe knock out theyr braines Howbeit when they fight in defence of their Maisters then they kill them by byting them in peeces And yet is it more safe for them to astonish them and leaue them for dead by shaking them about their eares then by biting them in pecces for that commonly then while they share them asunder they are stung or bitten by the serpent And this I haue seene often in mine owne experience But one of the greatest enemies of Serpents are Harts a timorous beast of all other and yet greedie to combat with the serpent vvherefore I will briefely describe this their war and hatred out of Solinus Aclianus Plutarch and Oppianus The Hart will greedily follow out the path of the serpent and finding it lodged in his denne or hole by the vertue of his nose draweth it out of the earth and thereof some haue deriued Elaphos a Hart of Elanein tous opheis that is driuing away of serpents And herein I thinke it not reason to follow the opinion of Aclianus who intreating of Harts drawing serpents out of the earth saith that the serpent is inticed and allured out of her hole by the breath of the Hart as by a Philtre or Cup of loue for seeing that there is so great an hostilitie and antipathy in nature betwixt their whole disposition howe can it come from any secret sympathy that the serpent which is the subtillest of all beastes should be bewitched with the loue of his enemies breath But if it be said that Serpents which are by nature very cold can easily be drawne forth by a warmer breath as it were by the sweet beames of the hot sunne how then falleth it not out that when any other beast breatheth vpon their lodging and into their dennes they are not remooued But let it be granted that the warmenesse of the Harts breath maketh him forsake his denne yet it cannot be ascribed to any secret in nature as if there were a fire of loue in the Harts throat or bones but onely from the naturall concomitant qualitie of heate with expiration respiration inspiration and therefore I cannot but conclude that there is not any possibilitie or probabilitie in nature that where the spirits which take and make the breath are at such variance there the breath proceeding from the one aduersary should so inchaunt beguile the other But the true cause of this extraction of serpents out of their lodgings is as I coniecture not her warme breath that allureth nor yet scorcheth and burneth her aduersary but that when the Hart hath found the denne of the Serpent by her violent attraction of the ayre out from the serpent she enforceth it for the safegard of life to follow it out of the denne As when a vessell is broched or vented the vvine followeth the flying ayre or as a Cupping-glasse draweth blood out of a scarified place of the body and so is a serpent against her will drawne to followe the breath of her destroyer Oribasius and Gunterius doe subscribe vnto this opinion and take it for most consonant to reason and truth and therfore I will not follow it any further for by the selfe same manner doe the Sea-Rammes drawe the Sea calfes out of their lodgings among the Rocks vnder the earth for when they haue found the Calfe they keepe them from ayre and preuent their refrigeration When the serpent seeth himselfe so drawne forth by his aduersarie hee beeing aboue measure incensed to rage flyeth away and maketh his poyson more noysome violent powerfull for which cause there was wont to be a prouerbiall caueat or warning Caue ne incideris in serpentem quum extracta à latebris anhelitu cerui effugerit tum enim propter iracundiam vehementius ei venenum est Take heede least you meete with a serpent flying away from the Hart after she is drawne out of her denne by her breath for then by reason of her rage her poyson is more sorcible But I will proceede to the more strange wonderfull combat betwixt serpents and Harts For when the serpent perceiueth the vnauoidable danger and that she must needes fight for her life she hysseth strongly lifting vp her head from the earth euen to the throat of the Hart thereat catcheth gnasheth with her teeth but on the other side the valiant Hart if such a word may be giuen to a fearefull beast as it were deriding his aduersaries weake endeuours to harme suffereth the serpent to wind about his breast and belly and to embrace both necke and legges with his long and weake bodie that so he may haue the more power vpon it for he teareth it into an hundred peeces But the most strange combats are betwixt the Harts and Serpents of Libia where hatred hath his deepest footing for there the serpents watch the Hart when he lyeth downe to sleepe vpon the ground and beeing a multitude of them set vpon him altogether fastning their poysonfull teeth in euery part of his skinne some on his neck and

