Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

De Taxo. cap. 103.

* 1.1THe Brocke is called Taxus and Me∣lus also, and is a beast of the quanti∣tie of a Foxe, and his skin is full hairie and rough, and is called also Melota.

And the Glose saith vppon that worde, Circuerunt in melotis, &c. Ebre. 12. Of this beast that is called Taxus and Me∣lota also, Plin. lib. 8. cap. 39. saith. In such beasts is wit and slight, and holdeth in the breath and blowing, stretcheth the skinne so holding their brethings, when they be hunted and chased with hunters dogges, and so they finde sleight and ma∣ner by such strouting out of the skin to eschew and put off the biting of those hounds that so do pursue and follow to noye them, and also for to slay them: and in like wise put they of the smiting of y^e hunters: these beasts know when tēpest shall fal, & maketh thē therfore dens vn∣der earth, with diuers entrings, & when the Northerne winde bloweth, he stop∣peth the North entring with his rough taile, and letteth stande open the South entring, chaunging his hoales, as the winde altereth. In the same dens they make prouisions, and gather them store of meate against winter: and somtime if they lacke meate, they take sléepe in stéede of meate, as he saith: for they bée of those kinde of beasts, that hide them∣selues in winter, and liue most parte by sléepe, as it is sayd before of the Mouse. And as Phisiologus saith, there is a ma∣ner kinde of Brockes, that gather meat with the female against winter, & laieth it vp in his den, and when cold winter commeth, the male dreadeth least store of meate should faile, and refraineth y^e fe∣male, and withdraweth hir meale, and suffereth hir not to eate hir fill, and shée faineth peace, as it were following the males will, and commeth in on that o∣ther side of the den, & openeth hir iawes, and eateth and deuoureth and wasteth the meate that is gathered, vnwitting to the male. Also he saith y^t these beasts hate the Foxe, and fight oft times with him, but when the Foxe séeth, y^t he may not for roughnes & hardnes of the skin grieue him, he faineth him as though he were sicke & ouercome, and flieth away, and while the Brocke goeth out to get his pray, the Fox commeth into his den, and defileth his chamber with vrin and other vncleannes: & the Brocke is sque∣mous of such foule things, & forsaketh his house that is so defiled, and getteth néedfully another dwelling place.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Badger or Graye.