The doome warning all men to the iudgemente wherein are contayned for the most parte all the straunge prodigies hapned in the worlde, with diuers secrete figures of reuelations tending to mannes stayed conuersion towardes God: in maner of a generall chronicle, gathered out of sundrie approued authors by St. Batman professor in diuinite.

Of Foure footed Beastes.

IN like manner almightie God most sin∣gular in the framing of all things with beautiful shapes, in cōpounding and ioy∣ning sundrye partes togither agréeable in their kinde, among the reste hathe made and created extraordinarie creatures, as wel in the earth, as in the Sea, not deter∣mining so muche to declare his omnipo∣tencie and power, as willing thereby to correcte and punishe sinne, for the amend∣ment of those his Creatures, who hauing perfect bodies, are neuerthelesse more de∣formed than those Monsterous weues which they dayly sée, among the whiche kindes are expressed the beastes of the Earth.

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Bisontes or Da∣nae, bufels, of some called Hartes or Deare, much big∣ger thā Oxē, strōg & swift, they hau•• long eares, horned wide and long as those large Oxen haue that are vsed to the plough: they haue long beardes like vnto Goates: and when they are tangled with any snare, or wounded by stroke, so that the bloud appeares, forthwith they co∣uet to pursue those that do assault and strike them, with such deadly violēce that many perishe thereby: also in their rage or madnesse, they run againste the trées with so great force, that they breake both necke and hart. Of theyr hydes are made the best buffe. There are also a kinde of Buffels of lesse proportion, that are vsed to the yoake, as other cattel are.

Stags of India are not much vnlike red Deare, bigger in bodye & legs, shag haired before, and also on the hinder parts, resembling a double shape, part of a Goate and part of a Stag.

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Alces a kinde of beasts greater thā Stags, being of y^e colour of Graines, with long & harshe haire, their propor∣tiō very deformed: some call thē horse Hartes, because they séeme of both kindes, broade and great horned with harde and strong braunches, as ap∣pereth in y^e figure: Ioānes Leporicida.

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This straunge beast is reported to haue bene bred in England, of a mar∣uellous fiercenesse, that wheron he fastned, there was no withdrawing frō the pray, whom I may best tearme a Beare dog, foreshewing both shapes which commōly come to passe, heate being kindled twixt contrarie kinds. Cerberus of the Stable of Gereon, and Caparus of the Temple Aescula∣pius, the one would fight against those that his maister foughte, as a spe∣cial ayde of spéedie deliuerance, of which kinde are manye dogges: the o∣ther would not let the théefe goe, that robbed the temple: the like do others also, that by no meanes will be driuen from the plowmans Bottle, or the Hedgers coate, such secrete affiance to their maisters is proued, that being beastes in nature, far excéede those that become beastes through lewde de∣meanor. Secretes of Nature Chapter 29. E. Fenton.

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The Elephant is a beast of great byg∣nesse, yet easie to be brought vnder go∣uernemente, as it appeareth by sūdry discourses where as they haue bene fortifyed with en∣gines on theyr backes, whereon men as in Castels were made y^e more able to encounter the enemie, as re∣porteth Plinie.

Odonta a beast greater than the Elephant, he hath thrée hornes crompled on his heade, a head like vnto a horsse, his colour blacke: Licosthenes.

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Rhinoceros a fierce beaste enimye to the Elephaunte, whose bygnesse is also greater, hys colour lyke Boxe, the whole bodye couered with sca∣les or shelles, his legs shorte, on his nose a kinde of straighte Horne, which is his chiefe defence.

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A Camel hath two tuffes on his back, and on hys breast, whereon he stay∣eth himselfe, when he knéeleth down, he hath four teats, his tayle like an Asse, hys priuie members decly∣ning backwarde, all his legges haue theyr ioyntes, and his féete are clo∣uen.