agreeth But in this action the Serpent was but the deuills trunke neither serued it for any other purpose but to couer him so as the words which were spoken were the words of the deuill and that S. Austen De Gen ad lit writeth Serpentem dum cum Eua loqueretur neque intellexisse quid diceret neque rationalem animam habuisse But as hee speaketh by phanaticall men so did hee out of the Serpent And yet GOD because hee was the deuills instrument hath taken from him his voyce leauing him onelie hyssing and insteed of those smooth words where-withall the woman was beguiled hee hath giuen him poyson vnder his tongue to which the Scripture alludeth Psalm 140. 3. Rom. 3. 13. as Iosephus also affirmeth Lib 1. cap. 3. Antiq. And for this cause also was it punished to grouell and creepe vpon the earth and to suffer the enmity of man For according to the Lords saying that hath no power but to byte our heeles lower parts and we on the other-side make all force to bruize his head I shall not need to allegorize this story it is better knowne to you then to my selfe and I list not write those things vvhich are impertinent to the matter And therefore thus much shall suffice for this first record of the Serpent in holy Scripture and so I will proceede to the second Another memory of the Serpent is the type of Christ Iesus represented in the Brazen Serpent erected at the Lords owne commaundement for the curing of the Burning-serpents poyson in the Wildernes Many such statues of Serpents I haue remembred in the discourse following differing onely in the end and benefit This working miraculouslie those things because it represented Christ crucified which those could not doe being but the inuentions of man yet of this Saint Austen maketh this elegant allusion to Christ in Iohn 3. Tract 12. Magnum hoc Sacramentum qui legerunt nouerunt c. This sayth he is a great Sacrament and they which haue read it know it For what are the fiery-byting-Serpents but sinnes arising out of the mortality of flesh What is that same Serpent lifted vp but the death of our Lord vpon the Crosse For because death came by the Serpent death is figured in the forme of a Serpent The byting of the Serpent was deadlie the death of our Lord was liuely The Serpent is looked vpon that it might not be harmfull death is looked vpon that it might be of no force Sedcuius mors mors vitae si dici potest mors vitae imò quia dici potest mirabiliter dicitur Shall not that be spoken which was to be done Shall I be scrupulous to say that which my Lord did not disdaine to doe Was not Christ life and yet he was on the Crosse Was hee not life and yet hee dyed Sed in morte Christi mors mortua est quia vita mortua occidit mortem plenitudo vitae occidit mortem absorpta est mors in Christi corpore But as they which did looke vpon the Brazen Serpent did not perish although they were bytten so they which by fayth looke vppon Christ crucified are saued from the perrill of their sinnes but with this difference betwixt the type and the person represented that they were saued from a temporall death and the faithfull from an eternall Thus farre Saint Austen and thus much of the Serpent in figure The third and last mention of Serpent that I apprehend is that allegoricall precept or instruction of our most blessed Sauiour where he exhorteth vs to be wise as Serpents to be innocent as Doues Which words haue often driuen mee into the serious consideration of the Serpents nature that so I might at one time or other attaine our Sauiours meaning for surely I thought of them as that Learned-man did of the Iewes Hostes sunt in cordibus suffragatores in libris and because of Christs reference whatsoeuer the Serpents are in their nature and inclination to vs yet in their wisedome as in a Booke they are our instructors and helpers And certainely seeing there are no vertues of that worth to a Christian life as are Innocencie and Wisedome I could neuer satisfie my selfe in their diquisition how we should goe to creatures so farre different in nature betwixt whom is no concord and take out their seuerall vertues to marry them together in one humane breast Well I knew the worth of those vertues and the necessity of their imitation yet how to make vse of them in a Christian life was Hic labor hoc opus The Serpent in the earth the Doue in the ayre doth it teach vs that with wisedome we must dwell below on earth and with inocencie as with the wings of a Doue flye vp into heauen aboue Or that in our pollicie while wee liue wee may wind and turne in worldly affayres like a Serpents path but in heauenly keepe a straight and swift course like as the Doues doe in their flight Or that wee be euer armed to defend our selues as the Serpent is with poyson neuer vnfurnished and