Hier begynneth the book callid the myrrour of the worlde ...

Of the serpentes and of the bestes of ynde / ca. ¶vj^o

IN ynde ben plente of serpentes / whiche ben of suche force and myght / that they deuoure and take by strengthe the hertes and buckes / yet ther is another ma∣ner beste whiche is callyd Centycore whiche hath the horne of an herte in the myddle of his face. And hath the brests and thyes lyke a lyon / and hath grete eeris and feet lyke an hors / And hath a round mouth / his mosell is lyke the heed of a Bere / And his eyen ben nyghe that one that other / And his voys is moche lyke the voys of a man /

Another beste men fynde there moche fyers / whiche hath the body of an hors / the heed of wylde boor / and the tayll of an Olyphaunt / And he hath two hornes whiche eueri∣che is as longe as a Cubyte / of whiche he sette that one vpon his back whylis he fyghteth wyth that other / he is black and a moche terryble beste & merueyllous delyure / And is both in watre and on the londe / There ben also seen bullys whiche ben alle whyte / They haue grete hedes / and their throte is as wyde & brode that it endureth from that one eere to that other and haue hornes that remeue aboute hym so that noman may tame ne danute them / Another maner of bestes ther is in ynde that ben callyd manticora / and hath visage of a man / & thre huge gre∣te teeth in his throte / he hath eyen lyke a ghoot and body of a lyon / tayll of a Scorpyon and voys of a serpente in suche wyse that by his swete songe he draweth to hym the peple and deuoureth them And is more delyuerer to goo / than is a fowle to flee / Ther is also a maner of Oxen or buefs that haue their feet all round and haue in the myd∣dle of their fronte iij hornes / yet is ther there another bes∣te of moche fayr corsage or shappe of body whiche is cal∣••••d monotheros / whiche hath the body of an hors / and feet of an Olyfant / heed of an herte and voys clere and hye & a grete tayle / And hath but one horne / whiche is in the myddle of his forhede / whiche is four foot longe ryght & sharpe lyke a swerd and cuttyng lyke a Rasour / And alle that he atteyneth to fore hym and towcheth is broken and cutte / and for trouthe this beste is of suche condicion that by what someuer engyne he is taken / of grete desdayn

he suffreth to be slayn and deye / But he may not be taken but by a pure virgyne / whiche is sette to sore hym where as he shal passe / the whiche muste be well and gentylly arayed / Thenne cometh the beste vnto the mayde moche symply / & slepeth in her lappe / And so he is taken slepyng In ynde ben ther other bestes gre••e and fyrs whiche ben of blew colowr / and haue clere spottes on the body / & ben so right stronge and crymynell that noman dar approche them / and ben named Tygris / And they renne so swyft∣ly / And by so grete myght that the hunters may not escape fro them in no wyse / but yf they take myrrours of glasse and caste them in the waye where they shal renne / ffor the tygris ben of suche nature / that whan they see their semblaūce / they wene that it be their fawnes Thenne goon they aboute the myrrours so longe til they breke the glasse / and see nomore / in whiche while the hunters esca∣pe fro them that ben there / And somtyme it happeth so of thise tygr••s that they thynke so longe and beholde their figures / that otherwhyle they ben taken so lokyng all quyck and liuyng / Yet ben ther other beestes whiche ben called Castours / whiche haue this nature in them / that whan they ben honted far to be taken / they byte wyth their teeth their owne genytoirs or ballocks / and lete them fal∣le / and thus they ghelde them self / ffor they wel knowe▪ that for none other thyng they be hunted / also there gro∣weth another beste lyke a Mous / & hath a lyti•••• mouthe and is named Muske or muskali•••• / In this contree ben the drye trees that spake to Alysaundre the puissaunt kynge / Another beste ther is that men calle Salemandre

