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.

POINT II. Of the Ibex.

DIoscorides in his Chapter of Curdles ••akes no mention of this Goat,* 1.1 and scarce any other of the Ancients, ex∣cept Homer, who calls it Ixalon Aiga. But the learned witnesse, as with one mouth, that it is the same that the Germans call Ston-Buck. Pliny comprizes the whole story in* 1.2 short, saying, that among the wild-goats are the Ibices on the Alps, of a wonderful swift∣nesse, though their heads by burdened with huge horns, where with they defend, and poyze themselves; and can safely tumble, and frisk as they lift from clift to clift, most nimbly. It is a gallant creature, and great-bodied, almost shaped like an Hart, but not so great; slender thighed, and small-headed, the skin dark-coloured; growing old, they wax gresly, and have a black list along the back; clear, and fair-eyed; cloven, and sharp-hoofed: The female is lesse then the male, and not so dusky of co∣lour. He is bigger then the shaggy goat; not unlike the Rupicapra. The hee hath along black beard, that happens to no other beast, so Bellonius writes, haired like the Hart; unlesse* 1.3 happily to the Hippelaphus: His vast massy horns bent toward his back, sharp, and knot∣ty, and the more, the older he growes; for they wax yearly, till that they grow to about twenty knots in the old ones: Both horns, when grown to their utmost, are well neat sixteen or eighteen pound weight. Bellonius had seen some horns four cubits long; they have as many crosse-beams, as they are years old. Fleet they are; nor is their any rock so

high, lofty, or steep, that they will not reach with some leaps, if it be but rough, and just but so far out, that they can fasten their hoofs on. They are wont to leap from clift to clift six paces distant from each other. Falling, he breaks the force of the fall with his horns. See Aldrovand about the manner of hunting them. There are two kinds of them in Candy. Bello∣nius writes, having seen of their horns brought out of Cyprus: If they are surprized, and have space enough, they venture on the hunters, and cast them head-long from the rock; But finding there is no escaping, they easily yeild themselves.

Of the same kind is that African wild beast, which Aelian H. A. l. 14. c. 16. describes thus: Wild-Goats abide on the tops of the Lybian mountains; they are well near as great as oxen, their shoulders, and thighs extreme shaggy, small legged; their foreheads round, thin and hollow-eyed, not bolting much out; the horns from the first sprouting, very unlike each other, scambling, and crooked, and not uniformed and strait, as other goats horns; but bend-back to their very shoulders. No Goats so fit, and able to leap, & so far as they from clift to clift; and though they sometimes leap short, and fall headlong downe between the crags, they get no harme, so made he is against such brunts, so firme bodied, that hee hurts no horns nor head. The Goat-heards have many arts to take them, as high as they are, with darts, or nets, or gins, being very cunning in that hunting. On the plain ground any slowfooted hunts-man can overtake them. Their skins and horns are of some use; for the skins are very good to make gloves for shepheards, and carpenters in cold winters. The horns are as fit to draw water out of rivers, or wells to drink in, as cups them∣selves; for they hold so much, as cannot be ta∣ken in at one draught; if well fitted by a good workman, it may hold three measures. It hath it's use also in physick. The curds as usefull as those of the hare.* 1.4 The blood with wine, and rosemary is commended against the stone. The only helpe for the Sciatica and the gout: ga∣ther the dung when the moone is 17 dayes old, or when the moone is oldest, if it be need∣full, it may be of like efficacy, so the medicine be made on the 17 day, a handfull must be ta∣ken, stamped in a morter, with 25 pepper cornes, make it into pills, the number odd, ad∣ding three, quarters of a pint of the best, and of the most generous old wine, a pinte and halfe; first making all into one masse, lay them up in a glasse; but to make it more effectuall, doe it on the 17 day of the moon, and begin on a thirsday to apply it, giving it for seven dayes together, so that the patient stand eastward on a footstool, and drinke it; which are meer fop∣peries, though Marcellus prescribe so.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ald••••. Hist. B••••. c. 13. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  Pliny.
• * 1.3

  Bellono••l. 1. c. 13.
• * 1.4

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