yet be without hart and courage as is a Doue Or that there were no man in nature so wise as Serpents or so innocent as Doues Surely these thoughts draue me to looke vpon the Fathers the best Expositors of this Text for my satisfaction that at least if I could neuer attaine to the perfect science of Wisedome and Innocencie yet I might shew my louing endeuour vnto both They told me with one consent that forasmuch as men desire wisedome vvithout innocencie our Sauiour to reprooue that affection teacheth to conioyne both together for Prudentia sine simplicitate malitia simplicitas sine prudentia stultitia and therefore Ne machinemur dolos habeamus simplicitatem Columbae et ne ab alijs supplantemur astutiam Serpentis to this effect you know they all vvrite But yet this did not satisfie mee for mee thought there was yet a more eminent meaning or deeper secret like some new Mercurius or Elixar vitae contayned in those words Wherefore I sought further and so I found that Serpents defend their head so must men theyr fayth that they cast theyr skinne so must men their sinnes that they stop their eares against Inchaunters so must men theyr eares against the deuills tentations that they byte at mens lower parts or heeles so must we at the roote of our vnlawfull desires that for hatred of men they seek peace among thornes and bryars so must good men flie the society of those things which might endanger their soules that they swym keeping their head out of the water so ought men not to be drowned in pleasure that they eate dust according to the sentence of the Almightie so must we be content with whatsoeuer estate God shall send vs and to conclude saith S. Austen Solertiam habent in foetuum aeducatione in latibulorum aedification in nutrimentorum acquisitione in vulnerum medicatione in nociuorum euitatione in

destroyeth him Others say that the crocodile weepeth after he hath deuoured a man How-soeuer it be it noteth the wretched nature of hypocriticall harts which before-hand will with fayned teares endeuour to do mischiefe or els after they haue done it be outwardly sorry as Iudas was for the betraying of Christ before he went and hanged himselfe The males of this kind do loue their females aboue all measure yea euen to iealousie as may appeare by this one history of P. Martyr About the time that hee was in those countries there were certaine Marriners which saw two Crocodiles together in carnall copulation vpon the sands neere the Riuer from which the water was lately fallen into a certaine Iland of Nilus the greedy Marriners forsooke their ship and betooke themselues to a long boate and with great shouting hollowing crying made towards them in verie couragious manner the male at the first assault fell amazed greatly terrified ran away as fast as he could into the waters leauing his female lying vpon her backe for whē they ingender the male turneth her vpon her backe for by reason of the shortnes of her legges she cannot doe it her selfe so the Mariners finding her vpon her back not able to turne ouer her selfe they easily slew her and tooke her away with them Soone after the male returned to the place to seeke his female but not finding her and perceiuing blood vpon the sand coniectured truly that she was slaine wherefore hee presently cast himselfe into the Riuer of Nilus againe in his rage swam stoutly against the streame vntill hee ouertooke the ship wherein his dead femall was which he presently set vppon lifting vp himselfe and catching hold on the sides would certainly haue entered the same had not the Marriners with all their force battered his head and hands with clubs and staues vntill he was wearied and forced to giue ouer his enterprise so with great sighing and sobbing departed frō them By which relation it is most cleere what naturall affection they beare one to another and how they choose out theyr fellowes as it were fitte wiues and husbands for procreation And it is no wonder if they make much of one another for besides thēselues they haue few friends in the world except the bird Trochilus and Swine of whom I can say little except this that followeth As for the little bird Trochilus it affecteth and followeth them for the benefit of his owne belly for while the Crocodile greedilie eateth there sticketh fast in his teeth some part of his prey which troubleth him very much many times ingendereth wormes then the beast to helpe himselfe taketh land and lyeth gaping against the sunne-beames westward the bird perceiuing it flyeth to the iawes of the beast and there first with a kind of tickling-scratching procureth as it were licence of the Crocodile to pull foorth the wormes and so eateth them all out and clenseth the teeth thoroughly for which cause the Beast is content