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THere is so great difference among writers about the name of this beast, that [ 40] it is a difficult and hard matter to set downe certainely, in the prime and origi∣nal tongues, the true and perfect denomination thereof, yet I will endeauour to goe as neere the marke as can be, by laying togither all the probabilities that I find in other, or obserue by my selfe. To be∣gin
Delitium paruo donabis dorcada nato, Iactatis solet hanc mittere turba togis.The Persians call this beast Ahu. The Arabians, Thabiu, which commeth neere to the chal∣dee word, the Germans Reeh or Rech, and the male Rech-bocke, and the female Rech-geise The Illyrians Serna or Sarna; the French Chireau, & eheureulsauuage. The Spaniard, Zo∣rito, or cabronzillo-montes, the Italians capriolo, and cauriolo for the male, and capriola, and cauriola for the female.
The Graecians Dorcas as the Septuagints do euery where translate, which Strabo ter∣meth corruptly Zorces, also Dorx Kemas, Nebrous, and vulgarly at this day Zarkadi; and [ 40] Dorcalis Dorcadion, for a little Roe. The Latines do also vse the worde Dorcas in common with the Graecians, and beside caprea and capreolus for a little Goat, for I do not thinke that any learned man, can finde any difference betwixt caprea and capreolus, except in age and quantity. The reason of these two latter names is, because of the likenesse it hath with a Goat, for Goats as we shal shew in their description haue many kinds distinguished from one another in resemblaunce, but in the hornes a Roe doth rather resemble a Hart, for the female haue no hornes at all.
These beasts are most plentifull in Affricke, beyond the Sea of carthage, but they are of another kind then those which Aristotle denied to be in Affrica: there are also in Egypt, & in Germany, and in the Heluetian Alpes. Likewise in catadupa beyond Nilus, in Arabia, in Spaine, and in Lycia: and it is to be obserued that the Lycian Roes doe neuer goe [ 50] ouer the Syrian Mountaines. Aelianus doth deliuer these thinges of the Lybian Roes, which for the colour and parts of their body may seeme to belong to all. They (saith hee) are of an admirable velocity or swiftnes, but yet inferiour to the Lybian horses, their belly is parted with blacke strakes and drops, and the other parts of their body are of a red yel∣lowish colour, they haue long feet, but longer eares, their eies blacke, and their horns are an ornament to their heads.
Their swiftnesse doth not onely appeare vpon the earth but also vpon the Waters, for with their feet they cut the waters when they swim as with oares; and therefore they loue the lakes & strong streames, breaking the floods to come by fresh pasture, as sweet rushes and Bul-rushes. Their hornes grow onely vpon the males, and are set with sixe or seauen braunches, but the females haue none, and therfore also they differ in horne from the fal∣low-deere: so as they cannot be called Platycerotae, for their Hornes are not palmed like a hand, and although they be branchy, yet are they shorter: they differ not much from the common Deere, but in their horne: and whereas the hornes of other beastes are hollow toward the roote, whereunto entreth a certaine bony substance, the hornes of these (as also of the vulgar Bucke and the Elke) are solide, without any such emptinesse; onely, they [ 10] are full of pores. It hath also beene beleeued, that a Roe doth not change her hornes, be∣cause they are neuer found; whereas in truth, they fall off yearly as doth a Harts, but they hide them, to the intent they should not be found.
It hath likewise beene thought, a Roe was called in Greeke Dorcas, because of the quick∣nes of hir sight, and that she can see as perfectly in the night as in the day; and not onely for her selfe, but the learned Physitians haue obserued, a certaine viscous humour about hir bowels, which being taken forth and annoynted vpon a mans eies, which are darke, heauy, and neere blind, it hath the same effect to quiken his eie-sight. It is also said of them that they neuer winke, no not when they sleepe, for which conceit, their blood is prescri∣bed for them that are pur-blind. The taile of this beast is shorter and lesser then is the fal∣low-Deeres, [ 20] insomuch as it is doubtfull whether it be a taile or not.
