A greene forest, or A naturall historie vvherein may bee seene first the most sufferaigne vertues in all the whole kinde of stones & mettals: next of plants, as of herbes, trees, [and] shrubs, lastly of brute beastes, foules, fishes, creeping wormes [and] serpents, and that alphabetically: so that a table shall not neede. Compiled by Iohn Maplet, M. of Arte, and student in Cambridge: entending hereby yt God might especially be glorified: and the people furdered. Anno 1567.

The Preface to the thirde Booke.

THe deuision of Sauage and brute Beastes, r••ueth somewhat more at large: And may more plentifullye be sorted and seuered into their bran∣ches, then those other two more base Daughters and of les••er pr••ce, which we next before & immediatly in their order shewed off, what was their best and soueraigne goodnesse. For this is the close and wise working of Dame Nature, that the further and in degree the more high, she la∣boureth in hirs to haue them reach to the chiefest perfection in whome are all things absolute, full and without any point of lacke or imperfection, she giueth to eche of them in thei•• kinde a seuerall gift. And whereas all of them can not be a∣like, neyther is there in them equall condition, yet for the best she prouideth for them in that that may be: alwayes foreseing to auoyde impossibilitie. I mought here therefore set these two last Daughters, the plant and eke the brute Beast, the one from the other by this note and difference (for many men haue children alike, and yet they are knowne and haue their diffe∣rence by one marke or other) First and fo••••most in mouing from place to place, with an appetite to repast themselues: and this is the chiefest, vsed and sought forth of Philosophers: the next in feeling and sense, perceiuing griefe and paine, good and euill. And herein and in these, they chiefely dissent. In∣somuch y^t the Plant is only portioned with the life vegetatiue, and therein in euery eche power fully & aboundantly. This other last steppeth vp a Stayer higher, layth holde and ap∣prehendeth another kinde of life in degree more Princely, and in force or large power most manifolde: for with this, it hath might to m••ue, to haue lust or appetite: to haue and hunt after what it will, and to wander and straye therefore whe∣ther it will, neyther ought that to be reckned ought which A∣naxagoras and Empedocles, men partiall in this poynt reasoned: Whereas they spake of that other the Plant his prayse. Insomuch, that they would pe••swade others of theyr time, that in that kinde there was both mouing abroade and appetite to that which it perceiueth to be best: but they are re∣futed

of Aristotle by sundrie and sufficient reasons whereof we entend not to speake: onely se••ling ••ur selues to gainesay them herein, with ••his one reason chosen forth of the rest, that Aristotle vseth. If they haue sense and appetite, they muste needes haue feeling: if they haue feeling, they must needes haue organe, & parts instrumentall for the maner of feeling. But in the Plant there is none such perceyued: Therefore with so little a tr••p they are cleane cast downe. Further some of them ad (but that which may be the more borne withal) that many of the kindes of Plants haue both Male and Female, As ••mpedocles and his like: of whome I demaund whether y^t they haue coniunction yea or no? or whether they haue th••se parts which ••e destined to pr••creation yea or no? and lastly, whether they coni••yne eche other with their like? for y^e ••als sayth Aristotle is that which ••y coniunc••ion begetteth his like in another. The ••emale that which likewise doth euen so with another. But in this last they may be the more ••uffered, for that Aristotle himselfe in the conclusion and winding vp of his former booke De Plantis, doth as it were distinguish those of the same kindes, although they haue a nighe resem∣blance and are taken of some for all one. And thus sayth he, you shall know the Male from the Female. The Male is of more spisse or tough braunches: of leafe and boughe, more a∣boundaunt: of lesse humor or m••ysture than the Female: yet more forwarde in ripening. And hath his leafe and s••ippes also di••fering. The Female hath all these, but nothing like in nu••ber, affection and qualitie. But we minde not thus to giue back or to s••ip aside with any more conference or compa∣rison had. Let vs fall now to euery thing liuing and Crea∣ture of life h••s accustomed deuision. All liuing Creatures therefore (I do here necessarily but vnwillingly comprehend man not me••ning to speake what his s••ueraigntie is nor what is in him best, but purposed to stay before I come at him, who standeth on the st••yer a step higher than we meane to climbe: bu•• speaking of liuing Creatures, my meaning is of brute Beastes, the worde restrayned and cut a little short.) First to go to their place where they accustome to liue, differ thus. For one part of them liueth vpon the earth, another in the Sea & ••at••rs, the thirde part in both▪ doubtfully: so that one while they keepe in the brode ayre: anotherwhile in the water, and e••rth as the Crocodile. Those of the earth some of them haue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to go with: some creepe: some swim: some flie. The next diff••••••nce is noted and perceyued in their maner and kinde of liuing, as Aristotle witnesseth; in his bookes De animali∣bus

