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 ORYX. [ 20]

THis Beast in Pliny and Oppianus is called Orynx and Oryx, and my coniecture is, that his name is deriued from Orys¦sein which signifieth to digge. Saint Ierom and the Septua∣gints for Theo. Deut. 14. & Isa. 51. translate Orix: but Da∣uid Kimhi and the better learned men interpret it a wilde Oxe But the Haebrew Dischon may in my opinion bee so translated, yet heerein I referre it to the learned Rea∣der. [ 30]

It is certaine that it is of the kinde of wilde Goates by the description of it, differing in nothinge but this, that the haire groweth auerie not like other beasts, falling backeward to his hinder partes, but forward toward his head, and so also it is affirmed of the Aethiopian Bul, which some saye is the Rhinocerot. They are bred both in Lybia and Egypt, and either of both countries yedeth testimony of their rare and proper qualities. In quantity it resembleth a Roe, ha∣uing a beard vnder his chinne. His colour white or pale like milke, his mouth blacke, and some spots vpon his cheekes, his backe-bone reaching to his head, being double, broad, and fat; his horne, standing vpright, blacke, and so sharpe, that they cannot bee blunted [ 40] against brasse or yron, but pierce through it readily.

Aristotle and Pliny were of opinion that this beast was Bisulcus and Vnicornis, that is, clouen-footed, and with one horne: The original of their opinion, came from the wilde-one-horned-goat, whereof Schnebergerus a late writer writeth thus: Certum est minineque dubium in Carpatho monte, versus Russiam Transyluaniam{que} reperirifer as similes omnino ru∣picapris, exc••pto quod vnicum cornu ex media fronte enascitur, nigrum, dorso inflexum, simile omnino rupicaprarum cornibus: that is to say, It is without al controuersie that there are wilde beasts in the mountaine Carpathus towards Russia and Transyluania, very like to wilde goates, except that they haue but one horne growing out of the middle of their heads, which is blacke and bending backward like the hornes of wild goats. But the true Oryx is [ 50] described before out of Oppianus, and it differeth from that of Pliny both in stature and hornes. Aelianus saith, that the Orix hath foure hornes, but he speaketh of the Indian O∣rix whereof there are some yearely presented to their king, and it may be both there and else-where, diuersity of regions do breede diuersity of stature, colour, haire, and hornes. Simion Cethi affirmeth of the Muskat that it hath one horne, and it is not vnlikely that he hath seene such an one, and that the Orix may be of that kind.

But concerning their hornes, it is related by Herodotus, Pollux, and Laur: Valla, that there were made instruments of musicke out of them, such as are Citherns or Lutes, vp∣pon whose bellies the Musitians played their musicke, by striking them with their hands, and that those beasts were as great as Oxen, and al this may be true, notwithstanding wee haue shewed alreadie that they are as big as Roes, for Plinie speaking that by relation or by sight, it is likelie that he had seene a young one.

There be also Sea-beasts called Oryges and Orcae, and there is in Egipt an ORIX which at the rising of Canis Syrius or the little Dogge is perpetually sorrowful, and for this cause the LYBIANS do mock the EGYPTIANS for that they fable; the same day that the lit∣tle Dog-star riseth, their ORIX speaketh. But on the contrarie themselues acknowledge, [ 10] that as often as the said starre ariseth with the sunne, al their goates turne to the East, and looke vpon it, and this obseruation of the Goates, is as certaine as anie rule of the Astro∣nomers. The LYBIANS affirme more, that they doe presage great store of raine, and change of weather.

The Egyptians also say, that when the Moone commeth neare to the East, they looke very intentiuely vpon her, as vpon their sufferaign Goddesse, and make a great noise, and yet they say they doe it not for her loue, but for her hate, which appeareth by knocking their Legges against the ground, and fastening their eies vpon the earth, like them which are angry at the Moones appearance: And the selfe same thing they do at the rising of the Sunne.

[ 20] For which cause the auncient Kings had an obseruer, or one to tell them the time of the day, sitting vpon one of these beasts, whereby very accurately they perceiued the sun rysing; and this they did by turning their taile against it and emptying their bellies, for which cause by an Orix the Egyptians discipher an impure or Godlesse wretch: for seeing that all creatures are nourished by the Sunne and Moone, and therefore ought to reioyce at their appearing, onely this filthy wretch disdaineth and scorneth them.

