Of the Dragon. cap / xlviij. [illustration]
THe Dragō is ye grettest of all ser / pentes & bestes / as Ysidor{us} sayth in Inde & in Ethyope be many / & he groweth tyll he be .xxvi. cubites of lēg¦the & more / & whā he is come to his ful age or strength thā lyueth he longe wt out mete / but whā he beginneth to ete he is nat lightely suffysed. Augusti. ye dragon dwelleth in depe caues of the grounde / and whan he feleth any rey¦ne cōmynge out of the ayre than com¦meth he out of his caue or dēne & flee¦the in to the ayre & bethe•• ī the ayre in suche wyse that it semeth to be a gret tempest in ye ayre & his wȳges be of a great quātyte accordynge to his body & they be facyoned lyke ye winges of a backe ye flyeth in the twy lyght / & whe¦re as ye dragon abideth there is ye ayre darke & full of venymous corrupcion.
The Operacion
Solinus sayth. yt the stone that is na / med Dracōcias is cut out of ye dragōs hede but and he be dede or the stone be cut out than it is nothynge worthe for than it leseth his vertue / but they that wille haue ye stone ordayne her••es 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym to eat yt he sholde slepe to th•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that he sholde betaken / & that they shol¦de so ī his slepe cut the stone out of his hede / the wiche is very precyous for ye kinges of Oriente bere them in great honoure. ¶The dragons flesshe is gre¦ne & cold in ye operacion & coleth them sore yt eteth of it therfore they of Ethio¦pe eat moche dragons flesshe The dra¦gons hede promiseth to make a house fortunable.. The tonge of the dragon & his galle therof made decocciō in wi¦ne and therwith man or womans bo¦dy enoynted is good for ye encōbrynge of the fayre and suche lyke.