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 Indian Asses.

IT is questionable whether the Monoceros, commonly called a Ʋnicorne, the Rhinoceros, the Oryx, and the Indian Asse be all one beast or divers; for the Vnicorn and Rhinoceros have the same things attributed to them in stories, and differ in very few reports: but for the Asses of India, both Aristo∣tle, Pliny and Aelianus, joyntly agree, that they differ from all other whole-footed beasts, because they have one horn in the forehead, and so also have the Rhinoceros, Monoceros, and Oryx, but the In∣dians call a Ʋnicorne, Cartazono; and the horn so highly prized at this day, is thought to be of the Rhinoceros; but Aelianus and Philes acknowledge no other Ʋnicorne then the Indian Asse, who in bigness equalleth a Horse among the Indians, being all white on the body, but purple headed or red (as some say) black eyes, but Volateranus saith blew, having one horn in the forehead a cubit and a half long, whose upper part is red or bay, the middle black, and the neather part white, wherein the Kings and mighty men of India use to drink, adorning it for that purpose with sundry bracelets, pretious stones, and works of gold, holding for truth that all those which drink in those horns, shall be freed from annoyance of incurable diseases, as Convulsions, the Falling evill, and deadly poysons.

These wilde Asses exceed all other, both in stature of body, and also swiftness of foot, for at the first, they set forth very gently, and afterward speed their journey with better pace, so that it is very hard for any to follow them, but impossible to overgo them. The males take great pains in keeping their young ones, whom they continually watch and hide in the most remote and desert places they can finde. When they are hunted, they keep their weak young ones behind them, and fight for them very furiously, neither fear they to encounter horsemen. They are so strong, that no beast may stand before them, for they will receive the charge of Horses with such violence, that in their encounter they bite out their sides and tear their guts out of their belly: for which cause they are dreadful to Horses, who are most unwilling to joyn with them, for they never meet but they both perish.

They fight with their heels, but their teeth are most dangerous, for what they apprehend in

them they bring it clean away: and because of this rage, those which are of any years, can never be tamed. The great King of India doth once every year appoint all manner of fights both men and beasts, wherein are wilde Buls, tame Rams, these wild Asses with one horn, Hyaenaes and Elephants. To conclude, it is but a fable of Volaterranus, that saith, these Asses want a gall, for they have the bladder of the gall, a portion whereof drunk, cureth the falling evill.