CHAP. III.
¶ Of prodigious and monstrous births. [unspec D]
THat women may bring forth three at one birth appeares euidently by the example of the three twins Horatij and Curiatij. But to go aboue that number is reputed and commonly spoken to be monstrous, and to portend some mishap: but only in Egypt, where women are more than ordinary fruitfull, by drinking of Nilus water, which is supposed to help genera∣tion. Of late yeres, and no longer since than in the later end of the reigne of Aug. Caesar, at Ostia there was a woman (a Commoners wife) deliuered at one birth of two boies & as many girles, but this was a most prodigious token, and portended no doubt the famine that ensued soone after. In Peloponnesus there is sound one woman that brought forth at foure births 20 Chil∣dren, and the greater part of them all did well and liued. Tregus saith, that in Egypt it is an or∣dinarie thing for a woman to haue seuen at a birth. It falleth out moreouer, that there come in∣to [unspec E] the world children of both sexes, whom wee call Hermophrodites. In old time they were knowne by the name of Androgyni, and reputed then for prodigious wonders, how soeuer now men take delight and pleasure in them. Pompey the great, in his Theatre which hee adorned and beautified with singular ornaments and rare deuices of antique worke, as wel for the admi∣rable subiect and argument thereof, as the most curious and exquisit hand of cunning and skil∣full artificers, among other images and pourtracts there set vp, represented one Eutiche a Wo∣man of Tralleis, who after she had in her life time borne thirty births, her corps was caried out by twenty of her children to the funerall fire to be burnt, according to the maner of that coun∣trey. As for Alcippe she was deliuered of an Elephant, marie that was a monstrous and pro∣digious [unspec F] token, and foreshewed some heauy fortune that followed after. Also in the beginning of the Marsians war there was a bondwoman brought forth a Serpent. In sum, there be many mis-shapen monsters come that way into the world, of diuers and sundry formes. Claudius Cae∣sar writeth, That in Thessalie there was borne a monster called an Hippocentaure, that is, halfe