A maiden that was generated of a Man and an Ass;

for Aristonymus Ephesius, the Son of Demonstratus, could not away with a womans company, but made choice of an Asse to lie with; and she brought him forth after a certain time, a very comely maiden, and in shew exceed∣ing beautiful: she was called Onoscelis, that is to say, one having Asses thighes: and this story he gathered out of Aristotle, in the second of his Paradoxes. But Galen cannot think this possible; nay, it is scarce possible in nature, seeing a Man and an Asse differ so much as they do: for if a man should have to do with an Asse, her wombe cannot receive his seed, because his genitories are not long enough to convey it into her place of conception: or if it were, yet she would presently, or at least not long Page  43 after, marte his seed. Or, if she could so conceive, and bring her birth to per∣fection, how, or by what food should it be nourished after the birth? But, though this can hardly be, yet I do not think it altogether impossible, seeing all men are not of a like complexion, but some may be found, whose complexion doth not much differ from a horses; and some men also have longer and larger genito∣ries then others; as also some Mares and Asses have lesse and shorter genitories then others have: and it may be too, that some celestial influence hath a stroke in it, by enliving the seed, and causing the Dam to conceive it, and bring it forth in due time. And because all these things do very seldom concur together, there∣fore such births are very seldom seen. Aelianus writeth another story, That there was once generated