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HE is called Lepus, and Levipes,* 1.1 light∣foot from his fleetnesse, or his soft going by reason of his shaggy feet. Derived from the old Aeolick Lepori; or from his uncertain footing Leioos, that it is hard to trace him. In Greeke Liporis, Lagoos; by the Athenians, by the Ionians Lagos. And Dasypous, from his shaged feet; and from his swiftnesse doubtlesse, Dromalos, Ptox, Tachines. In Candy Kekenas; by Aristotle Trochos. His
head is short,* 1.2 and round; neck narrow, round, soft, long, prick-eared, legs strait & light, breast not fleshy, back-bone round, breast sinking; thighs light; those afore near one another, behind stradling; the whole body pliable; heart very great. About Briletum, Therne, the Cher∣sonesus, the Propontis they seeme double livered.* 1.3 The gristle under the fore corner of the ey is broad; there lies somewhat near the brain like a worme; the body round like a vault,* 1.4 not found in other beasts. The ear-tip thin, and transparant as a cats. Among the toothed, and single-bellied beasts this alone hath cur'd. They are everywhere, both in hote, and colder climates. White ones are brought out of Africa. In the Indian Isle Mazzua they abound so, the natives everywhere kill them.* 1.5 Their plenty on mount Athos is grown to a proverb. They frequent uninhabited places most, where huntsmen least trouble them. In Ithaca are none, nor live they, if brought thether. Of their food Bargeus hath composed nine queint Verses. The summe is: They nibble on rank grasse, and corn-stalks, and strings of herbs in the earth, and soft barks of trees, and moyst books, apples, acorns, fit∣ches, milt,* 1.6 elms-leaves; especially wild mint, water-cresses, and betony, and pennyroyall. They gender averse, as all other beasts that pisse backward.* 1.7 They couple all the year, espe∣cially in spring. They admit of superfaetation. Aelian speaks of pregnant leverets found in a Hare cut up. In the time of Antiochus Go∣nata two Hares in Astypalaea in a short time bred above six thousand. And all Geron an Isle of the Scarian sea was within a while pe∣stered from one Hare big with young. They breed in forrests in the most solitary places, two, three, sometimes four at once; you may know the female by the long head,* 1.8 thick body, longer ears, and grisly hair inclining to black on the back, and by her many doubles when hunted. The male hath red shoulders, and long hairs in the midst, the head shorter, and blunter; the beard, and brow hairs longer, the ears shorter, and broader. Afore the hounds he will run strait on ten miles together. They hate Eagles, crows, Weesels, Foxes, and Dogs. They live seven years.* 1.9 Their age may be gues'd by the clefts of their dung by the mouth of their forme. Their voyce is squeaking or mourning.* 1.10 They are well-sighted, and sleep with their eyes open, and are quick of hearing. The noyse of shaken leaves makes them run,* 1.11 and use their ears to guide them in their course, when they go to sleep, that their forme may not be found, they run too and fro with doubles, and then take a leap into their hole, where they lies with their forelegs together, and their ears layd squat on their shoulders. They love to sit abroad in the Sun in fair wea∣ther. They love the place best where they were bred. Are easily tamed; but dy, if too fat, yet, on the least scope given, they run away to their old liberty, and fall to their first wildnesse. They seldome grow fat in the woods, because perhaps they live in fear. Against winter they provide their house in Sunny places,* 1.12 in summer Northward. They run far for food, on purpose to keep themselves long winded by dayly breathing, and to use their feet. To amuse the hunters they run through windy wayes, shun∣ning shrubs, least their hair should stick there∣on, and so yeeld sent to the dogs. They know how to proportion their course, as the dogs are slower, or fleeter, and they lurk, when hunted, among clods, because they are of their colour. Jews may not eat them; but among the Gentiles, after Attalicus the Cydonian had made Hare a dish at his feasts, it became a dain∣ty ever after, and was thought to make the face fair. For certain Alexander Severus ate it dayly;* 1.13 and Martiall writes something, that sounds that way. As for the temper of Hares flesh, those of two, or three months old, leve∣rets, of six at most are most juicy, and of easiest digestion; if older, as above a year old, it breeds grosse blood, yet there are jolly huntsmen that eat it every day.
