10. Звери и птицы

ЗВЕРИ И ПТИЦЫ

Thefe wondrous things of Nature to mens eares                Phoenix
Will almoft prove (fweete Nature) incredible,
But by Times ancient record it appeares,
Thefe hidden fecrets to be memorable :
For his diuineffe that hath wrought this wonder,
Rules men and beafts, the lightning and the thunder.

For the worlds blindnefie and opinion, I care not                Nature
Phoenix, they are misbeleeuing,
And if their eyes trie not conclufion,
They will not truft a ftrangers true reporting.
With Beafts and Birds I will conclude my ftorie,
And to that All-in-all yeeld perfect glorie.

In yonder woodie groue and fertile plaine,
Remaines the Leopard and the watrie Badger,
The Bugle or wild Oxe doth there remaine,
The Onocentaure and the cruell Tyger,
The Dromidary and the princely Lion,
The Bore, the Elephant, and the poifnous Dragon.

The ftrong neck'd Bull that neuer felt the yoke,
The Cat, the Dog, the Wolfe, and cruell Viper,
The lurking Hare that pretie fport prouokes,
The Goatebucke, Hedgehogge, and the fwiftfoote Panther,
The Horfe, Cameleopard and ftrong pawd Beare,
The Ape, the Affe, and the moft fearefull Deare.

The Moufe, the Mule the Sow and Salamander,
That from the burning fire cannot liue,
The Weafell, Cammell and the hunted Beauer,
That in purfute away his ftones doth giue:
The Stellio, Camelion and Vnicorne,
That doth expell hot poifon with his Horne.

The cruell Beare in her conception,
Brings forth at firft a thing that's indigeft,
A lump of flefh without all fafhion,
Which fhe by often licking brings to reft,
Making a formal body good and found,
Which often in this Iland we have found.

Hic format lingua foetum quem protulit Vrfa.

The great wild Bore of nature terrible,
With two ftrong Tufhes for his Armorie,
Sometimes affailes the Beare moft horrible,
And twixt them is a fight both fierce and deadly:
He hunteth after Marioram and Organie,
Which as a whetftone doth his need fupplie.
The Bugle or wild Oxe is neuer tam'd,
But with an iron ring put through his fnout,
That of fome perfect ftrength muft needs be fram'd,
Then may you leade him all the world about:
The Huntfmen find him hung within a tree,
Faft by the hornes and then thy vfe no pittie.

The Camell is of nature flexible,
For when a burden on his backe is bound,
To eafe the labourer, he is knowne moft gentle,
For why he kneeleth downe vpon the ground :
Suffering the man to put it off or on,
As it feemes beft in his difcretion.

They liue fome fiftie or fome hundred yeares,
And can remaine from water full foure dayes,
And moft delight to drinke when there appeares,
A muddie fpring that's troubled many wayes :
Between them is a naturall honeft care,
If one conioyneth with his Damme, tis rare.

The Dragon is a poifnous venom'd beaft,
With whom the Elephant is at enmitie,
And in contention they do neuer reft,
Till one hath flaine the other cruelly:
The Dragon with the Elephant tries a fall,
And being vnder he is flaine withall.

The bunch-backt, big-bon'd, fwift-foote Dromidary
Of Dromas the Greeke word borrowing the name,
For his quicke flying fpeedy property :
Which eafily thefe countreymen do tame,
Hel' go a hundredth miles within one day,
And neuer feeke in any place to ftay.

The Dogge a naturall, kind, and louing thing,
As witneffeth our Hiftories of old :
Their maifter dead, the poore foole with lamenting
Doth kill himfelfe before accounted bold :
And would defend his maifter if he might,
When cruelly his foe begins to fight.

The Elephant with tufhes Iuorie,
Is a great friend to man as he doth trauell:
The Dragon hating man moft fpitefully,
The Elephant doth with the Dragon quarell:
And twixt them two is a moft deadly ftrife,
Till that the man be paft, and fau'd his life.

The Elephant feene in Aftronomy,
Will euery month play the Phifition :
Taking delight his cunning for to try,
Giuing himfelfe a fweete purgation,
And to the running fprings himfelfe addreffe,
And in the fame wafh off his filthineffe,

The Gote-bucke is a heart lafciuious,
And giuen much to filthy venerie;
Apt and prone to be contentious,
Seeking by craft to kill his enemy:
His bloud being warme fuppleth the Adamant,
That neither fire or force could euer daunt.