whiche is fedde and nourysshed in the fyre / This Sale∣mnadre berith wulle / of whiche is made cloth and gyrdles that may not beenne in the fyre / There ben yet myes the whiche ben as grete as cattes & also swyft in rennyng Toward thoryent ben the lyons whiche haue mere strength and myght / in their beestes to fore and in alle their membees than ony other beste haue / And they come to fede their fawnes the iij day after they haue fawned / as they that were deed and ben as reysed agayn from deth / & whan they slepe they holde their eyen open / And whan the hunters hunte them they couer the traas of theyr feet wyth their taylle / They shal neuer do harme ne grief to man / but yf they ben angred And whan they be assayl∣••ed they deffende them / And whan he that kepeth them be∣te and chastyseth a lytil dogge to fore them / they fere and doubte hym lyke as they knewe hym wel / and the lyon∣nesse hath the first yere fyue fawnes / and euery yere after folowyng one lasse vnto her ende so declynyng / Ther is another beste whiche is lytil / and is so terryble and re∣doubted / that no beste dar approche it / And by nature the lyon doubteth and fl••eth from it / ffor ofte it sleeth the lyon / In this partye conuerseth & repayreth another beste whiche is of dyuse colours by spottes white. black. grene. blewe and yelow / lyke as it were paynted / and is moche propre and is called panthere / and ther cometh out of his mouth so swete a sauour and b••eeth / that the beestes goo folowyng after it for the swetnes of his body / sauf the ser∣pent / to whom this swete smelle greueth in suche wyse that ofte the serpent deyeth / and whan this beeste is otherwhile

so fylled and full of venyson that he hath taken and eten / He slepeth iij dayes hool wythout awakyng / And whan he awaketh / he gyueth oute of his mouth so swete a sa∣uour and smelle / that anon the beestes that fele it seche hym / This beest hath but ones yong fawnes / And whan she shal fawne / she hath suche destresse and anguyssh̄ / that she beeketh with her naylles and renteth her matryce in suche wyse that her fawnes come out / And neuer after whan the matryce is rente and broken they engendre ne brynge forth fawnes / Ther is a maner of Mares that conceyue of the wynde / and ben in a contre that is na∣med Capadoce / but they endure not but iij yere / In this contre ben the Olyphauns / whiche is a beste grete strong and fyghtyng / And whan they see their blood shedde to fore them / they be most corageous and most stronge and fright in alle places & alle bataylles / vpon this oly∣phaunts were wonte to fyghte the peple of ynde and of perse / ffor an olyphaunt bereth wel a tour of w••ode vpon his back fulle of men of Armes / whan it is wel sette on & fermly / And they haue to sore them in maner of boyell grete and large / whiche they ete / by whiche they renne on men / & haue anon deuoured them / Kynge Alysaundr•• whiche was a good clerke & prynce of grete recōmendacōn & that wente in to many contrees for to serche & enquyre the aduentures more than he dyde to conquere / thēne whan he shold fyght ayenst them that had taught & lerned tho∣lyfaūtes to fyghte in playn londe / he dyde do make vessels of copper in fourme of men / & dyde do fylle them with fyre

brennyng / and sette them to fore hym to fyght ayenst them that were vpon tholyfauntes / And whan tholyfaū∣tes caste their boyel by whiche they slewe the peple vpon tho men of copper / feelyng that they were so hoot that they brenned them / Thenne they that were so taught wolde no∣more approche tho men for doubte of the fyre / ffor they thoughte / that alle men had ben as hoot / as they were of copper / whiche were ful of fyre / And thus kynge alysaū∣dre as a sage prynce eschewed the parell and daunger of thise olyfauntes / And conquerd this wylde peple / and in suche wyse dompted tholyfauntes that they durst ••oo no / more harme vnto the men / The olyfauntes goo••moche symply and accordyngly to gydee / And whan they mets and encountre eche other / they bowe their heedes that on•• to that other lyke as they entresalewed eche other / They be right colde of nature / wherof it is so that whan one putteth vpon the tooth of yuorye a lynnen cloth and bren∣nyng cooles ther vpon / the lynnen cloth shal not brenne / ffor assone as the coole feleth the cold he quencheth / the yuorye is so colde / The tooth of an olyfaunt is yuorye / Tholyfauns haue neuer yong fawnes but ones in longe tyme / and they bere them ij yere in their flankes / an oly∣faunt lyueth CCC yere / He doubteth & fereth the wesell and the culeuure & dredeth vermyne / yf the culeuure clyue & be on tholyfaūt-it departeth not tyl it hath slayn hym / She fawneth her fawnes & hydeth them where is no woode & fawneth in the water / ffor yf she laye on therthe she sholde neuer aryse ne ••••leue / ffor as moche their bones ben al