very often. Some sayth he, be as it were milde, hurtfull to no bodie, as the Bullock, the Goa••e, the poore and ••ielye Sheepe: other of such fiercenesse, and so wilde that they can not be tamed, as the Tyger, the wilde Boare, and other of haughtie stomacke as the Lyon: othe•• some of increadible might or strength, as is ••he Elephant, the Cammell, and such like: other after a sort subtile and why, working man much e∣uill and displeasure, as the craftie Fox, the deuouring Wolfe and so forth. Plinie as concerning this matter hath this di∣ui••ion. All Beastes sayth he, or Creatures liuing, hath this difference: some be full of bloud, whereby they be long liued, as the Hart, the Hinde, the Roe, other are without bloud: but in stead thereof haue their naturall humor: as the Bee, the Waspe, the Betle, the ••lie. All which are of wrethed & par••ed bodie. Againe he sayth, some difference is in them for their foode: for that the most part to accoumpt of, of all maner Beastes, liue by flesh, and be called in Greeke Cinophagai: other are indifferent for that matter, and eate that, as other things, when they may come by it: as the D••gge, the fleeing Eagle, and the like. Some againe, which will none of i••: as for the most part all Foules of the Ayre, and Fishes of the Sea. Further, some be of good memorie, or retaine for a time in their head a good turne done to them or an euill as y^e Dog, the Lion, the Cammell: Other as forgetfull of such kinde of deseruing, and vnmindefull as the Ostrich, the Doue. And there is in some a certaine kinde of perceiueraunce and ad∣iudging or esteeming what is what (but the s••me spoken of vs by resemblance and vnproperly) which we may perceiue they haue through their care in bringing vp & tendring their yong: as also in artificiall maner of building their Nest, in hunting and seeking after their pray, in remedying and curing woun∣des: in espying what shall hurt them: And further in s••me through foreknowledge and skill to prognosticate what shall afterwards happen by storme & tempest: as is the Swallow by his departure, when colde and Winter begin to come in. As is the wilde Crane, which also sheweth vs through hir flight from place to place, wheras exceeding Fr••sts shall be: And there is not this onely in the Crane, laudable or prayse worthy, but that which requireth farre greater praise and long time to admiration. Aristotle sayth, ••hat he hath marked this that when the Cranes by companie, flie ouer the broad Sea (which is large, wide, and infinite) to continue in that their passage the better without rescue, and to endure to the ende, they vse this knack or practise. Their cōpanie then is brought

into fiues, and so they flie two a breast, and the fift or odde Crane in maner of a persiue sterne, to make the other way in the Ayre, flieth all alone before, till he be wearie so doing: when he is wearie, another goeth and taketh vpon him his of∣fice and painetaking, and that other commeth to their place which be of breast, and in like sort doe all the other by course, till their iourney be at an end: and so their flight is like a Triangle, sharpe at the ende, and broade about, and easied therewithall by one another his helping. Againe (to leaue their entrailes and inward parts so to come by deuision) they are sayde to differ in outwarde attire and kinde of aray: for some haue haire for their vppe•• Garment: some haue onely their bare skin: other haue feathers: other haue hide: other haue their skin full of prickles and briestles: and (to speake of their maner of defending themselues) som haue sting, some haue tuskes, some haue hornes: othersome helpe themselues by flyght and lightnesse of wings: and as for their voice, some haue soft voice: some as loud and shrill. The Cow saith Ari∣stotle, is in voyce more loud than the mightie Bull. I coulde gather also differences in shewing how euerie part is placed both within and without, not all alike: moreouer, of their vse and purpose, of their affection also, of their settes and dispo∣sition in life: but I had rather (as they say lose the Hare) then to take such infinite paines as to hunt so farre for hir. I will therefore now make h••st home againe, peraduenture y^e num∣ber of companie of ••yles going, in taking such paynes, would wearie vs: It is counted wisedome not to take to much vpon a man, neither more than he can well suffer. But now to euery liuing thing or Creature his soueraigntie, so farre forth as we can, ou•• Pen and Hande shall hasten. And first let vs begin Alphabetically (as in the residue of our work before) with the Adder.