to permit the Bird to goe into his mouth But when all is clensed the ingratefull Crocodile endeuoureth suddainely to shut his chappes together vppon the Bird and to deuoure his friend like a cursed wretch which maketh no reckoning of friendship but the turne serued requiteth good with euill But Nature hath armed this little bird with sharpe thornes vpon her head so that while the Crocodile endeuoureth to shut his chaps and close his mouth vpon it those sharpe thornes pricke him into his palate so that full sore against his vnkind nature hee letteth her flye safe away But where as there be many kinds of Trochili which are greedy of these wormes or clensings of the Crocodiles some of them which haue not thornes on theyr heades pay for it for there beeing not offence to let the closing of the Crocodiles mouth they must needes be deuoured and therefore this enforced amity betwixt him and the Crocodile is onely to be vnderstoode of the Claedororynchus as it is called by Hermolaus There be some that affirme that he destroyeth all without exception that thus come into his mouth and other-some say he destroyeth none but when he feeleth his mouth sufficiently clensed he waggeth his vpper chappe as it were to giue warning of auoydance and in fauour of the good turne to let the bird flie away at his owne pleasure Howbeit the other and former narration is more likely to be true and more constantly affirmed by all good Authors except Plutarch And Leo Afric saith that it was the constant and confident report of all Affrica that the Crocodile deuoureth all for theyr loue and kindnesse except the Claedororynchi which they cannot by reason of the thornes vppon their head That there is an amitie and naturall concord betwixt Swine and Crocodiles is also gathered because they onely among all other liuing foure-footed beastes doe without danger dwell feede and inhabite vppon the banks of Nilus euen in the midst of the Crocodiles and therefore it is probable that they are friends in nature But oh how small a sum of friends hath this beast and how vnwoorthy of loue among all creatures that neuer in nature hath but two in heauen or earth ayre or water that will aduenture to come neere it and one of these also which is the best deseruing it deuoureth and destroyeth it it get it within his danger Seeing the friendes of it are so few the enemies of it must needes be many and therefore require a more large catalogue or story In the first ranke whereof commeth as worthy the first place the Ichneumon or Pharaohs-mouse who rageth against their egges and their persons for it is certaine that it hunteth with all sagacity of sence to finde out theyr nests and hauing found them it spoyleth scattereth breaketh emptieth all theyr egs They also watch the old ones asleepe and finding their mouthes open against the beames of the Sunne suddenly enter into them and being small creepe downe theyr vast large throates before they be aware and then putting the Crocodile to exquisite and intollerable torment by eating their guttes asunder and so their soft bellies while the Crocodile tumbleth to and fro sighing and weeping now in the depth of water now on the Land neuer resting till strength of nature fayleth For the incessant gnawing of the Ichneumon so prouoketh her to seek her rest in the vnrest of euery part herbe element throwes throbs rowlings tossings mournings but all in vaine for the enemy within her breatheth thorough her breath and sporteth her selfe in the consumption of those vitall parts vvhich wast and weare away by yeelding to her vnpacificable teeth one after other till shee that crept in by stealth at the mouth like a puny theefe come out at the belly like a Conquerour thorough a passage opened by her owne labour industry as we haue also shewed at large in the story of Ichneumon But whether it be true or no that

it forth Verse 5. So she brought forth a man-child which should rule all Nations with a rodde of yron And her Sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his throne Verse 6. And the Woman fledde into the Wildernes where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feede her there 1260. dayes Verse 7. And there was a battaile in heauen Michaell and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels Verse 8. But they preuailed not neither was theyr place found any more in heauen Verse 9. And the great Dragon that old Serpent called the deuill and Satan was cast out which deceiueth all the world he was euen cast vnto the earth and his Angels were cast out with him Verse 13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast vnto the earth he persecuted the VVoman which had brought forth a man-child and so forth as it followeth in the Text. Where-vppon S. Augustine