They keepe for the most part in the Mountaines among the rocks, being very swift, and when they are pursued by Dogs, (Martiall saith) they hang vpon the rocks by their horns to deceiue the dogs, after a strange manner ready to fall and kill themselues, and yet haue no harme, whether the Dogs dare not approch as appeareth in this Epigram:
Pendentem summa capream de rupe videbis Casuram speres, decipit illa cones:yet this doth better agree with the wild Goat then with the Roe, as shall be manifested in due time.
Aelianus saith, that the Cynoprosopy, men with Dogs faces liue vpon the flesh of Roes and Bugles, in the wildernesse of Egypt: and also it is vsuall to conclude them in Parks, [ 30] for they wil agree very naturally with Hares and Swine; wherfore in the Lordship which Varro bought of Piso, it was seene how at the sound of a Trumpet, both Roes and Boares, would come to their vsuall places for meate: and although they bee naturally very wilde, yet will they quickly grow tame and familiar to the hand of man, for Blondus did nourish many at Rome. Being wilde they are hunted with Dogs, shot with Guns, taken in nets, but this falleth out sildome, because they liue most among the rocks.
They are most easily taken in the woods. When they are chased, they desire to run a∣gainst the wind, because the coldnesse of the aire refresheth them in their course, and therefore they which hunt them place their Dogs with the wind, for sometimes against the hunters minds, do what t••ey can to the contrary, she taketh hir course that way: but [ 40] Harts when they heare the barkings of Dogs, run with the wind, that the sauor of their feet may passe away with them. They are often takē by the counterfaiting of their voice, which the hunter doth by taking a leafe and hissing vpon it.
They are very good meate (as Philostratus affirmeth) and that the Indians dresse at their feasts whole Lyons and Roes for their ghests to eate, and the Sophists in their banket which is described by Athaeneus, had Roes therein: and therefore Fiera preferreth it before the fallow-deere, alledging the agreement that is betwixt it and the body of man, being dressed according to Art.
Hic optata feret nobis fomenta calore, Vda leui modicis mox que coquenda focis.
And therefore also affirmeth, that it excelleth all wilde beastes whatsoeuer, being not [ 50] onely fitte for nourishment but for the sicke, as for them that haue the Chollicke, or the falling euill, or the Timpanie, and therefore they are best at a yeare olde or vnder. Likewise, their broath with Pepper, Loueage, seede of Rue, Parsley, Hony, Mustardseed and Oyle; and for sauce to the meate they take Pepper, Rue, Hony melted, and an onyon: sometime also they seeth the hanches or hippes, and make Pasties of the sides and ribbes.
It is a Beast full of feare, and therefore the flesh thereof although it be very dry; yet will it engender some melancholy; of the feare Martiall saith thus:
Tam despar aquilae columba non est. Hec dorcas rigido fugar leoni.As the Doue from the Eagle, and the Roe from the Lyon, which afterward grew vnto a Pro∣uerbe. It hath also some Epethets among Authors, which doe confirme their disposition ful of feare: as flying, weake, wanton, and such like; yet will they fight one with another so fiercely, that sometime they kill each other.
They feare also the Wolfes, whereof came the prouerbe, that first of all the Roes wil [ 10] be ioyned to the Wolfes, to expresse an incredible matter. They haue also beene vsed for Sacrifice to Diana, for the Saphriae Women in Patras, did lay vpon hir great altar whole Harts, Bores, Roes and other beasts aliue: and the Coptitae did eate the Males; but religiously worshipped the females, not daring to eate them, because they beleeued that Isis loued them dearely.
Of these Beasts came the Islands Capreae beyond Surrentum into Campania, where Ti∣berius had a famous Castle, and was ennobled by his presence; but since the decay there∣of, it is now celebrated for the multitude of quailes that are found therein.
