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 RAT.

[illustration]

THere is no doubt that this beast be∣longeth also to the rank of mice,* 1.1 & the name thereof we haue shewed already, is commō both to the French, Spanish, Italian, and English, & it may seeme to be deriued from the Greeke word Rastes, or Heurex, or Riscos, for the Gretians vse al those words. And this beast is 4. times so big as the commō Mouse,* 1.2 being of a blackish dusky colour, more whit on the belly, hauing along head, not much vnlike the head of the Martin, short and round eares, a resonable rough skin, short legs, and long clawes, & exceeding great eies, such as cā see very perfectly in the darke night, and more perfectly then by candle light, with their nails they climbe vp steepe and hard wals, their taile is very long, & almost naked void of haire, by reason whereof it is not vnwor∣thily counted venomous, for it seemeth to partake with the na¦ture of Serpents. The quantity of their body is much like a wea∣sels, & sometimes you shall see a Rat exceeding the common stature, which the Germans cal Ratzen Kunig, the king of Rats, because of his larger & greater body, and they say that the les∣ser bring him meat and helieth idle. But my opinion is that as we read of the Dormous she nourisheth hir parent when she is old, so likewile the younger Rats bring food vnto the elder, because through their age, they are not able to hunt for them∣selues, & are also growne to a great and vnweeldy stature of body. Sometimes you shal see white Rats, as was once seene in Germany, taken in the middle of Aprill, hauing very red eyes standing forth of their head, and a rough and long beard. And at Auspurg in Germany, about the Temple called the Church of S. Hulduic they a∣bound in greater number then in other places. They do not lye in the earth like Mice, ex∣cept in the vally of Ioachim, where for the summer time they forsake houses, and go into cony holes, but in the winter time they returne to the houses againe. They are more noy∣some

then the little Mouse, for they liue by stelth, and feed vpon the same meat that they feede vpon, and therefore as they exceede in quantity, so they deuoure more, and doe farre more harme. They are killed by the same poysons and meates that the common Mice are killed, except wolfe-baine, for if they eate thereof, they vomit it vp againe and are safe. They are also taken in the same traps, but 3. or foure times so big; Their flesh is farre more hot and sharp then the flesh of the vulgar Mouse, as we haue gathered by the dissection of it, and therefore in operation it is very like that it expelleth and dryeth more then the other.

* 1.3 The excrements are also of the same vertue, and with the dung of Rats the Physitians cure the falling off of the haire. And it is saide also that when they rage in lust, and follow [ 10] their copulation, they are more venemous and dangerous then at other times. For if the vrine do fall vpon the bare place of a man, it maketh the flesh rot vnto the bones, neither will it suffer any scar to bee made vppon the vlcer, and thus much of the vulgar Rat.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The vulgar Rat, or great domesticall Mouse.
• * 1.2

  The quanti∣ty of Rats & their parts.
• * 1.3

  Medicins by Rats. Poyson of Rats.