also a round head, a short face, a long taile, a nimble body, a wilde mind, and gette their meat by hunting: but heerein I leaue euery man to his owne best liking and opini∣on: for when we haue done our best to expresse their natures and seuerall properties, it shalbe ydle to spend time about disputation to what ranke or order, euery beast ought to be referred. For euery one that readeth our story and seeth our pictures may either bee satisfied, or els amend our labour.
The Linx therefore biteth most cruelly and deepe, and therefore is accounted, Rap a•• animal, instar lupi sed callidius, a Beast as rauening as a wolfe, but more crafty, they get vp into trees, and from them leape downe vppon very great beastes, and destroy them, bee∣ing enemies both to men and beasts, and at their pleasure, according to necessity, set vp∣pon [ 10] both.
They are taken somtimes in Germany, in the dutchy of Wertinberg, and that it was once credibly affirmed, one of them leaped downe from a tree vppon a countrey man, as he passed vnder the same tree, but being weary, and hauing an axe on his necke, he receiued her on the sharp edge thereof, and so killed her, otherwise she woulde soone haue killed him.
They liue in the mountaines also, where they are killed by poison, or else hunted by armed men on horse-back, and included with multitudes, for their hunting is perilous, and therefore they must be inclosed with great company. Some take them with ditches as we heard before Lyons were taken, others in snares or ginnes laide vppon the rockes, [ 20] and stones, and whensoeuer they are hunted with Dogs, they run directly to the woods or to the next trees, wherein they are killed by gun-shot.
In the Summer time they are very weake and liue among the Rockes, neuer strayinge farre from their owne lodging, hurting no man vntill the autumn. They hunt wilde goats, whom they follow from Rocke to rocke, leaping as fast, or faster then the Goates. They hunt also wilde cats and Hares, and some other little beasts, but the greatest Linxes hunt Hartes and Asses, and their manner is as wee haue saide already, to get vp into trees, and there to ly in waite for their prey, vntill they espy it vnder the boughes, and then sudden∣ly leape into the necke thereof, whether it be a man or a great Beast, wherein they fix their clawes so fast, that no violence can shake them off, but with the sharpenesse of their teeth, [ 30] bite into the scull, and eate out the braines to the vtter destruction of the man or beaste, whomsoeuer they light vpon, but if it be a small beast, they eate the whole body thereof, and not onely the braines.
Yet this is a wonderfull secret in their nature, that although they belong afflicted with hunger, yet when they eate their meate, if they heare any noise, or any other chaunce cause them to turne about from their meat, out of the sight of it, they forgette their prey, notwithstanding theyr hunger, and goe to seeke another bootey, neuer remembring that which they had before them, nor yet returne backe againe to eate thereof. The voice of this beast is called by a speciall worde in Latine, Orcare, or Corcare, which I may English croaking, or whining, for the voice thereof is not great, and therefore the Author of Phi∣lomela [ 40] saith, dum linxes orcando fraemunt, vrsus ferus Vncat, while the Linxe croaketh, the wilde beare whineth. And Arlunus saith, Corcare vox lupae Ceruarij, to croake is the voice of a Linx.
It is thought that of all beastes they seeme most brightly, for the poets faine, that their eie-sight pierceth through euery solid body, although it be as thicke as a wall; yet if you offer vnto it any thinge which is transparent, it is much offended, and sometimes blinded, but I cannot tell, whether the sight be attributed to the Linxe truely accordinge to nature, or fabulously in imitation of the poeticall fiction of Lynceus, of whome it was saide in auncient time, that hee sawe thorough stone Walles, of whome Horace writeth thus: [ 50]
Non possis oculo, quantum contendere lynceus
Non tamen id circo, contemnas lippus in vngi.
Marcus Tullius also saith in this manner, in the admiration of
Lynceus eye-sight, as thogh darkenes did not hinder it,
quis est tam lynceus qui in tantis tenebris nihil offendat. Apolloni∣us saith, that so great was the perfection of this mans eye-sight, as he was beleeued to see