hool without Ioyntes from the bely vnto the feet / And whan tholyphaunt wylle slepe / he leneth vnto a tree and there slepeth stondyng / And the hunters that seche them and knowe the trees to whiche they ••••ne whan they slep•• / Thenne whan they haue founden them / they sawe them lowe by the ground almost a sondre / that whan tholy∣faunt cometh and knoweth nothyng therof and wold slepe and leneth to the tree / and anon he falleth with the tree vnto the grounde and may not releue hym self / Thenne he begynneth for to b••aye crye and waylle / that somtyme ther come many olyfauntes to hym for to helpe hym / And whan they may not redresse and reyse hym they crye and braye and make a merueyllous sorowe / And they that ben most lytil and smale goo aboute for to lyfte and reyse hym to theyr power in suche wyse that other whyle they lyfte and reyse hym vp / But whan they may not reyse ne releue hym / they goon theyr way wayl∣lyng and makyng grete sorowe and leue hym / And the hunters that ben embusshed by / come & by their engyns that they haue propice for the same take hym / thus by this subtylte ben tholyfateūs taken / Wythin the ryuer & flode of ynde named Ganges goon the ecles by grete renges whiche ben .CCC. feet long & ben good mete to ete at nede Many other bestes peryllous and terryble ben ther in ynde as dragons serpentes & other dyuerse beestes whiche haue feet. heedes. and taylles dyuerse / Ther ben the basylicocks / whiche haue the sight so venymous that they sle all men And in lyke wyse doo they alle fowles and beestes /

he hath the heed lyke a cocke and body of a serpent / he is kynge of alle serpents / lyke as the lyon is kynge aboue alle beestes / he is whyte rayed her•• and there / ther is ney∣ther herbe ne fruyt on the erthe wherby he shal passe / ne the trees that ben planted but they shal per••sshe / yf he haue by∣te or slayn beste or other thynge / Neuer other beeste dar approche it / Ther is in this Regyon another maner of serpents that haue hornes lyke a shepe / Ther groweth a beest named Aspis that may not be deceyuyd ne taken but by charmyng / ffor he heerith gladly the sowne / But assone as he heerith the charme he putteth his taylle in his one cere / And that other he leyeth to the ground doubtyng to be deceyuyd by the charme / Other serpen∣tes ther be / whiche be named Tygris whiche ben taken alle quyck by force of engyns / And of them men ma∣ke tryacle / whiche deffeteth and taketh away other ve∣nym / Other wormes ther growe there / whiche haue two armes so longe and so dyuerse that they bete and slee the Olyphaunts / This worme lyueth right longe / And whan he is olde and feleth hym feble / he consumeth hym self by fastynge / and suffreth to be enfamyned so ouer∣moche that lytil abydeth of his body / Thenne he goth in to a lytil hool of somme stone whiche is wel strayt and thenne he putteth hym self out with so right grete distres∣se / that his skynne remayneth al hool / And ther gro∣weth & cometh on hym another skynne / And thus rene∣weth his age as a wyse best that he is / Ther ben plente of other serpents that haue many precyo{us} stones in the heedes

and in the eyen / the whiche ben of right grete vertue for them that myght haue them and bere them / Now we shal deuyse to yow of stones that growe in ynde and ben there founden /