An history of the wonderful things of nature set forth in ten severall classes wherein are contained I. The wonders of the heavens, II. Of the elements, III. Of meteors, IV. Of minerals, V. Of plants, VI. Of birds, VII. Of four-footed beasts, VIII. Of insects, and things wanting blood, IX. Of fishes, X. Of man / written by Johannes Jonstonus, and now rendred into English by a person of quality.

About this Item

Title
An history of the wonderful things of nature set forth in ten severall classes wherein are contained I. The wonders of the heavens, II. Of the elements, III. Of meteors, IV. Of minerals, V. Of plants, VI. Of birds, VII. Of four-footed beasts, VIII. Of insects, and things wanting blood, IX. Of fishes, X. Of man / written by Johannes Jonstonus, and now rendred into English by a person of quality.
Author
Jonstonus, Joannes, 1603-1675.
Publication
London :: Printed by John Streater ..., and are to be sold by the Booksellers of London,
1657.
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Subject terms
Science -- Early works to 1800.
Silkworms -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A46234.0001.001
Cite this Item
"An history of the wonderful things of nature set forth in ten severall classes wherein are contained I. The wonders of the heavens, II. Of the elements, III. Of meteors, IV. Of minerals, V. Of plants, VI. Of birds, VII. Of four-footed beasts, VIII. Of insects, and things wanting blood, IX. Of fishes, X. Of man / written by Johannes Jonstonus, and now rendred into English by a person of quality." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A46234.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 19, 2025.

Pages

CHAP. IV. Of the Ox.

IN one of the outermost Provinces of Asia, between the outmost Mountains of India and Cathay, Oxen are bred white and black, with a horses tail, but more full of hairs, and reaching down to their feet. The hairs of them are most fine, like feathers, and as dear, Venet. Brought into Hispaniola they will grow so much, that they are grea∣ter than Elephants, Petr. Martyr in Decad. In these parts where we write these things, Guickardinus testifieth that one of them weighed above 1600 weight: we saw one at Leyden that weighed 2970, pound But Ptolomaeus 11, had the horn of one that held 27, gallons. When the Cows are great with young, men say they carry their young ones on their right side, though they be great with two. But they that drink of the River Charadrus, not farr from the City of the Patrenses, con∣ceive for the most part only Males: the same will come to passe if in time of copulation you bind the left testicle of the male with a band; or let them couple when the North wind blows, Pausan. in Achaicis: and if the right, or when the South wind blows, the Cows will con∣ceive a female. The Cows if they be more fruitfull in summer, are a Token of a rainy Winter. For a fruitfull Creature cannot abound with generative humour, unlesse it be moved by a celestiall influence, Albert. Somtimes they are very fierce. In the yeare 1551 in Rhoetia,

Page 209

between Duria and Velcuria, some of them, brought into the fields from two Villages, fought so violently that 24, were killed before the com∣bate could be ended. Gesner de quadrup. Somtimes they are puffed up with fullnesse, for the cure whereof they use a Charme, nameing the swelling, In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy-Ghost. Men say that Pythagoras, by whispering some words at Tarentum, tamed an Oxe, so that he forsook bean straw, and followed a Country Man, and lived to be very Old at Tarentum, eating out of mens hands, Coelius. The smok of Oxe-dung will preserve Bee-hives free from Flies, and Spiders. Bullocks blood powred into a wound, will stop the bleed∣ing. Also the dry dung burnt, drunk three spoonfulls, will cure the dropsy.

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