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.

OF THE SEA-HORSE.

[illustration]

[ 10] [ 20]

THe Sea-horsse, called in Greeke Hippotomos, and in Latine Equus Fluuiatilis; It is a most vgly and filthy beast, so cal∣led because in his voice and mane he resembleth a Horsse, but in his head an Oxe or a Calfe; in the residue of his bo∣dy a Swine, for which cause some Graecians call him som∣times a Sea-horsse, and sometimes a Sea-oxe, which thing hath moued many learned men in our time to affirme, that a Sea-horsse was neuer seene; whereunto I would easi∣ly [ 30] subscribe (saith Bellonias) were it not that the auncient figures of a Sea-horsse, altogether resembled that which is heere expressed; and was lately to bee seene at Constantinople, from whom this picture was taken. It liueth for the most part in Nilus, yet is it of a doubtful life, for it brings forth and breedeth on the land, and by the proportion of the Legges it seemeth rather to bee made for going, then for swimming: for in the night time it eateth both Hay and frutes, forraging into corne fieldes, and deuouring whatsoeuer commeth in the way; And there∣fore I thought it fit to be inserted into this story. As for the Sea-calfe, which commeth sometimes to land onely to take sleepe, I did not iudge it to belong to this discourse, be∣cause it feedeth onely in the waters.

This picture was taken out the Colossus In the Vatican at Rome, representing the Ri∣uer [ 40] Nylus, and eating of a Crocadile: and thus I reserue the farther discourse of this beast vnto the History of Fishes, adding only thus much, that it ought to be no wonder to con∣sider such monsters to come out of the Sea, which resemble horsses in their heads, seeing therein are also creatures like vnto Grapes and swords.

The Orsean Indians do hunt a beast with one horne, hauing the body of a Horsse, and the head of a Hart. The Aethiopians likewise haue a beast, in the necke like vnto a Horsse, and the feet and legs like vnto an Oxe. The Rhinocephalus hath a necke like a Horsse, and also the other parts of his body, but it is said to breath out aire which killeth men. Pausani∣as writeth▪ that in the Temple of Gabales there is the picture of a Horsse, which from his [ 50] breast backwards is like a whale. Lampsacenus writeth, that in the Scythian Ocean, ther are Ilands wherein the people are called Hippopodes, hauing the bodyes of men but the feete of Horsses, and the Lamya heereafter to be declared, hath the feete of a Horsse, but in o∣ther things the members of a Goat: and thus much for the seuerall kinds of Horsses, both for them that are properly so called, and also for any other which like bastards retaine any resemblance of nature with this Noble and profitable kind of beast.