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.

Of the Elephant.

THe Elephant came first by his name of the Greeke verbe Eléphio which signifieth huge or like a hill. He is of excéeding great body, his

tushes are of Iuerie: his becke is holpen with that snowt that helpeth him euen as our hand doth. The Medes and Persians vse to carie in their warfare their Casteles and other prepa∣raunce on the Elephants backe: he is of good memorie and long mindfull of a good tourne. Plinie saith, that amongest all the beastes of of the wild forrest, he is most mans frind. In∣somuch that if a mans iourney lieth so, that he must nedes through the Forrest, (least he him∣self so mōstrous & huge) should first feare him, he goeth a little a side out of his way: furder if the Dragon should assault the man, he goeth forwith and warreth with the Dragon & kée∣peth him off from the man: so that whilst these two be at strife, the man passeth away. Aristo∣tle saith, that this kind is without his Gall; & therefore it may be that he is so quiet and pea∣sible. Solinus saith, that they séeme to haue some skill in the art of Astronomie, and play the Phisicion his part euerie moneth in pur∣gation taking & purging themselues: for af∣ter euery new Moone they hauke after y^e cleare riuers, & so wash off all filthinesse, such as may cumber the body. After that they bathe them, & this being so done, they go again al frollike to their woonted pastures. And to the intent that their youth should kéepe good rule and not go

at royat, they haue them with them: such care haue they ouer them. They haue a meruelous and most honest shamefastnesse in the acte of generation. Therfore when the time commeth that this must nedes be done, the Female wit∣ting the Male his pleasure, goeth straying be∣fore towardes the deserts of the East, & seketh the most secret place where that their intent may be done and ended closely. The Male he a∣none hasteneth after & before their méeting or coniunction had togither, they are busied a∣while in seking out the herb Mandrage, which the Female taketh and receiueth to make hir of more fertill nature and pregnant: and the Male also eateth of it to procure a more earnest desire. Of al things that it standeth in feare of it is most afraide of the sily Mouse, which fret∣teth him then most when as hée is tied to the Maunger and cannot away.