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 Ariete. chap. 3.

THe Ramme is a Beast that beareth wooll, pleasing in heart, and mild by kinde, as Isidore saith lib. 12. cap. 1.* 1.1 And is Duke, leader, and Prince of shéepe.

Therefore kinde giueth him great strength passing other shéepe. It is séem∣ly that the Ram that is Duke and de∣fender of other shéepe, be more strong & mightie, than other shéepe: & therefore. Isi. saith, that the Ram is called Veruex, & hath that name of Vires, strength, and as it were a man, for he is male & mai∣ster of shéepe, and is more vertuous and stronger than other.

Or, as Isidore saith, this Nowne Veruex commeth of Vermis, a worme: for the Ramme hath a Worme in his head, and for fretting of that Worme & itching, the Ramme is excited, & pusheth full strongly, and smiteth full harde, all that it méeteth: and therefore the Ram is called Aries also, and hath that name of Ares, that is Gréek, and is to our vn∣derstanding, vertue: for in flockes, the males are called Arietes, for they be ver∣tuous and mightie, to get and gender Lambes, for they passe other shéepe in greatnes of body & of might, & strength and vertue.

Also this name Aries commeth of Aris, Altars, for as Isidore saith, This beast was first offred on Altars among Nations, and so the Ramme is called Aries, for he was slaine by Aaron at the Altar, and so by Moses law the Ramme was principally a cleane beast both to Sacrifice and to meate: For he was offered couenably for sinne of the Peo∣ple, and is cloue footed, and cheweth his cud, and was eaten indifferently of the people. And as Isidore sayth libro. 12. Sheepe were called sometime Bidentes: for among eight téethe that they com∣monly haue, two téeth be higher than any of the other, and therefore. Nati∣ous offered them principally in sacrifice to the Gods, as he sayth libro. 8. capi∣tulo. 47.

Plinius speaketh singularlye of the Ramme, and sayth, that it is the kinde of the Ramme in the Iustines of his youth for to noye the Lambes, and to followe the Eawes that come against him. For he is farre more tractiue and more pro∣fitable in age: and neuerthelesse hee is more ceuell in heart then the Ewes, and

his cruelnesse abateth, if his hornes bée pearced ••igh to the eare. If his righte gendring staue be bound, he gendreth fe∣males: and if the lesse be bounde, hee gendreth males: and he gendreth males in the Northerne winde, and females in the Southerne winde. And such Rams as haue black veynes vnder their toūgs, such Lambes they gender in colour: for if his veynes be black vnder the toūge, his Lambe shall be blacke: and if they be white, the Lambes ere white: and if they be speckeled th•• Lambes are so. And Arist. & Auicen meaneth the same. Looke within De Oue.

The Ram hath a full harde forhead nigh as a horne, and feeble temples, and somewhat gristly, and therefore for the defence and kéeping of the féeble parte, kinde giueth him great hornes and right hard about the féeble place of the temples, and be crooked and bended as a round shell, but they be somwhat sharp in the endes, insomuch, that they maye defend the head with sharpnesse & hard∣nesse of hornes, and withstand enimies, and fighteth with them, with sharpnesse of hornes, as he saith. For it is not seem∣ly that kinde should leaue the defendour of the flocke without weapon & defence. And therefore kinde giueth him two hornes bent, as it were circles, to defend and succour his owne head, which is fée∣ble of it selfe, and is the more bolde and hardie against aduersaries and enimyes by trust of weapon, by the which hée is strengthened and defended. And there∣fore he goeth the more boldly before the slocke, and beareth by the head, and pit∣cheth downe the foote, & treadeth strong∣ly on the ground, and is cloue footed.

His ••lées be thicke with long haire in the locks, and defendeth himselfe against the miuries of hot aire or colde, with strong and thicke fell and skinne, and therefore one side of the Rams skinne, by reason of the strength thereof, suffe∣reth and sustaineth the violent craftes of Curriers of parchment makers, passing other fells and skinnes of other shéepe, and be more able to receiue and to hold printing and painting of diuers colours, as he sayth.

And in time of loue, the Ram fight∣eth for his Eawes, and réeseth with his hornes on his aduersaries. And for to push his enemie the harder, he draweth backwarde, and réeseth and leapeth vp∣ward, and smiteth with his fiercenesse, and busheth with a kinde of violence.

And li. 8. Auicen speaketh of Rammes and saith, that Rams, Goates & Bucks, goe much in rains, and hide not them∣selues in Winter for colde, but they goe sometime out of hot places into colde, & when it raineth, they flye not the raine vntill they be dead. And Rams by kind follow Goate bucks, and rest all, till the Heard take one of them, and make him goe, before, and then other follow soone. And they dread kindly the thunder, as shéepe do. And if a shéepe be with lambe, and heareth the thunder, she casteth hir Lamb for dread, and standeth for feare. And sléepe with the shéepe before mid∣night, and after part, and chaunge and turne, from side to side in sléeping. For from Springing time to Haruest they sléepe on the one side, & then vnto spring∣ing time they sléepe on the other side, & hold vp their heads while they sléepe, except they be sicke, and they chew their cud sléeping as they doe waking, and if it happen that they stray and go away, they come not againe, but if the Hearde bringeth them againe.

And Isaac in dietis saith, that Rams in youth bée lesse moyst and gleymie then sucking Lambes, and that is be∣cause of the age that hath mastery ouer their complection, and therefore theyr flesh is better than flesh of Lambs and of Eawes, and gendereth better bloud, and namely if they be gelded, for theyr heate is tempered with accidentall moi∣sture, and so the flesh is of good sauour. But when they passe in age and be full olde, then for age they fayle in heate, but if they be gelded: & if they be gelded and passe in great age, then their heate faileth by double cause, for lacke of gendring stones, and also for age. And therefore their bodies be cold and dry as it were a sticke, and be more harde and vnsauo∣rie, in comparison to Goate, Oxen, and other such, that be worst in age.

And the bodies of rams, that be kindly hot and moyst, be more better then bo∣dyes of other beasts, that are kindly cold and drye in great age. Huc vsque Isaac in Dietis.

Aristotle and Auicen lib. 6. meane, that Rams and Goate buckes, lyke as other Beastes, haue a certaine proper voyce, by the which they crie and call to them the females in time of gendering and loue. And Rams that drinke salte water, gender before other, and be sooner moued to loue: and when y^e old Rams be sooner moued to gendring & to loue, than the young in due time, that is to∣ken of goodnesse of that time in y^e yeare: and if in that time the young Rams be sooner moued than the olde Rams, it is token of a pestilence of shéepe in that yeare as he saith.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aries Dur est Ouīum. In He∣brue Ail, & tel. Cald••eus. Dikerin, Arabie, Rabsa, & Rabsali.