Of the Sympathy and Antipathy of Living creatures amongst themselves.
HAving briefly described the understanding of brute beasts, it seemes not im∣pertinent to set downe some things more worthy of knowledge, happe∣ning unto them by reason of Sympathy and antipathy; that is, mutuall agree∣ment and disagreement, which happens not onely to them living, but also dead, by a certaine secret and hidden propertie, through occasion whereof some desire, o∣ther shun, and others prosequute one another even to death. In testimony wher∣of; * 1.1 The Lyon the king of beasts excelling all other in courage and magnanimitie, feares the Cocke, for he is not onely terrified by his presence, but also by his crowing being absent. So an Elephant feares a Hogge; but hee is so affraid of Mice and Ratts, that he will not touch the meat that is given him, if hee smell that it hath beene defiled with such creatures. There is deadly hatred betweene the Elephant and Rhinocerot; yet when the Elephant is furious and angry, hee becoms quiet and calme at the sight of a Ram. A horse is so afraid of a Camel, that he cannot endure * 1.2 his sight. The Dog hates the Wolfe, the Hart flyes the Dogge. The Snake flyes from and feares a naked man, and followes him being clothed. There is deadly hatred between the Aspis and Ichneumon, for he when he hath rowled himselfe in the clay, dryes himselfe in the Sunne, and so being covered over (by doing thus diverse times) as it were with shells, or armour, he enters into Combat, stretching out his taile and presenting his backe, untill he get opportunity to choake his adversary, by leaping and fastening on her jawes, by which stratageme he also kills the Crocodile. The green Lizard is a capitall enemy to the Serpent, but most friendly to man, as Erasmus witnesseth by many historyes concerning that matter, in his dialogue of Sympathy and Antipathy. There is a great deale of hatred betweene a man and a Wolfe, which is most manifest by this, that if the Wolues first see a man, his voyce is taken away, and his intended cry hindred. If the Weasell intend to set upon the Aspis that most venemous Serpent, shee armes her selfe by eating Rue, as a most cer∣taine Antidote. The Ape feares the Torpedo, as Erasmus manifests by a plea∣sant history in the fore mentioned Dialogue; where also he pretily shews the dead∣ly * 1.3 hatred betweene the Serpent called Areus and the Toad. The like hate is between the Owle and Crowes, so that the Owle dares not go out, fly abroad, or seeke her food unlesse by night. The water or River fowle are afraid of the Falcon; that if they but heare her bells, they had rather be killd with staves and stones, than take wing to fly into the aire. So the Larke yeelds her selfe to be taken by a man, least she fall into the tallents of the Hobby. The Castrill, or Merlin is naturally a terrour to Haukes, so that they both shun his voyce and presence.
The Kites are all at perpetuall enmity with the Crowes, wherefore the Crow al∣wayes * 1.4 gets away the Kites provision. All kind of Pullen feare the Foxe. The Chicken feares neither a Horse, nor an Elephant, but scarse hatched, it presently runs away at the voyce or sight of a Kite, and hides it selfe under the hens wings. The Lambe and Kid flye from the Wolfe when they first see him, nether doth * 1.5 death give an end to that hatred, but it superviues their funerall. An Experiment whereof (they say) is, that if one drum be headed with Wolves skinnes and another with Sheepes, and beaten up together, you shall scarse heare the sound of the Drum covered with sheepes skins. And besides, if you string one Harpe with strings made of sheepes gutts, and another with strings of Wolues gutts, you cannot bring it to passe, by any Arte, to make them agree and goe in one tune. It is reported from the experiments of many men, that if a Wolues head be hanged up on high in the place where Sheepe are, that they will not touch the grasse how good and fresh soever it be, nor rest quiet in any place, but tumultnously runne up and downe, untill all such kinde of terrour be taken away; The hate