writeth Diabolus draco dicitur propter insidias quia occulte insidiatur that is the deuill is called a dragon because of his treachery for he doth treacherously set vpon men to destroy them It was wont to be said because dragons are the greatest Serpents that except a Serpent eate a serpent he shall neuer be a dragon for theyr opinion was that they grew so great by deuouring others of their kind and indeede in Ethiopia they grow to be thirtie yardes long neither haue they any other name for those dragons but Elephant-killers they liue very long Onesicritus writeth that one Aposisares an Indian did nourish two Serpents dragons whereof one was sixe and forty cubits long and the other fourescore and for the more famous verification of the fact he was a very earnest suter to Alexander the great when he was in India to come and see them but the King beeing afraid refused The Chroniclers of the affayres of Chius doe write that in a certaine valley neere to the foote of the mountaine Pellenaus was a valley full of straite tall Trees wherein was bred a dragon of wonderfull magnitude or greatnes whose onely voyce or hissing did terrifie all the Inhabitants of Chius and therefore there was no man that durst come nigh vnto him to consider or to take a perfect view of his quantitie suspecting onely his greatnesse by the loudenesse of his voyce vntill at length they knewe him better by a singuler accident worthy of eternall memory For it hapned on a time that such a violent wind did arise as did beate together all the Trees in the wood by which violent collision the branches fell to be on fire and so all the wood was burned suddainely compassing in the dragon whereby he had no meanes to escape aliue and so trees fell downe vpon him burned him Afterward when the fire had made the place bare of wood the inhabitants might see the quantity of the dragon for they found diuers of his bones his head which were of such vnusuall greatnes as did sufficiently confirme them in their former opinion and thus by diuine miracle was this monster consumed who neuer any man durst behold beeing aliue and the inhabitants of the Country safely deliuered from their iust conceiued feare It is also reported that Alexander among many other beastes which hee saw in India did there finde in a certaine denne a dragon of seauentie cubites long which the Indians accounted a sacred beast and therefore intreated Alexander to doe it no harme When it vttered the voyce with full breath it terrified his whole Armie they could neuer see the proportion of his body but onely the head and by that they gessed the quantitie of the whole body for one of his eyes in their appearance seemed as great as a Macedonian buckler Maximus Tyrius writeth that in the dayes of Alexander there was likewise seene a dragon in India as long as fiue roodes of land are broade which is incredible For hee likewise saith that the Indians did feede him euery day with many seuerall Oxen and sheepe It may be that it was the same spoken of before which some ignorant men and such as were giuen to sette forth fables amplified beyond measure and credite Whereas dragons are bredde in India and Affrica the greatest of all are in India for in Ethiopia Nubia and Hesperia the dragons are confined within the length of fiue cubits twenty cubits for in the time of Euergetes there were three brought into Egypt one was nine cubits long which with great care was nourished in the Temple of Esculapius the other two were seauen cubits long About the place where once the Tower of Babell was builded are dragons of great quantitie and vnder the Equinoctiall as Nicephorus Callistus writeth there are Serpents as thicke as beames in testimony wherof their skinnes haue been brought to Rome And therefore it is no maruell although S. Austine writing vpon the 148. Psalme doth say Draconis magna quedam sunt animantia maiora non sunt super terram dragons are certaine great beasts and there are none greater vpon the earth Neither is it to be thought incredible that the souldiours of Attilius Regulus did kill a dragon which was a hundred and twenty foote long or that the dragons in the dennes of the Mountaine Atlas should grow so great that they can scarce moue the fore-parts of their bodie I am yet therefore to speake of the dragons in the Montaines Emodij or of Arigia or of Dachinabades or the Regions of the East or of that which Augustus shewed publiquely to the people of Rome beeing fiftie cubits long or of those which be in the Alpes which are found in certaine Caues of the South-sides of the hills so that this which hath beene said shall suffise for the quantitie and Countries of dragons Besides there are other kindes of dragons which I must speake of in order and first of all of