The Hedghogge hath a fharpe quicke thorned garment,
That on his backe doth ferue him for defence:
He can prefage the winds incontinent,
And hath good knowledge in the difference
Betweene the Southerne and the Northren wind,
Thefe vertues are allotted him by kind.

Whereon in Conftantinople that great City,
A marchant in his garden gaue one nourifhment :
By which he knew the winds true certainty,
Becaufe the Hedgehogge gaue him iuft prefagement:
Apples, or peares, or grapes, fuch is his meate,
Which on his backe he caries for to eate.

The fpotted Linx in face much like a Lyon,
His vrine is of fuch a qualitie,
In time it turneth to a precious ftone,
Called Ligarius for his property :
He hateth man fo much, that he doth hide
His vrine in the earth, not to be fpide.

The princely Lion King of forreft-Kings,
And chiefe Commaunder of the Wilderneffe,
At whofe faire feete all Beafts lay downe their offrings,
Yeelding alleageance to his worthineffe:
His ftrength remaineth moft within his head,
His vertue in his heart is compaffed.

He neuer wrongs a man, nor hurts his pray,
If they will yeeld fubmiffiue at his feete,
He knoweth when the Lioneffe playes falfe play,
If in all kindneffe he his loue do meete :
He doth defend the poore and innocent,
And thofe that cruel-hearted Beafts haue rent.

Then is't not pittie that the craftie Foxe,
The rauenous Wolfe, the Tyger, and the Beare,
The flow-paft-dull-brain'd heauie Oxe,
Should ftriue to good a ftate to ouerweare ?
The Lion fleepes and laughes to fee them ftriue,
But in the end leaues not a beaft aliue.

The Onocentaur is a monftrous beaft;
Suppofed halfe a man and halfe an affe,
That neuer fhuts his eyes in quiet reft,
Till he his foes deare life hath round encompaft,
Such were the Centaures in their tyrannie,
That liu'd by humane flefh and villanie.

The Stellio is a beaft that takes his breath,
And liueth by the deaw thats heauenly,
Taking his Food and Spirit of the earth,
And fo maintaines his life in chaftitie,
He takes delight to counterfeit all colours,
And yet for all this he is venimous;

Tis ftrange to heare fuch perfect difference,
In all things that his Mightineffe hath fram'd  ;
Tis ftrange to heare their manner of defence,
Amongft all creatures that my Nurfe hath nam'd :
Are there no Wormes nor Serpents to be found
In this fweete fmelling Ile and fruitful' ground ?

Within a little corner towards the Eaft,
A moorifh plot of earth and dampifh place,
Some creeping Wormes and Serpents vfe to reft,
And in a manner doth this bad ground grace :
It is vnpeopled and vnhabited,
For there with poifonous ayre they are fed.

Here liues the Worme, the Gnat and Graffhopper,
Rinatrix, Lizard, and the fruitfull Bee,
The Mothe, Chelidras, and the Bloodfucker,
That from the flefh fuckes bloud moft fpeedily :   
Ceraftis, Afpis and the Crocadile,
That doth the way-faring paffenger beguilel

The labouring Ant, and the befpeckled Adder,
The Frogge, the Tode, and Sommer-haunting Flie,
The prettie Silkeworme, and the poifnous Viper,
That with his teeth doth wound moft cruelly:
The Hornet and the poifonous Cockatrice,
That kills all birds by a moft flie deuice.

The Afpis is a kind of deadly Snake,
He hurts moft perillous with venom'd fting,
And in purfute doth neare his foe forfake,
But flaies a Man with poyfnous venoming :
Betweene the male and female is fuch loue,
As is betwixt the moft kind Turtle doue.

This is the Snake that Cleopatra vfed,
The Egyptian Queene belou'd of Anthony,
That with her breafts deare bloud was nourifhed,
Making her die (faire foule) moft; patiently,
Rather than Caefars great viftorious hand,
Should triumph ore the Queene of fuch a land.

The Lizard is a kind of louing creature,
Efpecially to man he is a friend:
This property is giuen him by nature,
From dangerous beafts poore Man he doth defend :
For being fleepy he all fence forfaketh,
The Lizard bites him till the man awaketh.

The Ant or Emote is a labouring thing,
And haue amongft them all a publike weale,
In fommer time their meate they are prouiding,
And fecrets mongft themfelues they do conceale :
The monftrous huge big Beare being fickly,
Eating of thefe, is cured prefently.

The fruitfull prety Bee liues in the hiue,
Which unto him is like, a peopled City,
And by their daily labour there they thriue,
Bringing home honied waxe continually :
They are reputed ciuill, and haue kings,
And guides for to direct them in proceedings.

