The history of four-footed beasts and serpents describing at large their true and lively figure, their several names, conditions, kinds, virtues ... countries of their breed, their love and hatred to mankind, and the wonderful work by Edward Topsell ; whereunto is now added, The theater of insects, or, Lesser living creatures ... by T. Muffet ...

Of the SPHINGA or SPHINX.

THe Sphinx or Sphinga is of the kind of Apes, having his body rough like Apes, but his breast up to his neck, pilde and smooth without hair: the face is very round yet sharp and piked, * 1.1 having the breasts of women, and their favour or visage much like them: In that part of then body which is bare without hair, there is a certain red thing rising in a round circle like Millet seed, which giveth great grace and comliness to their colour, which in the middle part is humane. Their voice is very like a mans but not articulate, founding as if one did speak hastily with indigna∣tion * 1.2 or sorrow. Their hair brown or swarthy colour. They are bred in India and Ethiopia. In the Promontory of the farthest Arabia neer Dira, are Sphinges, and certain Lions called Formicae, so likewise they are to be found a∣mongst

[illustration]

the Troglodytae. As the Ba∣bouns * 1.3 and Cynocephales are more wild then other Apes, so the Satyres and Sphinges are more meek and * 1.4 gentle, for they are not so wilde that they will not be tamed, nor yet so tame but they will revenge their own harms; as appeared by that * 1.5 which was slain in a publick specta∣cle among the Thebanes. They carry * 1.6 their meat in the storehouses of their own chaps or cheeks, taking it forth when they are hungry, and so eat it: not being like the Formicae, for that which is annual in them, is dayly and hourly amongst these.

The name of this Sphinx is taken * 1.7 from * 1.8 binding, as appeareth by the Greek notation, or else of deli∣cacie and dainty nice * 1.9 loosness, (wherefore there were certain common strumpets called Sphinctae, and the Megarian Sphingas, was a very popular phrase for notorious harlets) hath given occasion to the Poets, to saign a•• certain monster called Sphinx, which they say was thus derived. Hydra brought forth the Chymaera, Chymaera, by Orthus the Sphinx, and the Nemean Lion: now this Orthus was one of the Geryons Dogs. This Sphinx they make * 1.10 a treble formed monster, a Maidens face, a Lions legs, and the wings of a Fowl; or as Ausonius and Varinus say, the face and hand of a Maid, the body of a Dog, the wings of a Bird, the voice of a man, the claws of a Lion, and the tail of a Dragon: and that she kept continually in the Sphincian mountain; propounding to all travellers that came that way, an Aenigma or Riddle, which was this, What was the creature that first of all goeth on four legs, afterwards on two, and lastly on three: and * 1.11 all of them that could not dissolve that Riddle, she presently flew, by taking them and throwing them down headlong from the top of the Rock. At last Oedipus came that way and declared the secret, that it was (a Man) who in his infancy creepeth on all four, afterward in youth, goeth upright upon * 1.12 two legs, and last of all in old age, taketh unto him a staffe which maketh him to go as it were on three legs; which the monster hearing, she presently threw down her self from the former rock, and so she ended. Whereupon Oedipus is taken for a subtle and wise opener of mysteries.

But the truth is, that when Cadmus had maried an Amazonian woman, called Sphinx, and * 1.13 with her came to Thehes, and there slew Draco their King, and possessed his Kingdom; afterward there was a sister unto Draco called Harmona, whom Cadmus maried, Sphinx being yet alive: She in revenge (being assisted by many followers) departed with great store of wealth into the Moun∣tain SPHINCIƲS, taking with her a great Dog which Cadmus held in great account, and there made daily incursions or spoils upon his people: Now Aenigma in the Theban language, signifi∣eth an inrode or warlike incursion, wherefore the people complained in this sort, This Grecian Sphinx robbeth us, in setting upon with an Aenigma, but no man knoweth after what manner she maketh this Aenigma.

Cadmus hereupon made Proclamation, that he would give a very bountiful reward unto him that would kill Sphinx, upon which occasion the CORINTHIAN Oedipus came unto her, being mounted on a swist Courser, and accompanied with some Thebans in the night season, slew her. Others say, that

Oedipus by counterseiting friendship, slew her, making shew to be of her faction; and Pausanias saith, that the former Riddle was not a Riddle, but an Oracle of Apollo, which Cadmus had received, whereby his posterity should be inheritors of the Theban Kingdom; and whereas Oedipus, being the Son of Laius a forme•• King of that Countrey, was taught the Oracle in his sleep, he recovered the Kingdom usu: ped by Sphinx his Sister, and afterward unknown, maried his own Mother J••casta. But the true moral of this Poetical fiction, is by that learned Alciatus in one of his emblems deci∣phered, that her monstrous treble-formed-shape, signified her lustful pleasure under a Virgins face, her cruel pride under the Lions claws, her winde-driven levity under the Eagles or Birds fea∣thers, * 1.14 and I will conclude with the words of Suidas concerning such Monsters, that the Tritons, Sphinges, and Centaures, are the images of those things, which are not to be sound within the com∣passe of the whole world.

The true Sphinx first described, is of a fierce though a tameable nature, and if a man do first of all perceive or discern these natural Sphinges, before the beast discern or perceive the man, he * 1.15 shall be safe; but if the beast first descry the man, then is it mortal to the man. These Sphinges were of great account for their strangeness: with their image did Augustus sign all his Grants, Libels, and * 1.16 Epistles: afterward he left that, and signed with the image of Alexander the great, and last of all with his own. Syclis the King in the City of the Boristhenites, had a fair house, about which there were Sphinges and Gryphins wrought out of white stone. At Athens, in the Temple Parthen••na, there is described the contention betwixt Pallas and Neptune, about the earth, and the image of Pallas made of Ivory and gold, hath in the midst of her shield the picture of a Sphinx. Amasis the King of Egypt, built in the porch of Pallas, an admirable work called Sar: where he placed such great Colosses and A••dro-Sphinges, that it was afterward supposed he was buried therein, and was lively to be seen im∣putrible. * 1.17 To conclude, the Egyptians in the porches of their Temples painted a Sphinx, whereby they insinuated that their divine wisdom was but dark and uncertain, and so covered with fables, that there scarce appeared in it any sparkles or footsteps of yerity.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pliny. Calisthius. The descripti¦on.
• * 1.2

  Aelianus. Countrey of breed.
• * 1.3

  Lions-formicae. Pliny.
• * 1.4

  Their nature.
• * 1.5

  Albertus.
• * 1.6

  Manner of car∣rying their meat.
• * 1.7

  Of the name and notation thereof.
• * 1.8

  Hermolaus.
• * 1.9

  Varrianus.
• * 1.10

  Hesiod. Ausenius. The descripti∣on of the Poets Sphinx.
• * 1.11

  The Riddle of the Sphinx.
• * 1.12

  The solution of the Riddle by O••dipus.
• * 1.13

  Palaephatus. The true Hi∣story of Sphinx.
• * 1.14

  Suidas. Meaning this Poetical Sphinx.
• * 1.15

  The nature of the Sphinx.
• * 1.16

  Suetonius. The use of Sphinges. Herodotus. Pausanias.
• * 1.17

  Herodotus.