CHAPTER II. Whether the Civetta be the ancient Pard, or Panther, or no.
ARistotle demands,* 1.1 why other beasts yeeld not a sweet sent as well as the Pardal, or Panther, that thereby en∣tices other beasts to him; no other, or rarely, but hee, senting sweet, unles by chance, having eat some sweet thing,* 1.2 unlesse it is, that man is weaker of sent then other creatures, and knows not sents. Pliny saids, all beasts are strangely allured by this sent, but frighted by the mishapen head, which hee therefore hides. Aristotle saith, the Panther knows, that he smells so sweet; when he wants meat, he skulks in fruitfull or leavy shady thickets; then fawns, and goats,* 1.3 &c. invited by his fragrant sent draw neare, and become a prey to him. The Panther, and Tiger have a pecu∣liar kind of spots; the Panther hath small spots like egges set in white: But they are mistaken, who take him for the Civetta. Some deny the Panthers senting sweetly,* 1.4 onely beasts follow him, but men smell no such sweetnes in him. But, to say truth, diverse beasts void sweet dung, that Aristotle, and his Scholler Theo∣phrastus knew not off; as the Cordylus re∣sembling the Crocodile, but lesse,* 1.5 and living onely on land on sweet flowers; he is sought after for his sweet guts, called Crocodilea, or for his dung. Also wilde-yellow Mice, (that our boys play withall, called Sorcimoscaroli) voids dung like Musk. And so of some Ser∣pents: And of the greater Weezel, that kills great Hens, (called Marter Martorella, and Fo∣vina) and of some Baboons.* 1.6 The excrement of the Gezella is a Musk. And some insects hand∣led smell sweet, as the flower Dipcas, or Greeke-Musk. So that many beasts, beside the Panther, send forth fragrant smell, and the Zibeth among the rest. To let passe that needles quarrell, between Cardan and Scaliger, above the smell of beasts, and natures essayes in their generation.
Some thinke the Zivet to be Plinies Chaum,* 1.7 in French Raphium, like a Wolf, spotted like the Panther, that Pompey shewed at Rome; but there is no mention of the sent. Nor is the Civetta, headed like the Wolf, and they differ also in the spots. Perhaps Thoe is put for Chao; the Hart-wolf, and seems to be our Civet. But of the Thoe, Philes hath composed Greek verses, the summe whereof is: How shamefast is the Thoe, if hee but see a man; How true a friend is he to man,* 1.8 aiding him, if any beast assault him. The Thoe comes of an Hyaena, and a Wolf.