The reason why they reioyce at the little Dogge-starre is, because their bodies doe perceiue an euident alteration of the time of the yeare, that cold weather and raine are o∣uerpassed, and that the vapors of the warm Sun are now descending vpon the earth, to cloth it withall manner of greene and pleasant hearbs and flowers.

[ 30] There is another kind of Orix which according to Columella, was wont to be impaled among Deere and Harts, the flesh whereof was eaten, and vsed for the commodity of his Maister: This was impatient of cold. It grew til it was foure yeares old, and afterwardes through age decreased, and lost all naturall vigor.

But to returne to the Orix entended, from which we haue digressed; their Horns where∣of we late spake, are not onely stronge and sharpe like the Horne of the Vnicorne and the Rhinocerot, but also solide, & not hollow like the hornes of Harts. The courage and inward disposition of this beast, is both fearefull, cruell and valiant, I meane fearefull to men and beastes, but fearelesse in it selfe: For saith my Author; Ne{que} enim canis latratum timet, ne{que} apri efferuescentem feritatem, ne{que} tauri mugitum refugit, ne{que} Pantherarum tristem vocem, [ 40] ne{que} ipsius Leonis vehementem rugitum horret, ne{que} item hominum robore mouetur, ac saepe ro∣bustum venatorem occidit: That is to say, He feareth not the barking of the Dogge, nor the foaming wrath of the wilde Boare, he flyeth not the terrible voyce of the Bull, nor yet the mournefull cry of the Panthers, no, nor the vehement roaring of the Lyon himselfe, and to conclude, he is not moued for all the strength of man, but many times killeth the valiantest hunter that pursueth him.

When he seeth a Boare, a Lyon, or a Beare, presently he bendeth his hornes downe to the earth, whereby he conformeth and establisheth his head to receiue the brunt, stand∣ing in that manner till the assault be made: at which time hee easily killeth his aduersary, for by bending downe his head, and setting his hornes to receiue the beast, he behaueth [ 50] himselfe as skilfully as the hunter, that receiueth a Lion vpon his speare. For his hornes do easily runne into the brests of any wilde beast, & so piercing them, causeth the blood to issue, whereat the beast being moued, forgetteth his combate and falleth to licking vp his owne blood, and so he is easily ouerthrowne. When the fight is once begunne, there is none of both that may runne awaie, but standeth it out vntil one or both of them bee

to the ground, and so their dead bodies are many times found by wilde and sauage men. They fight with all, and kil one another, also they are annoyed with LYNCES, I meane the greater LYNCES: of the cruelty of this beast Martiall made this distichon:

Matutinarum non vltima praeda ferarum Saevus Oryx, constat qui mihi morte canum.

It is reported of this beast, that it liueth in perpetual thirst, neuer drinking by reason that there is no water in those places where it is bred, and that there is in it a certaine bladder of lickor, whereof whosoeuer tasteth, shall neuer neede to drinke. This beast liueth in the wildernesse, and notwithstanding his magnanimious and vnresistable strength, wrath, and [ 10] cruelty, yet is hee easily taken by snares and deuices of men, for God which hath armed to take Elephants and tame Lyons, hath likewise iudewed them with knowledge from a∣boue, to tame and destroy al other noisome beast.

Concerning the picture of this beast, and the liuely vissage of his exterior or outward parts, I cannot expresse it, because neither my owne sight, nor the the writinges of anye credible Author, doth giue me sufficient direction to deliuer the shape thereof vnto the world, and succeeding Ages vppon my credit: and therefore the Reader muste pardon me heerein. I do not also read of the vse of the flesh or any other partes of this beast, but [ 20] onely of the hornes as is already expressed, whereunto I may adde the relation of Strabo who affirmeth the Aethiopians Silli do vse the hornes of these beastes in warres insteed of swords and speares: for incredible is the hardnes and sharpenes of them, which caused Iu∣venall to write thus:

Et Getulus Oryx hebeti lautissima ferro Coeditur.

For althogh of the owne length they are not able to match a pike, yet are they fit to be put vpon the tops of pikes, as well as any other artifical thing made of steel or yron, and thus I will conclude the story of this beast.

Notes

• Plutarch Elianus.
• Oppianus. Pliny. Albertus.