Of the strength, piety, docilitie, clemency, chastity, and gratitude of Elephants.
AMong the beasts of the field there is none more vaste, more strong, or more to bee feared, than the Elephant. His strength is sufficiently showne by those towered Castles of armed men, which hee carries, and fiercely rusheth with into the battell. The Romane souldiers being otherwise of undaunted spi∣rit, yet in that battell which they fought against Antiochus being terrified with the vastnesse and immanity of these bodies which they had never before seene, presently turned their backes and fled, which notwithstanding, it is a wonderfull thing what stories naturall Philosophers tell of the vertues of the Elephant.
Plinie writeth, that an Elephant commeth very neere to the understanding that * 1.1 men have, and that hee hath a rude kinde of knowledge of language; that his faci∣litie and obsequiousnesse is wonderfull, that his memory in the performance of his wonted duties, is no lesse wonderfull. And for Religion (Plutarch saith) that * 1.2 they pray unto the gods, and sprinckle and purge themselves with salt water, and that with great reverence, they worship the Sunne at his rising, lifting their trunkes up towards heaven, for want of hands. Plinie addeth, that they doe with the like reve∣rence worship the Moone and the Starres. For it is related in the Histories of the Arabians, that at a new Moone the Elephants goe by troupes downe unto the rivers, and there wash themselves with water, and being thus purged, kneele downe and worship the Moone, and then returne to the woodes, the eldest going first, and the other following after according to their age.
Plutarch reporteth, that it happened once, that among the Elephants which were taught at Rome against the Panegyricke shewes, there was one that was something dull, and not so docile as the rest, which made him be despised by his fellowes, and often beaten by his master. But that this Elephant, that he might supply by diligence what he wanted in wit, was oftentimes observed in the night, by the light of the Moone, to be practising and conning what he had learnt of his Maister in the day * 1.3 time. For they were wont to bee taught to make letters, and also to present