The French academie Fully discoursed and finished in foure bookes. 1. Institution of manners and callings of all estates. 2. Concerning the soule and body of man. 3. A notable description of the whole world, &c. 4. Christian philosophie, instructing the true and onely meanes to eternall life. This fourth part neuer before published in English. All written by the first author, Peter de la Primaudaye, Esquire, Lord of Barre, Chauncellour, and Steward of the French Kings house.

Of the Hiena or Ciuet cat, of the Muske cat, of the Beauer, and of the Otter. Chapter. 88.

ACHITOB.

IF in our discourses wee haue any worthy matter, whereinto admire the workes of God in the nature which he hath ordained vnto them, we shall find no lesse in the consideration of these, wherof I purpose now to speak, the odour of whom is very sweete. And amongst the rest the Ciuat cat cal∣led by auncients the Hiena, is worthy of great maruell. For from her commeth an excre∣ment so odoriferous, that assoone as it is smelt, doth pierce through all the senses and spi∣rits, and serueth to compose very excellent perfumes. This beast fashioned like a Bedouant * 1.1 but of bigger bodie, hauing blacke haires about the necke, and long the ridge of her backe, which shee setteth vpright being angry. Shee is mouthed like a cat, and hath fierie and redde eies with two blacke spots vnder them, and round eares like vnto those of a Bad∣ges. Besides shee hath white haire, full of blacke spots vpon her bodie; with a long taile blacke aboue, but hauing some white spots vnderneath. The ancients haue spoken of this beast as of a wilde cat, and Iohn Leo in his description of Africke, doth name her so, say∣ing that shee is common in the woods of Aethiopia, where the people do catch her with her yong, whome they nourish in cages with milke, and porridge made of branne and * 1.2 flesh: and that they receiue ciuet from her twise or thrise a day, which is the sweate of this beast: for they beate her with a little sticke, making her leape vp and downe about the cage, till such time as shee doth sweate, which they take off from vnder her thighes, and taile, and that is it which is called ciuet. Belon reporteth to haue seene one in Alexandria, so tame, that playing with men, she would bite their noses, eares and lips, without do∣ing * 1.3 them any harme: and that she was alwayes nourished with womens milke. Mathiolus likewise saith, that hee hath seene many Ciuet Cats at Venice, which had been brought out of Syria, and attributeth certaine properties to their excrements; for which cause they haue beene more sought after now; then in the dayes of our fathers: so that they are nourished at this day euen in France. Cardanus also maketh mention of a beast called Zibetum, which

is found in Spaine, that is like to a cat, and carrieth a bladder in her members, the seede * 1.4 whereof is receiued into a spoone, beeing of so excellent an odour, that three drops thereof surmounteth the waight of three pounds of any odoriferous tree.

But the Muske cat doth yet surpasse all other odour, and meriteth all maruell in the na∣ture * 1.5 therof. For it is a beast like vnto a goat in forme and haire, but that she is of a more blo∣wish colour, and hath but one horne, and in bigger of body. There are many in Africa, but chiefly in Tumbasco and Sini. When this beast i••in rut, with the heat and rage that he then endureth, his nauell swelleth, and filleth it selfe with a certaine bloud, in maner of an impo∣stume: which at length through much wallowing, and rubbing against trees, hee maketh to breake, out of which runneth this bloud, being halfe corrupted, which in tract of time becommeth very odoriferous. And the people of the countrey doe gather it amongst stones, or vpon the stocks of trees, as the best muske that is: because it is full ripe, after that it hath rested some certaine time out of the body of the beast which engendreth it, and that it hathbin perfectly concocted by the sun; which the other muske cannot be, that is taken out of the liuing beast, after that it is catched in chase. And therfore this most preci∣ous muske is shut vp & reserued in boxes, and in the bladders of such of these beasts, as haue at any time beene taken, to serue to such vses as it is fit for: whereupon commeth that there are muskes very different in goodnesse. For there is but little brought to vs in true bladders of this perfect muske, being ripe, and gathered as before saide: but all the flesh of this beast being beaten together with the bones, is commonly put into an old bladder, and sold vs for pure muske. Which wee may very well know in that we vsually finde little peeces of bone in our muske. And yet this same thus prepared smelleth so sweetely, that wee may easily iudge, how precious and exquisite the odour of the true and perfect muske is.

The Castoreum which proceedeth from the Beuer, is also very much esteemed for the vertue of the sent thereof. This beast is as bigge as a dogge, long, gentle, of blacke and shi∣ning * 1.6 haire, with a very long taile, and feete like a goose, hauing strong teeth, and so sharpe, that he vseth them as a saw to saw and cleaue timber, whereof he maketh himselfe a lodging with maruailous cunning. They are found neere to the riuer of Ister, or Danubius, and neere to the Rhine also, and in many places of Africke. In his stones doth lie a most ex∣quisite licour, which is proper to him: And therefore Plinie reporteth, that the Beuer fee∣ling himselfe oppressed with hunters, biteth off his stones with his teeth, as if he knew * 1.7 wherefore hee were pursued: and that is it which Phisitions call Castoreum. Cardanus affirmeth that this beast is a kinde of Otter, euen as house wesels are a kinde of wild wesels. For (saith he) in one selfe same kinde of beasts, nature doth by little and little conuert it selfe from small to great ones, from foule to faire ones, and from weake to strong ones. Besides the Otter (called by Plinie Lutra) liueth commonly in the earth, and in the water, and hath haire softer then feathers: and his stones are fit and profitable for the same that * 1.8 Castoreum is. But (as Matthiolus hath very well noted) the vse of strange compositions doeth bring many discommodities to those, which thinke to serue themselues there∣with, * 1.9 because they are either sophisticate, or corrupted before they come to vs. And there∣fore he saith, that the vse of Pontick or common Castoreum, which is black with rottennes and putrifaction, is very venemous. But me thinketh (companions) that we stretch out too long our discourse concerning terrestriall beasts, considering that we haue not vndertaken to write a perfect history of them, but onely to set before our eyes some of the most rare and most excellent, to make vs meditate vpon, and to admire the workes of God. There are many authors out of which one may gather the entire knowledge of liuing creatures, and especially out of Aristotle, who hath described their nature in fiftie Books, by the comman∣dement of Alexander the great; & after him, Plinie hath declared vnto vs in his natural Hi∣story many things concerning the same subiect, which were not known before. Wherfore as when wee entreated of the Spheres and Meteors, wee referred all to the true Astronomie and Philosophie of Christians: so let vs now doe as much vpon our discourse concerning beastes, reducing all that which wee haue spoken to an inward meditation vpon the proui∣dence of God, considering that the effects thereof do continually appeare in the commo∣ditie, profite, and vtilitie which redound vnto vs by these creatures, yea, by the most vene∣mous of them: as (ASER) you may giue vs to vnderstand.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the Hye∣na.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 9.
• * 1.3

  2. Lib. obser∣uat. cap. 20.
• * 1.4

  Lib. 1 de Di∣os. cap 20. De subt. li. 10
• * 1.5

  Of the Musk cat.
• * 1.6

  Of the Ca∣storeum.
• * 1.7

  Hist. nat lib. 8 c. 30. De subt. li. 10
• * 1.8

  Of the otter.
• * 1.9

  De Dios. lib. 6 cap. 25.