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Camelopardus so called, by∣cause he resēbleth y^e Camel & Lybarde. The Ethiopians call it Nabis, a beaste hauing hys necke like a Horsse, hys féete like an Oxe, and his heade like a Camell, be spotted red, one from another, the Ro∣maines had this beast in great admiration after they sawe it firste at the playes whyche were kepte at the place in Rome called Cyrcus, where they often behelde the fighte of sundry beastes.

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Pauiō otherwise Babion, a monste∣rous beaste in the desartes of India, not altogither so greate as an Ele∣phant, whose sight he can abide, al∣though he can not awaye with other beastes: his chiefe delight is in Aples and other fruite of trées: a verye lea∣cherous beast, at y^e sight of a woman stirred to lust: he hath ouer his body great aboundaunce of haire, his head is verie feareful to behold, hauing little eares, and a short tayle euer turning vp, somewhat like the tayle of a Foxe: his féete are lyke the hands of men, but not answerable to the heigth of hys body: there was one of these beastes brought into Germanie, in the yeare of our Lord God 1551. by certaine Indians who trauelling the Country got much money, (as also in Sweuia.) for the only sight of this Monster, which was after drawen and grauen by a skilful Painter of Ausbourgh a Citie in Germanie.

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Panther whiche is also called Par∣dalus, is a beast dif∣fering somewhat from the Male Pā∣ther, by reason of hir swiftnesse: she is also spotted, Plinie. As it is said Aristotle wrote, y^e when this beast is sicke, he séeketh mans dung, by ea∣ting of the whych he is recouered, as also by the same baite takē. This beast is leacherous and taketh kind of the Lion.

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The Tyger, plen∣tye of which there are in India and Hyrcania: A beast of a feareful swift∣nesse as sayd Pli∣nie and other wry∣ters, namely, Au∣gustinus Aureli∣us, and Strabo, of late Conrade Ges∣ner.

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Cercopitheci, or tayled Apes, of which one was of a verye straunge shape, bearyng the greatnesse and forme of a man in hys lymmes & priuityes, in face a wylde manne, bycause hée was cleane couered w^t hayre: no creature can abyde longer to stande than hée, (man onely excepted:) hée loueth Children and women, none otherwyse than men of hys Countrey. And goeth aboute when he hath escaped their snares and fetters, to haue to doe wyth them openlye, yet is he a wylde beast, but of suche great industrie, that thou wouldest saye, some men are not so wise as he.

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They call those beasts Cephi, whos former parte re∣sembleth the foxe, and the hynder the Ape, sauing their féete are lyke a man, eared like an Owle: and within their bellye, they haue another belly like to a swelling wen, wherin their whelpes lie hiddē, vntil of their own accord they may come forth, & get their foode, w^tout the helpe of their dam, neither do they euer come forth of y^e bagge, but when they take pleasure to sucke, of which beast haue writtē, Aristotle, Philoponus, Aelianus, Plinie, Solinus, Albertus Magnus, and of the new writers Conradus Gesner, &c.

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Sui, a strange beast in the Southwest Indians, no lesse fierce then defor∣med, not farre frō the riuer Platte, so called of the Spani∣ardes, who founde therin much siluer in the yéere of our Lord. 1534. This beast for the moste part remaineth in the waters, and flouds, very raue∣nous, and of a strange manner: besides this, if he or she be pursued of the people in y^e countrey, which is for their skin, she taketh hir young ones on hir backe, & couering them with hir taile, that is thick & long, saueth hir self with running, till by chaunce she fall into some pit made by the hunters, she séeing hir selfe thus taken, in hir rage killeth hir young ones & maketh such a fearefull noyse, that the pursuers become verye fearefull, notwith∣standing they are slaine: Andrew Theuet in his Booke of the Newfound world and 56. Chapter.

Notes

• Buffelles.
• Alces.
• Iohn Harckil.
• Camelopardus
• Pauion.
• Panther.
• Tygris.
• Cercopithaeci.
• Cephi.
• ••••i.