The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.

Of the Subus, a kinde of wilde Water-sheepe. [ 50]

THis beast is called by Oppianus Soubos, and thereof the Latines call it Subus▪ Bo∣dine in his interpretation of Oppianus, doth make it one beast with the Strepsi∣ceros, but because he expresseth no reason thereof, I take it that he was decei∣ued by his coniecture, for we shall manifest, that either the colour or seate of liuing, cannot agree with the Strepsiceros, (for he saith) only it is the same beast which Pliny calleth a Strepsiceros.

But we know by the discription of Oppianus, that this beast is of red-gold-colour, ha∣uing two strong armed hornes on the head, and liueth sometimes in the Sea, and water, sometime on the land. Of all kinds of sheepe this is the worst and most harmefull, raue∣ning after life and blood, for it goeth to the water, and therein swimmeth: when the silly simple Fishes see this glorious shape in the waters, admiring the horns, and especially the Golden colour, they gather about it in great flocks and abundance, especially Shrimps, Lobsters, Mackarell, and Tenches, who follow him with singular delight on either side, both the right and the left, pressing who shall come nearest, to touch and haue the fullest sight of him; so they accompany him in rankes for loue of his so strange proportion. But this vnkinde and rauening beast, despising their amity, society, and fellowship, maketh [ 10] but a bait of his golden outside and colour, to drawe vnto him his conuenient prey, and beguile the innocent fishes, for he snatcheth at the nearest, and deuoureth them, tarying no longer in the Water then his belly is filled, and yet these simple foolish fishes seeing their fellowes deuoured before their faces haue not the power or wit to auoid his deuou∣rers society, but still accompany him and weary him out of the Waters till he can eate no more, neuer hating him, or leauing him, but as men which delight to be hanged in silken halters, or stabbed with siluer and golden Bodkins, so do the fishes by this golden-colo∣red-deuouring-monster. But such impious cruelty is not left vnreuenged in nature, for as she gathreth the fishes together to destroy them, so the fisher men watching that con∣course, do entrappe both it and them, rendering the same measure to the rauener, that it had done to his innocent companions. And thus much shal suffice for the Subus or wa∣ter-sheepe. [ 20]