the Epidaurian dragons which is bred no where but in that Country beeing tame and of yellow golden-colour wherefore they were dedicated to Aesculapius of whom Nicander writeth in this manner Nunc veridem et nigrem post dicta venena Drachonem Aspice quem patulafago Phoebia proles Ingelido peli nutriuit culmine iuxta Letae pelethuniae quondam decliuia vallis In English thus After these venoms now behold the dragon blacke and greene Nourished by Apollos sonne vnder a Beech full broade On top of the cold Pelus as often hath beene seene By fertill vale of Pelethun his slyding roade There are likewise other kindes of Tame-dragons in Macedonia vvhere they are so meeke that women feede them and suffer them to sucke their breasts like little children their Infants also play with them riding vppon them and pinching them as they would doe with dogges without any harme and sleeping with them in their beds But among all dragons there was none more famous then the dragon Python or Pithias as the Poets faine which was bred of the

no Serpent can be hidde when hee seeth a Scorpion he neither feareth nor spareth it It is also thought that Hares are neuer molested by Scorpions because if a man or beast be anoynted with the rennet of a Hare there is no Scorpion or Spyder that will hurt him Wild-goates are also said to liue without feare of Scorpions euen as the Affrican Psylli of whom we haue often spoken Now this vertue against Scorpions is not onely in liuing things but also in the plants of the earth therefore Sestius writeth that the seede of Nose-wort burned or scorched doth driue away Serpents and resist Scorpions and so doth the roote of the Mast-tree the seede of Violets and the same vertue is ascribed to the herbe Lychius which is englished Calucs-snout and also to the seede of Wild-parsenip The smell of Garlicke and Wild-mints set on fire or strewed on the ground Dittany haue the same operation and aboue all other one of these Scorpions burned dryueth away all his fellowes which are within the smell thereof and therefore this is a most vsuall thing in Asia and Affricke to perfume their houses with Scorpions burned and in steed thereof they make as it were little pills of Galbanume sandaracha with butter and the fatte of Goates and thereof altogether make their perfume also Bittony and wild-Pellitory with Brimstone They vse also to couer pannes with certaine things called by them Alkitran and Asa and with these they compasse the place wherein the Scorpion lodgeth and then it is found that they can neuer stir any more from that place And some in steede thereof poure oyle into their holes after them for the same effect And the Husband-men of Mauritania doe tye and fasten to their bedde-sides sprigs of White-thorne and Hasell-nuts where-withall by a secrete antipathy in nature they driue away and keepe themselues safe in their beddes from the annoyance of Scorpions By touching of Henbane they lye dead and ouer-come but if one touch them againe with white Ellebore they reuiue and are released from their former stupefaction It is also said that the leafes of water-mallowes do also astonish Scorpions and so also doth the Radish-roote The Sea-crabbe with Basill in her mouth destroyeth the Scorpion and so doth tunicle and mushrom of Trees To conclude the spettle of a man is death vnto Scorpions and therefore when a certaine fellow tooke vpon him to be a cunning Charmer and by incantation to kill a Scorpion he added to the wordes of his charme a treble spetting in the mouth of the Serpent and so it dyed where-vpon Wolphius which was present and saw this Charmer did afterward by himselfe alone at home make triall of spettle without a charme and so found that it alone killeth Scorpions especially the spettle of a man fasting or very thirsty Moreouer there be certaine Lands wherein no Scorpions 〈◊〉 liue as that about Clupea in Affricke and the dust of the Iland Gaulus neere Cercina beeing sprinckled vpon a Scorpion doth incontinently kill it And so much also writeth Hermolaus of the Region Galatha These and such like things are obserued by our painefull and industrious Auncestours about the nature of Scorpions as well that which is hurtfull vnto them they are afraid of as those to which they are enemies in nature wound mortally when they light vppon them It is remembred by Textor that Orion was slaine by a Scorpion vvherevpon the Poets haue made many tales They say that when he was growne to be a man he was a great hunter and a continuall companion of Diana who glorying much in his ovvne strength boasted that he was able to ouer-come any Serpent or other wild beast whereat the Gods beeing angry for reuenge taking downe the pride of this young man caused the earth to bring forth a Scorpion who