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 Rinocerote. ca. 90.

RInoceron in Gréeke, is to meaning, an horne in the nose, and Monoce∣ron is an Unicorne, and is a fierce or cruell beast, and hath that name, because he hath in the middle of the forehead an horne of foure foote long, and that horne is so sharpe and so strong, that he throw∣eth downe all or pearceth all that he rée∣seth on, as Isidore sayeth, libro. 12. And this beast fighteth ofte with the Ele∣phaunt, and woundeth and sticketh him in the wombe, and throweth him downe to the grounde. And the Unicorne is so strong, that he is not taken with might of Hunters. But men that write of the kinde of things, suppose that a maide is sette there as he shall come, and she ope∣neth her lappe, and the Unicorne layeth thereon his head, & leaueth all his fierce∣nesse, & sléepeth in that wise: and is taken as a beast without weapon, & slaine with darts of hunters. Huc vsque Isidorus, li∣bro. 12.* 1.1

Gregory super Iob in Moralibus sai∣eth héereto, that Rinocero the Unicorne is a wilde beast by kinde, and maye not

be tamed in no wise: and if it happen that he be taken in any wise, he may not bée kept in any manner: for he is so vnpati∣ent and so angry, that he dieth anone. Li. 8. ca. 21. Plinius speaketh of the vnicorne and saith, that he hath an horne in y^e mid∣dle of the forehead aboue the nose, and is enimye to the Elephaunts, and froateth and fileth his horne against stones, and sharpeth it, and maketh it ready to fight in that wise. And in the fighting hée as∣saileth the Elephant on the wombe, for he knoweth that that is the soft place of the Elephants body. His length is as it were the length of an horse: but his legs bée much more shorter, and his coulour is bay. And as he meaneth, libro. 8. cap. 22. There be many kinds of vnicornes, for some bée Rinoceron, and some Mo∣noceron and Egloceron. And as he saith, Monoceron is a wilde beast shapen like to the horse in body, and to the Hart in head, and in the féet to the Elephant, and in the taile to the Boare, and hath heauy lowing, and an borne strouting in the middle of the forehead of two cubites long. And they denie that this beast may be taken aliue. And Egloceron is a man∣ner of Unicorne, that is called Capricor∣nus in latine, and hath that name of Egla, that is a Goat, & Ceros that is an horne: And is little a beast like to a Kid, with an horne that is full sharpe in the middle of the forehead. Also Plinius saith there, that in Indie be one horned Oxen, with white speckes and bones, and with thick hoofes as horses haue. And in Indie bée some one horned Asses, as Aristotle, A∣uicen, and Plinius say. And bée called one horned Asses, because they haue one horne in the forehead, betwéene the eares, and bée called Asini Indici, Asses of Indie, and the other part of their bodyes be like to the bodyes of wilde Asses, and such an Asse is called Monoceros, and is lesse bolde and fierce then other vnicornes, and hath this name Monoceros, of Monos, that is one, and Ceros, that is an horne. And this nowne Rinoceron is declined, hic Rinoceron, ge. hu••us Rinocerontis. Also Monoceron is declined, Monoce∣ron, tis. Also we finde Rinoceros, & Mo∣noceros, and is then declined Rinoceros, Rinocerotis, in the Genitiue case, and so of other.

(* 1.2The Rhinoceros in Aethiopia, a perpetuall enimie to the Elephant, hée is not so high as the Elephant, armed ouer with shells in steed of haire, so y^t nothing can easily pearce the same: euen so is the little beast, called of the Affricans Tat∣ton, of Gesner Zibeti, in fo. 20. at the end of his booke of birdes, &c. Which armed case I haue to shew.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Rino¦cerot is one, and the Vni∣corne an other
• * 1.2

  Additiō.