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 ...

The SATYRE.

AS the Cynocephal or Baboun Apes have given occasion to some to imagine (though falsely) there were such men, so the Satyres a most rare and seldom seen beast, hath occasioned other to * 1.1 think it was a Devil; and the Poets with their Apes, the Painters, Limmers, and Carvers, to en∣crease that superstition, have therefore described him with horns on his head, and feet like Goats, whereas Satyres have neither of both. And it may be that Devils have at some time appeared to men in this likeness, as they have done in the likenesse of the Onocentaure and wild Asse, and other shapes; it being also probable, that Devils take not any denomination or shape from Satyres, but rather the Apes themselves from Devils whom they resemble, for there are many things common to the Satyre-Apes and Devilish-Satyres, as their humane shape, their abode in solitary * 1.2 places, their rough hair, and lust to women, wherewithall other Apes are naturally in∣fected: but especially Satyres. Wherefore the Ancient Grecians conjecture their name to be derived as it were of Stathes, signifying the yard or virile member: and it is certain that the De∣vils have exercised their prestigious lust, or rather their imagination of lust upon mankind, where∣of cometh that distinction of Fauni, that some are Incubi defilers of Women, and some Succubi de∣filed by men. Peradventure the name of Satyre is more fitly derived from the Hebrew Sai••, Isa. 34. whereof the plural is Seirim, Isa. 13. which is interpreted monsters of the Desert, or rough hairy Fawnes; and when issim is put to seir, it signifieth Goats.

The Chaldeans for Seirim, render Schedin; that is, evill Devils: and the Arabians, Leseiathin; that is, Satanas: the Persians, Devan; the Illyrians, Devadai and Dewas; the Germans, Teufel. They which passed through the world and exercised dauncing and other sports, for Dionysius, were called Satyres, and sometimes Tytiri, because of their wanton songs; sometimes Sileni (although the difference is, that the smaller and younger beasts are called Satyri, the elder and greater Sileni:) Also Bacche and Nymphae, whereof Bacchus is pictured riding in a Chariot of Vinebranches, Silenus riding beside * 1.3 him on an Asse, and the Bacchae or Satyres shaking together their stalkie Javelines and Paulmers. By reason of their leaping they are called Scirti, and the antick or Satyrical dancing Sicinnis, and they also sometimes Sicinnistae; sometimes Aegipanae: wherefore Pliny reporteth, that among the Western Ethiopians, there are certain little hils of the Satyrique Aegipanae, and that in the night time they use * 1.4 great fires, piping and dancing, with a wonderful noise of Timbrels and Cymbals: and so also in Atlas amongst the Moores, whereof there was no footing, remnant, or appearance to be found in the day time.

The Satyres are in the Islands Satyridae, which are three in number, standing right over against India * 1.5 on the farther side of Ganges; of which Euphemas Car rehearseth this History, That when he sailed into Italy, by the rage of wind and evill weather, they were driven to a Coast unnavigable, where were many desert Islands inhabited of wilde men, and the Mariners refused to land up∣on some Islands, having heretofore had trial of the inhumane and uncivil behaviour of the inhabitants; so that they brought us to the Satyrian Islands, where we saw the inhabitants red, and had tails joyned to their back, not much less then horses. These being perceived by the Mariners to

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run to the Ships and lay hold on * 1.6 the women that were in them, the Ship-men for fear took one of the Barbarian women and set her on the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 among them, whom in most odious and filthy manner they abused, not only in that part that nature hath ordai∣ned, but over the whole body most libidinously, whereby they found them to be very brute beasts.

There are also Satyres in the * 1.7 Eastern mountains of India, in the Countrey of the Cartaduli, and in the Province of the Comari and Corudae, but the Cebi spoken of be∣fore bred in Ethiopia, are not Sa∣tyres (though faced like them:) nor the Prasyan Apes, which re∣semble Satyres in short beards. There are many kinds of these Sa∣tyres * 1.8 better distinguished by names then any properties na∣tural known unto us. Such are the Aegipanae before declared, Nymphes of the Poets, Fawnes, Pan, * 1.9 & Sileni, which in the time of the Gentiles were worshipped for gods; and it was one part of their Religion, to set up the pi∣cture of a Satyre at their doors and gates, for a remedy against the bewitching of envious per∣sons; and the statue of Priapus in the Agalma of a Satyre in their Gardens: for which cause we read of many pictures made of Satyres. Antiphalus made a very noble one in a Panthers skin, calling it * 1.10 Aposcopon, that is, Wry-faced. Another Painter of Aristides, painted it crowned with a drinking cup, sig∣nifying thereby the beastlinesse of drunkards. Miron had one painted hearing and admiring pipes, and * 1.11 another called Periboetos at Athens, as is reported, & that Praxiteles was wonderfully in love therewith; whereupon being at supper with Phryne the noble harlot, who had begged of him the best piece of work he had, consented with this condition, that he would not tel her which he loved best; whereupon she to satisfie herself, privately suborned one of his slaves, to come in at supper time, and tell him his house and most of his goods were burned; whereat being amazed, demanded if Cupid, and the Satyre were safe; by which she knew the best piece, and asked Cupid, refusing the Satyre. Protogenes had one * 1.12 painted holding pipes in his hand, and was called Anapauomenos: & Timanthes had painted Cyclops sleep∣ing in a little tabler, with Satyrs standing beside him, measuring with a javelin the length of his thumb.