killed Orion Whereat Diana was very sory and therefore in lamentation of her champion and for the good deedes he had done vnto her translated him into heauen close by the constellation of the Bull. Lucan on the other side saith that Diana sent this Scorpion to kill him enuying his famous successe in hunting and that afterward the Goddesse taking pitty on him translated him into heauen Others write againe that he had his eyes put out by Oenopion that he came blind into the Iland Lemnus where he receiued a horse of Vulcan vppon which hee rode to the Sun-rising in which iourney he recouered againe his eye-sight and so returning he first determined to take reuenge vpon Oenopion for his former cruelty Wherefore hee came into Creete and seeking Oenopion could not find him because he was hid in the earth by his Cittizens but at last comming to him there came a Scorpion and killed him for his malice rescuing Oenopion These and such like fables are there about the death of Orion but all of thē ioyntly agree in this that Orion was slaine by a Scorpion And so saith Anthologius was one Panopaeus a Hunter There is a common adage Cornix Scorpium a Rauen to a Scorpion and it is vsed against them thar perrish by their owne inuentions when they set vpon others they meete with their matches as a Rauen did when it preyed vppon a Scorpion thus described by Alciatus vnder his title Iusta vlcio iust reuenge saying as followeth Ruptabat volucer oaptum pede coruus in aur as Scorpion audaci praemia parta gulae Ast ille infuso sensim per membra veneno Raptorem in stygias compulit vltor aquas O risu res digna alijs qui fat a parabat Ipse perijt proprijs succubuit que dolis Which may be englished thus The rauening Crow for prey a Scorpion tooke Within her foote and there-withall aloft did flye But he impoyson'd her by force and stinging stroke So rauener in the Stygian-Lake did dye O sportfull game that he which other for bellyes sake did kill By his owne deceit should fall into deaths will There be some learned Writers who haue compared a Scorpion to an Epigram or rather an Epigram to a Scorpion because as the sting of the Scorpion lyeth in the tayle so the force and vertue of an Epigram is in the conclusion for velacriter falsè mordeat vel iucundè dulciter delectet that is eyther let it bite sharply at the end or els delight pleasingly There be many wayes of bringing Scorpions out of their holes and so to destroy and take them as we haue already touched in part vnto which I may adde these that follow A perfume made of Oxe-dung also Storax and Arsenicke And Pliny writeth that tenne water-Crabs beaten with Basill is an excellent perfume for this purpose and so is the ashes of Scorpions And in Padua they vse this Arte with small sticks or straw they touch and make a noyse vpon the stones and morture wherein they haue their nests then they thinking them to be some flyes for

sibi pabula terra Nec licet id magno cupiat studeatqque labore Arescente sitim potis est depellere fauce Which may be englished thus The Scytall like the Double-head thou shalt in feature find Yet is it fatter and tayle that hath no end much thicker is As bigge as crooked hand is wonted for to wind The haft and helue of digging-spade the earth that rifts As long it is as that thinne crawling worme which heauens rayne Begets on fruitefull earth when bowells warmely moystened are And when the mother-Goddesse great sends forth her creepine traine Which is Yeeres-youth fresh time of Spring both calme and fayre Then leaues it off his wonted bed in rocke obscure And in what sunne he stretches out his limbes and sinnewes all Eating the new spring-blades of Fennell-herbe so putting teeth in vre In holes of the declining hills so keepes both great and small Where time in deepest sleepe of buried nature it doth passe And beeing hungry the earth in toppe of hole it eates Quenching the thirst by force of dryest chappes as grasse Though without payne desirelesse it seekes these drinkes and meates The byting of this Serpent is like the byting of the Double-head and therefore the cure is in the same manner wherefore I shall not neede to repeate the signes thereof or the cure in this place And so I will conclude the story of this Serpent OF THE SEA-SERPENTS AMong the manifold kinds of Sea-serpents as well knowne as vnknown wherof some are like the Lamprey some like the Myrus and many other like the Serpents of the earth except in their head as Aristotle writeth for that is more like the head of a Conger then a serpent it peculiarly hath one kind in colour forme not vnlike an Eeele in length about three cubits in the gylls finnes resembling a Conger but it hath a longer snout or beake which is also fortified inwardly with very many small sharpe