Emblems of rarities: or Choyce observations out of worthy histories of many remarkable passages, and renowned actions of divers princes and severall nations With exquisite variety, and speciall collections of the natures of most sorts of creatures: delightfull and profitable to the minde. Collected by D.L.

Of the Crocodile.

THe Crocodile is found commonly about the wa∣ter of Nilus and Ganges in India, and waxeth of a little thing to a very great beast. For his egges are much like unto Goose-egs, but the yong which commeth of them, taketh en∣crease to sixteene or eightee•••• cubits in length: hee liveth al∣most as long as a man, hee lac∣keth a tongue, his body is ma••••vellously defended of nature for all his backe is full of scales and wonderfull hard, his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is long, hee hath many teeth on both sides of his mouth, whereof two doe especially hang out, he doth not onely de∣voure man, but also other earth∣ly beasts comming neare to the

water, he dismembreth them with his nayles, which hee hath sharper then any weapon. His biting is cruell and sharpe, and hee so rendeth with his teeth, that it can never bee healed: there is great store of them a∣bout Nilus, because they are very fruitfull of themselves, ha∣ving young every yeare, and also they are seldome taken. It is a fearefull beast, flying from those that persecute him, and persecuting those that fly from him. It is said, that when hee goeth about to devoure a man, that hee beginneth to weepe, whereof hath sprung this Pro∣verb, The teares of a Crocodile: that is, when one doth weepe with his eyes without compas∣sion, and not with his heart and minde.

Pliny saith, that this beast

onely in his biting doth move his upper jaw, he liveth in the day time upon the land, and in the night time in the water, his eyes be very dull in the water, and his sight is marvellous sharp out of the water. Some say, that hee groweth and encreaseth as long as he liveth.