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 MVSMON.

[illustration]

[ 10] [ 20]

I Haue thought good to reserue this beast to this place, for that it is a kind of sheepe, and therefore of natural right and linage belongeth to this story, for it is not vnlike a sheepe except in [ 30] the wooll which may rather seeme to be the haire of a Goate; and this is the same which the auncients did cal Vmbricae oues, Vmbriam sheepe, for that howsoeuer in haire it diffreth from sheepe, yet in simplicity and other inward giftes it commeth nearer to the sheepe. Strabo calleth it Musmo, yet the Latines call it Mussimon. This beast by Cato is cald an Asse, and som∣times a Ram, and sometimes a Musmon. The picture which heere wee haue expressed, is taken from the sight of the beast at Caen in Normandy, and was afterward figured by The∣odorus Beza. Munster in his description of Sardinia remembreth this beast (but he saith) that it is speckled, whereat I do not much wonder, seeing that he confesseth that he hath [ 40] al that he wrote thereof, by the Narration of others.

Some say it is a horse or a mule, of which race there are 2. kinds in Spaine, called by the Latines Astuxcones, for they are very small; but I do not wonder thereat, seeing that those little horses or Mules are called Musimones, because they are brought out of those Coun∣tries where the true Musmones (which we may interpret Wilde sheepe or wilde goats are bred and norished.) There are of these Musmons in Sardinia, Spaine, and Corsica, and they are said to be gotten betwixt a Ram and a goat, as the Cinirus betwixt a Buck-goat, and an Ewe. The forme of this beast is much like a Ram, sauing that his brest is more rough and hairy: his hornes do grow from his heade like vulgar Rams, but bend backward onely to [ 50] his eares: they are exceeding swift of foot, so as in their celerity they are comparable to the swiftest beast. The people of those countries wherein they are bred, do vse their skins for brest-plates. Pliny maketh mention of a beast which he called Ophion, and he saith hee found the remembrance of it in the Graecian books, but he thinketh that in his time there was none of them to be founde in the worlde: heerein he speaketh like a man that did not knowe GOD, for it is not to be thought, that hee which created so many kindes of

beasts at the beginning, and conserued of euery kind two, male and female at the generall deluge, would not afterward permit them to be destroyed till the worldes end, nor then neither: for seeing it is apparant by holy scriptures, that after the world ended, al Crea∣tures and beasts shall remain vpon the earth, as the monuments of the first six daies works of Almighty God, for the farther manifestation of his glory, wisedome, and goodnes, it is an vnreasonable thing to imagine that any of them shall perish in general in this world. The Tardinians call these beasts Mufflo, and Erim Mufflo, which may easily bee deriued from Ophion, therefore I cannot but consent vnto them, that the auncient Ophion is the Musmon, being in quantity betwixt a Hart and a sheepe, or Goate, in haire resembling a [ 10] Hart, & this beast at this day is not found but in Sardinia. It frequenteth the steepest moun¦taines, and therefore liueth on greene grasse and such other hearbes. The flesh thereof is very good for meat, and for that cause the inhabitantes seeke after it to take it. Hector Boethius in his description of the Hebredian Islandes saith, that there is a Beast not much vnlike to a sheep, but his hair betwixt a goats and a sheeps, being very wild & neuer found or taken but by hunting, and diligent inquisition. The name of the Island is Hiethae, and the reason of that name is from this breed of sheep called Hierth in the Vulgar toong, yet those sheep agree with the Musmon in al things but their tails, for he saith, that they haue long tailes reaching downe to the ground, and this name commeth from the Germaine word Herd a flocke, and thereof Hirt commeth for all sheepe in generall. Now followeth [ 20] the conclusion of their story with there medicinall Vertues.

Notes

• Pliny.