teeth the eyes not so great a smooth or pield skinne and hanging ouer at the backe hauing no scales so as it may easily be fleyed The belly of it is betwixt redde and white and all the body ouer is set with spires so as beeing aliue it is not handled without danger And this is by Pliny called the Dragon of the Sea which commeth out of the Sea into the Sands and therein with an admirable celerity and dexteritie maketh his lodging place For the snout thereof is sharper then the Serpents of the earth therefore there-with it diggeth and hideth it selfe in the hole or hollow place which it hath made This is also called by Pliny Ophidion but I thinke it better to follow Aristotle who doth call it Ophis thalattios a Sea-serpent the colour whereof is blacker or dymmer then the Conger There be also Vipers of the Sea which are in shew little fishes about a cubit long hauing a little horne in their fore-head the byting or sting whereof is very deadly therefore when the Fisher-men haue taken any one of these they instantly cut off the head and bury it in the sand but the body they eate for good meate yet these Serpents are thought to be none other then the Fishes called Aranei or Spyder-fishes sauing that they are said to haue a sharpe sting in their head and this a horne for all Water or Sea-Serpents haue harder and lesse heads then the Serpents of the Land In the Germaine-Ocean there is found a Serpent about the bignesse of a mans legge which in the tayle carryeth a sting as hard as any horne this haunteth onely the deepest part of the Sea yet is it some-time taken by the Fishermen and then they cut off the tayle and cate the residue of the body Yet I will not expresly define whether this may be called a Sea-Serpent or a Serpentine-fish it may be it is the same that is a Forke-fish or Ray which by reason of the tayle thereof it might giue occasion to Albertus to call it a serpent of the Sea There be also Snakes or Hyders in the Sea for although all water-serpents as well of the fresh salt sweet waters may be called Hyders or Snakes yet there be some peculiar Snakes such are those in the Indian-Sea where they haue broade tayles and they harme more by byting with the sharpnes of their teeth then by any venome that is contained in them and therefore in this they some-what resemble the Snakes of the earth And Plinie vvriteth that once before Persis vppon the coasts of certaine Ilands there were seene of these Sea Hyders very many of the length of twenty cubits where-withall a whole Nauy or fleet of ships were mightily affrighted And the like is reported of three other Ilands lying betwixt the promontory of Carmania and Arabia and such were those also in the Affrican-sea who are said by Aristotle not to be affraid of a Gally but will set vppon the men therein and ouer-turne it And he himselfe saw many bones of great wild-oxen who had beene destroyed by these kind of Sea-snakes or Hyders The greatest Riuer that falleth into the Red-sea is called Sinthus the fall whereof a far off seemeth to the beholders to be like winding Snakes as though they were comming against the passengers to stay them from enterance into that Land and there is not onely a sight or resemblance of Serpents there but also the very truth of them for all the Sea-men know when they are vpon these coasts by the multitude of Serpents that meet them And so do the Serpents called Graae about Persis And the Coast of Barace hath the same noysome premonstration by occurrence of many odious blacke and very great Sea-serpents But about Barygaza they are lesse and of yellow earthy colour their eyes bloody or fierie red and their heads like Dragons Keranides writeth of a Sea-dragon in this maner saying The Dragon of the Sea is a fish without scales and when this is growne to a great and large proportion whereby it doth great harme to other creatures the winds or clowdes take him vp suddenly into the ayre and there by violent agitation shake his bodie to peeces the parcels whereof so mangled and torne asunder haue beene often sound in the tops of the mountaines And if this be true as it may well be I cannot tell whether there be in the world a more noble part of Diuine prouidence signe of the loue of God to his creatures who armeth the clowdes of heauen to take vengeane of their destroyers The tongue of this Sea-dragon saith hee is like a horses tayle two foote in length the which tongue preserued in oyle and carried about by a man safegardeth him from languishing infirmities and the fat thereof with the Herbe-Dragon annoynted on the head or sick-parts cureth the head-ache and driueth away the Leprosie and all kind of scabs in the skinne Heere is also the picture of another Sea-serpent very like to the serpent of the earth being 3.