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.

¶Of Crocodilo. ca. 33.

CRocodilus hath that name of yelow colour,* 1.1 as Isido. sayth, and is a foure footed beast, as Isidore sayth, libro. 12. ca∣pit. de Piscibus, and dwelleth both in water and in lande, and is nigh twentye cubites long, & is armed with great teeth and clawes, and his skinne is so harde, y^e he regardeth not though he be strong∣ly beaten on the backe with stones, and resteth in water by night, and by day in land, and layeth egges in the lande, that are greater that Goose egges, and the male and female kéepeth times & houres: and a certaine fish hauing a creast lyke to a sawe, renteth his tender womb, and slayeth him: and it is sayd, that among beasts onely the Crocodile moueth the ouer iawe, all this Isidore sayth. And Plinius libro. 8. ca. 16. sayth, in this ma∣ner, The Crocodile is a beast, & dwel∣leth in the riuer Nilus, & among beasts of the land he is tonguelesse, and onelye his ouer iawe moueth, and his biting is venimous: his teeth be horrible, & strong∣ly shapen as a combe or a saw, and as a Bores tuske, and no beast that commeth of so lyttle beginning, wexeth so great as the Crocodile, and is a beast nourish∣ed in great gluttenie, and cateth right much, and so when he is full, he lyeth by the brinke or by the cliffe, and bloweth for fulnesse, and then there commeth a little bird, which is called Cuschillus a∣mong them, and is called king of foules among the Italians, and this bird flyeth before his mouth, and sometime he put∣teth the bird off, and at the last, he ope∣neth his mouth to the birde, and suffe∣reth him to enter. And this bird claweth him first with clawes softly, and maketh him haue a manner lyking in clawing, and falleth anone asléepe, and when this bird Cuschillos knoweth and perceiueth that this Beast sléepeth, anone hée de∣scendeth into his wombe, and foorth∣with sticketh him as it wer with a dart, and biteth him full grieuouslye and full sore.

The Crocodile is right softe and full tender in the wombe, and for that cause he is soone ouercōe of such fishes, which haue sharpe prickes and creastes grow∣ing on their backes on high. And for this cause Plinius sayth, that this grim and most horrible beast followeth & pur∣sueth them that flye, and is dreadfull to them, and be flieth Serpentes, and hath dimme eyen while he is in water, and séeth too sharply when he is out of wa∣ter: and be hideth him in winter, name∣ly foure months, and commeth out in Springing time, and groweth still, all the time that he is alyue, as it is sayde. Huc vsque Plin. lib. 8. cap. 26. Phisiolo∣gus saith, that if the Crocodile findeth a man by the brim of the water or by the cliffe, he slayeth him if he may, and then he wéepeth vpon him, and swalloweth him at the last. And Plinius sayth, that of his dirte is made an oyntment, and with that Oyntment, women annoynt their owne faces, and so olde women & riueled, séeme young wenches for a time: and the Crocodile eateth gladlye good hearbes and grasse,* 1.2 among whom lurk∣eth a litle serpent, that is called Enidros, and is enemy to the Crocodile, & hideth him priuely in the grasse, and wrappeth

himselfe therein, and so while the Cro∣codile eateth grasse, he swalloweth this serpent, and this serpent entreth into his wombe, and all to renteth his guts, and slayeth him, and commeth out harmles. Also Isidore saith the same libro. 12. and sayth, that the same worme lyeth in a∣wayte on the Crocodile when he slée∣peth, and then wrappeth himselfe in fen, and entreth in betwéene his teeth, and commeth into his body. And héereto So∣linus saith, that the Crocodile lyeth in awayte on certaine small birdes, y^t bréed among the grasse of the riuer Nilus, the which birdes flye into the womb of the Crocodile, for heate of the Sunne, and eateth the wormes of his wombe: and so that fierce beast is cleansed and puri∣fied of wormes, and his skin is so harde, that vnneth it may be pearced with a sword, and so dwelleth in lande by day, and in water by night: for the water is hotter by night than by daye, for the water holdeth the Sunne beames, and be moued, and so the water is hotte, and this Beast hath no tongue, stret∣ching outwarde to make voice there∣with, but he hath a lyttle tongue with∣in as fish haue for tast of sauour, as So∣linus sayeth, and Aristotle, and Aui∣cen also.

(* 1.3The Crocodill, an ill beast bred in Aegypt, lyuing partly in water, and on land, in fashion lyke a Dragon, but with very small eyes, long teeth and sharpe: he moueth onely the vpper iawe, and hath great & strong nayles or clawes, his skinne is vnpearceable, scalye and browne coloured: he deuoureth man & beast comming by Nilus. There hath bene séene of them twentie foote long, or after some 22. cubites. Of late yeares, there hath bene brought into England, the cases or skinnes of such Crocodiles to be séene, and much money giuen for the sight thereof, the policy of strangers, laugh at our folly, either that we are too wealthy, or else that we know not how to bestow our money.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Crocodi∣lus.
• * 1.2

  Enhydris a vvater Snake, or Adder.
• * 1.3

  Additiō.