But that Cato Censorinus prescribes it, and pot-herbs to the sick, it must be meant of young Leverets. But those that live on hills, or heaths, feeding on Pennyroyall, &c. are much better then those that frequent waterish places. They taste best as cold weather comes in. See Am∣brosin about the dressing of them.* 1.14 In Phisick no part almost of the Hare that is not usefull, even the very excrements. The Head burnt with Bears-grease, or vineger, helps shedding the hair; the Brain helps children in breeding teeth, if oft rubbed on the gum; drunk in wine, it helps those that cannot hold their water; the Heart is tied on those that are troubled with Quartains; the powder of it dried with a third part of Manna, Frankincense in white wine, men drink seven dayes against the Falling-sick∣nesse;* 1.15 the Lungs helps sore eyes; the Liver with sowr wine, the Collick; the Gall in sugar, pearls, and dimnesse of the eyes; the curd of one that hath eaten nothing but milk, dried in the Sun, or smoke, is sovereign against bloody∣fluxes; It draws out a thorn,* 1.16 mixt with flower of Frankincense, and Oke-gum. Some use it against the sting of Serpents; and to help con∣ception: But it is said to kill what is conceived, if drunk in; the Reins boyled,* 1.17 are ministred for the Stone; stale, and tied to the feet,* 1.18 eases the Gout; From the Mother, some make me∣dicines for the griefs of the bladder;* 1.19 the Flesh fried in oyl, is ministred glister-wise against Dy∣senteries, and Ulcers in the bowels, to the same purpose is the blood roasted good; some mingle it with Barly-meal; The Milk makes women fruitful; the Fat with Bean-flower, helps to draw out stings; the Tooth hang'd on, eases tooth-ach; the Ancle-bone tied on with a string of Hares hair,* 1.20 mitigates the Collick; and distilled with Pennyroyal, and drunk, it al∣layes sharp child-bearing-labour, and is pre∣scribed with Oke-lime, Pearl, Coral, and Paeo∣ny-seed against the Falling-sicknesse, and pro∣vokes Urine; the Skin in sere-cloth, is good
against burstings; the Feet cut off while he lives, easens the Gout; the Pisse with Spiknard is a wholsome drink against Dropsie;* 1.21 the dung born by a woman, hinders conception, but put under, helps the months, and dries, burn the whole Hare, the ashes taken in warm wine, helps the Stone; whereof also is compounded an electuary,* 1.22 whereto Jews-stone, and spunges found among small stones are added.
Hares differ in colour,* 1.23 bignesse, fatnesse. Some are blew, others in a black-soyls, duskish, others on red-soyls, glistering. In America are found some with the black Hare coloured, the sides white and black, the rest white. There are white ones on the Alps,* 1.24 and on the hill tops by the vally of Anania▪ Gesner saw one milk-white, with black hair on the ear-tips, and found the flesh tenderer in taste then other; the Elymaean are as big a Fox. In Macedon, and Transalpin-Gual are great ones; in Italy, and Spain, lesse. In lower Hungary they are observed to be fatter then in Italy. One kind is said to sent so of Musk,* 1.25 that they make the hounds mad that hunt them.* 1.26 Some are cal∣led mountain, some field, some marish, some Italian, French, Spanish, Indian Hares. The Italian are low-footed afore, black-backed, and white-bellied. The Mountaneers differ from others in their black-hew,* 1.27 bulk, wildnesse, and thick hair; the French are most what bright. The Spanish comprehend Rabbits, there is one in New-Spain called by the Natives Citli, shaped as ours, and feeds so,* 1.28 but with ears very long, and broad for such a body: The Indians weave the hair into clothes and sheets, which they wear for cloaks. The Brasilians have their Cotias of the bignesse, shape, and taste of the Hare; yellowish, little eared, and almost no tail. There is a greater kind called Pacae, round mouthed, Cat-faced, dusk, with white spots; tender of flesh, and skin also, therefore fought after as a dainty. There is also a kind that the Indians cudgell to death; then flea it,* 1.29 and work the blew-beaten-flesh into a Paste, which they wrap in the skin, and call Musk.
Isidor. Origin. l. 12. Name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
Varro de I. D. l. 3. c. 12. Scalig. Albert.
Zootom. Democ. ••••9.
Arist. l. 3. •• 9.
Place. Paerzan. Lapez. Ovid. art. am. l. 2. Arist.
Food.
Gendring. Xeno∣phon. Po••lux. Athenaeus l. 9.
Sex.
Archel. Albert.
Philomel. autor.
Nature.
Wit.
Lamprid. Mar. Epig. 30. Brui. l. 13.
Galen. l. 11. de Simpl. med. facul.
Sextus.
Dioscor.
Idem.
Matthiol.
Olam. Querce∣tan. Albert. Diosc.
Marcellus. Tragus.
Matthio∣l••s.
Montag. l. 2.
Diffe∣rences.
Plin. l. 18. c. 55.
Manard.
Ambrosin. de Digit. l. 2. c. 23.
Varro.
Nieremb. H. exot. l. 9. c. 8.
Amat. Lusitan.