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 Panthera. cap. 82.

PAnthera, as Isidore sayth, libro. 12. hath that name because hée is friende to all beastes saue the Dragon, for him hée hateth full sore: Or because he hath ioye and lyking of beastes of his owne kinde, and maketh all that hée ta∣keth of one lykenesse. And Panthera is Gréeke, and is to vnderstande, all. And is a Beast painted with small rounde speckles, so that all the skinne

without seemeth full of eyen by diuersi∣tie of speckles blacke and white, and red, as he sayeth. And as Isidore saith, this beast whelpeth but once, and the cause thereof is openly knowen: for when the whelpes waxe strong in the dammes wombe, and be strong to come into the world, they hate the damme and rent her wombe with claws, as it were y^e womb letted their whelping and comming in∣to the worlde: and therefore the damme letteth passe and whelpeth them, con∣strayned and compelled by sore gréeuance of the wombe. Therefore Plinius sayth, that beastes with sharpe clawes maye not oft whelpe, for the whelpes mooue within and hurt the damme. Huc vs{que} Isidore, libro. 12. Phisiologus speaketh of the Panther, and sayeth, that he hateth the Dragon, and the Dragon flieth him: And when he hath eaten inough at full, he hideth him in his denne, and sléepeth continuallye nigh three daies, and riseth after three dayes and crieth, & out of his mouth commeth right good aire & sauour, and is passing measure sweete: and for the sweetnesse all beasts follow him. And only the Dragon is a feard when he hea∣reth his voyce, and flyeth into a den, and may not suffer the smell thereof, and fai∣leth in himselfe, and looseth his comfort. For he thinketh that his smell is verye venime. And libro. 8. cap. 18. Plinius spea∣keth of the Panthera, and sayth: that the Panthera and the Tigre bée most dres∣sed with diuers speckles and diuers cou∣lours: and some beastes ioye of theyr owne coulours, as Lyons in Siria, that be blacke with white specks, and be like to Panthers. And all foure footed beasts haue liking to beholde the diuerse cou∣lours of the Panthera and Tygres, but they be a fearde of the horriblenesse of theyr heads, and therfore they hide their heads, and toll the beastes to them with fayrenesse of the other deale of the body, and take them when they come so tolled and eate them: and though he be a right cruel beast, yet he is not vnkind to them that helpe & succour him in anye wise, as Plinius setteth an ensample of one, that delyuered and holpe vppe a Panthers whelps, that were fallen into a ditch, and the Panther lead him out of the wilder∣nesse with glad assemblance, and fawned on him, and thanked him right busily, as it séemed.