The remedies or medicines comming from this Beast are these: first, the flesh of them eaten, is good against all paines in the small guts, for it dryeth and stayeth the belly. Pliny [ 20] affirmeth, that the teeth of a Dragon tyed to the sinnewes of a Hart in a Roes skinne, and wore about ones necke, maketh a man to be grations to his superiors, and them to be fa∣uorable and pitifull to him in all his supply cations: And if the white flesh in the brest of an Hiaena, and seuen haires thereof with the genitall of a Hart, betyed in a piece of a Roes skinne, and hanged about a Womans necke, it maketh that her wombe shall suffer no a∣bortements; but these things are triuiall, and not to be beleeued but at pleasure. I know that the taile of a Dragon tyed to the Nerues of a Hart in a Roes skinne, the sewet of a Roe with Goose-grease, the marrow of a Hart and an onyon, with Rozen & running lime, doe wonderfully help the falling euill, (if it be made into a plaister.)
Sextus saith, that if one giue the braine of a Roe drawen or pressed through a ring to [ 30] an infant, it will preserue him for euer from the falling sicknesse and apparitians. The Li∣uer of a Roe sod in salt Water, and the eyes of a purblind man held ouer the fume or reak thereof, are cured of their blindnesse: and some seeth it in a little cup, and annoynt the eies with the scumme or froth comming from it. The same liuer being burned to poul∣der, and the dust cast on a man bleeding, staieth the yssue or fluxe. The gall of this beast mixed with Wine, and the meale of Lupines the waight of a groate, and Hony, take away the spots of the face & the same gal mixed with water, helpeth a sun-burned face, and frec∣kles: The same with Hony Atticke, taketh away the dimnes from the eies, & with the iuyce of a gourd annoynted vpon the eie browes, causeth that where the haire hath beene pul∣led off, that it neuer shal grow againe; and this gall is alway the better for the age thereof, [ 40] and as Hypocrates did prescribe, it must be kept in a siluer pipe or boxe.
For the tingling of the eares, take with this gall the Oyle of Roses, with the iuyce of an Onyon beaten together, and instilled warme into the eares for a present remedy: so also, with the oyle of Roses onely, it helpeth the payne in the teeth, and with the hony at∣ticke, all swellings and paines in the iawes or chappes, putting thereto Myrrhe, saffron, and Pepper. The same gall with a little hoggs-bread, and the poulder of burnt Alumme with Anyse seede, made into a suppository, procureth loosenes, if the party haue not the Hemerrhoides.
Also the gaull taken with hony and the iuyce of Eglantine, cureth the exulceration of the virile member by annoynting it. The Spleene being drunke, helpeth windinesse, and [ 50] the melt is commended against the chollicke and the biting of serpents.
Against the laundise they take the dung of a Roe dryed and sifted, and drinke it in wine: the same also so drunke, cureth the Ague: and bycause the Roe-bucke doth wonderfully loue his female, there be some that affirme, that if a woman eate the bladder of a Roe, it will likewise make her husband to loue her exceedingly.
The seuerall names.
The reason of the latine name.
Auicen. The Coun∣tries breed∣ing Roes. Marcellus Albertus. Pliny. Strabo Their nature and seueral parts.
S••••rpsius
Albertus
Pliny. P••••••anias. Vi••ll••••us. E••••chach. Of their eie-sight.
Origen super ca••t. Tex••or.
pliny.
Cardanus
The place of their aboade
Their con∣cord with o∣ther beasts Columello
of their ta∣king.
Bellisarius
Cresconius The vse of their flesh.
Simion Sethi Auicenna. Tr••••••anus
Apicius
Of the dispo∣sition & pas∣sion.
Their ene∣mies in na∣ture.
Sacrifices of Roes.
Pausanias. Aelianus
The medici∣nes arising from a Roe. Marcellus
Sextus
Aetius.
Galen.