A description of the nature of four-footed beasts with their figures en[graven in brass] / written in Latin by Dr. John Johnston ; translated into English by J.P.

ARTICLE V. Of the wild-Goats in generall.

WEe are now to treat of wild-Goats both generally,* 1.1 and spe∣cially with many names, where∣of we meet among the Greeks; as Aix agrios,* 1.2 Wild-Goat. These have the wit with Dictany, to draw arrows out of their bo∣dies, those namely that live in Candy, and on the hill Ida. Aristotle denies there are any in Africa, Virgil affirms it; who takes the wild for those that are liker tame; which Varro saith are a breed of the tamer, Wee call them Roes, Aigagros;* 1.3 Oppian takes for a peculiar kind, called Camozza about Trent. The Aigokeroas, or Capricorn, is a wild wood-goat, of a severall kind; in Suidas D••rkas; Hermolaus conceives to be a divers kind, but it seems to be but ano∣ther name Scaliger takes Dorcas for a kid;* 1.4 Dor∣cus for a Roe. However it seems to have the name from sharp-sightednes; for it hath a moy∣sture within the bowelles that helps the sight. The name is used in the Canticles. The Dorca∣lides are short-tayled. Proches-Gaza, turns a Doe, having the name from Proixesthai, the swiftnes. P••oox, from fearfullnes, the Epithite that Homer gives the Hare. It is as swift as a whirlewind; yellow haired, white tayled, the eyes white and blew, the eares stuck with long hair; it swims very swiftly, and with the feet can stem a streame; it delights in lakes where it seeks repast among the bulrushes. The Nebros some make a fawn; some a kind of goat:* 1.5 of Soli∣nus a Doe, Kolos is a Scythian wild-goat, of bignes between a Deer and a Ram, of a bright body, very swift, drinking with the nostrils, and holds the water there many dayes, and can make long shift in dry pasture: With the La∣tines Caprea,* 1.6 is a Rodi Rupicapra, a wild-goat, living among rocky places, as the name gives it. They love to clime high, and to live on the loftiest mountains, where your eye can hardly reach them: yet if they be pursued by beast, or man, it can cast it self headlong from the stee∣pest crags, and yet help themselves so with their horns, that they catch no harme. They fall out often about the females in coupling time: By consent of all they excell the tame in goodnes of tast, savourines, and nourishment, in delicacy of temper, easines of digestion, and in paucity of excrements; yet is their flesh somewhat drier; therefore the Arabes invented the boyling them in oyl, to make them juicier. Yet some thinke that what is sod in oyl becomes dry, and looses the glutinousnes, as Psathuron,* 1.7 and Kauron. As for their use in physique, wild Goats-flesh is good food for those who have the bloody flux: The liver, either unrosted, or beaten to powder helps the cholique. The steame thereof boyled in salt water, helps thick∣sighted eys: Burnt, and sprinkled on it, stanches blood, especially if you snuf up the powder.* 1.8 The blood with sea-palme takes away the hair: It helps to an easing by stool. The gall is sove∣raign against venemous bites. The same helps against bloodshotten and dim eyes, and against ruggednes of the cheeks and eye-lids, with conserve of roses, or bruised with juice of leeks, and droped warm into the nostrils, it takes away the tinckling of the head; with Athenian hony, it eases the pain of the jaws, and cures the exulceration of the pizzle. The dung dried, stamped, and sifted, and taken in a cup of hypocras,* 1.9 takes away the yellow-Jaundice.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••drovan. Hist.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ••olin. ••ristot. ••heoph. ••cero. ••irgil.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Aldrown. Oppian. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Aelian.
• * 1.5

  Marcel. Dioscor.
• * 1.6

  Strabo. Geogr. l. 7.
• * 1.7

  Galen.
• * 1.8

  Pliny.
• * 1.9

  Galen.