The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.

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Title
The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.
Author
Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?
Publication
London :: Printed by William Iaggard,
1607.
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Subject terms
Zoology -- Pre-Linnean works.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A13820.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A13820.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 4, 2024.

Pages

Page 66

Of another Beast called Buselaphus.

THere was (saith D. cay) a clouen footed beast brought out of the deserts of Mauritania into England, of the bignesse of a hinde, in forme and countenance betwixt a hinde and a cow,* 1.1 and therefore for the resemblance it beareth of both, I will call it Buselaphus, or Boniceruus, or Moschelaphus, or a cow hart; hauing a long and thinne head and eare, a leane and slender Leg and Shinne, so that it may seeme to bee made for chase and celerity. His taile not much longer then a foote,* 1.2 but the forme thereof very like a cowes, and the length like a harts, as if nature seemed to doubt whether it [ 10] should encline to a cow or a hart: his vpper parts were yellowish and smooth, his neather partes blacke and rough; the haire of his bodye betwixt yellow and red, falling close to the skinne,* 1.3 but in his forehead standing vppe like a Starre; and so also about the hornes which were blacke and at the top smooth, but downward rough with Wrinkles meeting on the contrary part, and on the neerer side spreading from one another, twice or thrice their quantity. These hornes are in length one foote & a hand bredth, but three hand bredthes thicke at the roote, and their distance at the roote was not aboue one fin∣gers bredth, so arising to their middle, and a little beyond where they differ or grow a∣sunder three hands bredth and a halfe; then yeeld they together againe a little, and so with another crooke depart asunder the second time, yet so, as the tops of the hornes do [ 20] not stand asunder aboue two hands bredth, three fingers and a halfe. From the crowne of the head to the Nostrils, there goeth a blacke strake which is one foote, two palmes and one finger long, in bredth aboue the eyes where it is broadest, it is seuen fingers, in thicknesse one foote and three palmes, it hath eight teeth, and wanteth the vppermost like a cow,* 1.4 and yet cheweth the cud, it hath two vdders vnder the belly like a heyghfer that neuer had calfe, it is a gentle and pleasant beast, apt to play and sport, being not one∣ly swift to runne, but light and actiue to leape: It will eate any thing, either bread, broath, salted or pouldred beefe, grasse or herbes, and the vse heereof being aliue is for hunting, and being dead the flesh is sweete and pleasant for meate. [ 30]

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