¶Of Agno. chap. 4.
* 1.1THe Lambe is called Agnus, & hath that name of a name of Gréeke, as it were milde as Isidore saith. For among all the beasts of the earth, the Lambe is most innocent, soft and milde, for he no∣thing grieueth nor hurteth, neither with téeth, nor with horne, nor with clawes: and all thing that is in the Lambe is good & profitable, for the flesh is good to meate, and skin to diuers vse, and woo•• to cloathing, and the dirte to lande, and clawes and hornes to medicine, as Isi∣dore saith lib. 7.
Latines suppose, that this nown Ag∣nus commeth of Agnoscendo, knowing: for passing all other beastes, the Lambe knoweth his owne dam, insomuch, that if she bleate among manye shéepe in a flocke, anone by bleating he knoweth the voyce of his owne dam. Auicen and A∣ristotle meane, that some Lambes be ye∣ned in springing time, and some in har∣uest time, and some in winter: but those that be yened in springing time, be more huge and great of body, & more strong∣ger of bodye, then those which be yened in haruest and in winter. But in some countries and lands many men set win∣ter Lambes, afore Lambes of springing time, and meane, that onely these beasts be profitably yened in winter time, as Plin. saith li. 8. ca. 47. and ther it is said, that Lambes which be conceiued in the Northerne winde, be better than those that be conceiued in the southern wind, for then males be gendered and concei∣ued. And Lambes haue such coulour in flesh and in wooll, as the Ramme & the Eaw haue colour in veines of ye tonge, for if the veynes be white, the Lambes be white: and if the veynes be blacke, the Lambes be blacke; and if they bée speckeled, the Lambes be speckeled. In sucking time the Lambe bendeth his knées, and for the dam should giue the more milke, he thrnsteth and pusheth at the ••dder of his dam, and beséecheth the dam with bleating, and sawneth with his taile when he hath found his dam, and beareth vp the head, and sucketh neuer but first it areareth vp the head, & hath small wooll and crispe, and manye maner wise folded in it selfe. Cold grie∣ueth Lambes, and namely in raine we∣ther, and be glad and ioyfull of the com∣pany of folke, and he cleing and forie, & dreadeth full sore, when they be alone. The Lamb hoppeth & leapeth before the flock, & plaieth, & dreadeth ful sore when he séeth the Woolfe, and flyeth sodainlye away: but anone he is astonied for dread and stinteth sodaynly, and dare flye no farther, and prayeth to be spared, not with bleating, but with a simple chéere when he is taken of his enemie. Also when Butchers bind him fast, he defen∣deth him not with téeth, neyther with horne, and if he be spoyled either of his fell or of his skinne, he is still an inno∣cent and an harmlesse beast, and whether he be lead to Pasture or to death, hée grudgeth not, nor prauncheth not, but is obedient and méeke, as Plinius sayeth. It is perill to leaue Lambes alone, for they die soone if ther fal any strōg thun∣der. For the Lambe hath kindly a fée∣ble head, and therefore the remedy is to bring them together, and leite them goe together, that they may be the bol∣der because of companye, and the more hardy.