Satyres have no humane conditions in them, nor other resemblance of men beside their outward shape: though Solinus speak of them like as of men. They cary their meat under their chin as in a * 1.13 storehouse, and from thence being hungry they take it forth to eat, making it ordinary with them * 1.14 every day which is but annual in the Formicae Lions; being of very unquiet motions above other Apes. They are hardly taken, except sick, great with young, old, or asleep; for Sylla had a Satyre * 1.15 brought him which was taken asleep neer Apollonia, in the holy place Nymphaeum, of whom he (by divers interpreters) demanded many questions, but received no answer, save only a voice much like * 1.16 the neying of a horse, whereof he being afraid, sent him away alive. Philostratus telleth another history, how that Apollonius and his colleagues supping in a village of Ethiopia, beyond the fall of Nilus, they heard a sudden outcry of women calling to one another; some saying, Take him, others, Follow him: likewise provoking their husbands to help them: the men presently took clubs, stones, or what came first to hand, complaining of an injury done unto their wives. Now some ten moneths before there had appeared a fearful shew of a Satyre, raging upon their women, and had slain two of them, with whom he was in love: the companions of Apollonius quaked at the hearing hereof, and Nilus

one of them sware (by Jove) that they heing naked and unarmed, could not be able to resist him in his outragious lust, but that he would accomplish his wantonness as before: yet said Apollonius, there is a remedy to quail these wanton leaping beasts, which men say Midas used (for Midas was of kindred to Satyres, as appeared by his ears.) This Midas heard his mother say, that Satyres loved to be drunk * 1.17 with wine, and then sleep soundly, and after that be so moderate, mild and gentle, that a man would think they had lost their first nature.

Whereupon he put wine into a fountain neer the high-way, whereof when the Satyre had tasted he waxed meek suddenly, and was overcome. Now, that we think not this a fable (saith Apollonius) let us go to the governor of the Town, and inquire of him whether there be any wine to be had that we may offer it to the Satyre: whereunto all consented, and they filled four great Egyptian earthen vessels with wine, and put it into the fountain where their cattel were watered; this done, Apolloni∣us called the Satyre, secretly threatning him, and the Satyre inraged with the savour of the wine came; after he had drunk thereof, Now said Apollonius, let us sacrifice to the Satyre, for he sleepeth, and so led the inhabitants to the dens of the Nymphes, distant a furlong from the Town, and shewed them the Satyre, saying, Neither beat, curse, or provoke him henceforth, and he shall never harme you. It is certain, that the Devils do many wayes delude men in the likeness of Satyres, for when the * 1.18 drunken feasts of Bacchus were yearly celebrated in Parnassus, there were many sights of Satyres, and voices, and sounding of Cymbals heard; yet is it likely that there are Men also like Satyres inhabi∣ting in some desert places; for S. Jerom in the life of Paul the Eremite, reporteth there appeared to S. Antony an Hippocentaure, such as the Poets describe, and presently he saw in a rocky valley adjoyning, a little man having crooked nostrils, hornes growing out of his forehead, and the neather part of his * 1.19 body had Goats feet: the holy man not dismayed, taking the shield of Faith, and the breastplate of Righteousness, like a good Souldier of Christ, pressed toward him, which brought him some fruits of palms as pledges of his peace, upon which he fed in the journey; which St. Antony perceiving, he asked him who he was, and received this answer, I am a mortall creature, one of the inhabitants of this Desert, whom the Gentiles (deceived with error) do worship and call Fauni, Satyres, and Incubi: I am come in ambassage from our flock, intreating that thou wouldst pray for us unto the common GOD, who came to save the world; the which words were no sooner ended, but he ran away as fast as any fowl could flie. And lest this should seem false, under Constantine at Alaxandria, there was such a man to be seen alive, and was a publick spectacle to all the World; the carcass whereof after his death was kept from corruption by heat, through salt, and was carried to ANTIOCHIA that the Emperor himself might see it.

Satyres are very seldom seen, and taken with great difficulty, as is before said: for there were * 1.20 two of those sound in the Woods of Saxoxy towards Dacia, in a Desert, the female whereof was killed by the darts of the hunters, and the biting Dogs, but the male was taken alive, being in the upper parts like a Man, and in the neather part like a Goat, but all hairy throughout; he was brought to be tame, and learned to go upright, and also to speak some words, but with a voice like a Goat, and without all reason: he was exceeding lustful to women, attempting to ravish many of what con∣dition soever they were, and of this kind there are store in Ethiopia.

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Notes

• * 1.1

  Superstitious error of Sa∣tyres.
• * 1.2

  Their name.
• * 1.3

  Gyraldus.
• * 1.4

  Grapaldus.
• * 1.5

  Ptol. 2, 7. Countreys of breed.
• * 1.6

  Their lustful disposition.
• * 1.7

  Pliny. Paul. Venet.
• * 1.8

  Diversity of kinds.
• * 1.9

  Pliny.
• * 1.10

  Pliny.
• * 1.11

  Hermolaus.
• * 1.12

  Pliny.
• * 1.13

  Mela.
• * 1.14

  Resemblance of Satyres.
• * 1.15

  Their provifi∣on of food.
• * 1.16

  Their taking.
• * 1.17

  Taming of Sa∣tyres.
• * 1.18

  Pausenias. Macrobius.
• * 1.19

  Men like Sa∣tyres.
• * 1.20

  Albertus. Two beasts like Satyres taken.