When that their Emperour or King is prefent,
They live in peacefull fort and quietneffe,
But if their officer or king be abfent,
They flie and fwarme abroad in companies :
If any happen cafuall-wife to dye,
They mourne and bury him right folemnly.

The Crocadile a faffron colour'd Snake,
Sometimes vpon the earth is conuerfant,
And other times liues in a filthy lake,
Being oppreffed with foule needy want:
The skin vpon his backe as hard as ftone,
Refifteth violent ftrokes of fteele or iron.

Rinatrix is a poyfenous enuenom'd Serpent,
That doth infeft the riuers and the fountaines,
Bringing to cattell hurt and detriment:
When thirfty they forfake the fteepy mountaines,
Rinatrix violator Aquae, and infefts the earth,
With his moft noyfome ftinking filthy breath.

The Scorpion hath a deadly ftinging taile,
Bewitching fome with his faire fmiling face,
But prefently with force he doth affaile
His captiu'd praie, and brings him to difgrace:
Wherefore tis cald of fome the flattering worme,
That fubtilly his foe doth ouerturne.

Orion made his boaft the earth fhould bring
Or yeeld no ferpent forth but he would kill it,
Where prefently the Scorpion vp did fpring,
For fo the onely powers above did will it:
Where in the peoples prefence they did fee,
Orion ftung to death moft cruelly.

Of Wormes are diuers forts and diuers names,
Some feeding on hard timber, fome on trees,
Some in the earth a fecret cabbine frames,
Some liue on tops of Afhes, fome on Oliues;
Some of a red watrifh-colour, fome of greene,
And fome within the night like Fire are feene.

The Silkeworme by whofe Webbe our Silkes are made,
For fhe doth dayly labour with her weauing,
A Worme that's rich and precious in her trade,
That whilft poore foule fhe toyleth in her fpinning,
Leaues nothing in her belly but empty aire,
And toyling too much falleth to defpaire.

Here liues the Caddes and the long leg'd Crane,
With whome the Pigmies are at mortall ftrife,
The Larke and Lapwing that with nets are tane,
And fo poore filly foules do end their life:
The Nightingale wrong'd by Adulterie,
The Nightcrow, Goffhawke, the chattring Pie.

The Pheafant, Storke, and the high towrmg Faulcon,
The Swanne that in the riuer takes delight,
The Goldfinch, Blackcbird, and the big neck'd Heron
The skreeching Owle that loues the duskie night,
The Partridge, Griffon, and the liuely Peacocke,
The Linnet, Bullfinch, Snipe, and rauening Puttocke.

The Robin Redbreast that in Winter fings,
The Pellican, the Iay, and the chirping .Sparrow,
The little Wren that many yong ones brings,
Herein, Ibis, and the fwift.wingd Swallow :
The princely Eagle and Caladrius
The Cuckow that to fome is profperous.

The fnow-like colour'd bird, Caladrius,
Hath this ineftimable natural profperitie,
If any man in fickneffe dangerous,
Hopes of his health to haue recouerie,
This bird will alwayes looke with chearefull glance,
If otherwife, fad is his countenance.

The Crane directed by the leaders voice,.
Flies ore the feas, to countries farre unknowne,
And in the fecret night they do reioice
To make a watch among them of their owne ;
The watchman in his clawes holds faft a ftone,
Which letting fall the reft are wak'd anone.,

The Spring-delighting, bird we call the Cuckow,
Which comes to tell of wonders in this age,
Her prettie one note to the world doth fhow,
Some men their deftinie, and doth prefage.
The womans pleafure and the mans difgrace,
Which fhe fits finging in a fecret place.

The Winters enuious blaft fhe neuer tafteth,
Yet in all countries doth the Cuckoe fing,
And oftentimes to peopled townes fhe hafteth,
Ther for to tell the pleafures of the Spring:
Great Courtiers heare her voyce, but let her flye,
Knowing that fhe prefageth Deftiny.

This prety bird fometimes vpon the fteeple,
Sings Cuckoe, Cuckoe, to the-parifh Prieft,
Sometimes againe fhe flies amongft the people,
And on their Croffe no man can her refift,
But there fhe fings, yet tome difdaining Dames,
Do charme her hoarfe, left fhe fhould hit their names.

She fcornes to labour or make vp a neft,
But creepes by ftealth into fome others roome,
And with the Larkes deare yong, her yong-ones reft,
Being by fubtile dealing ouercome :
The yong birds are reftoratiue to eate,
And held amongft vs as a Princes meate.

The Princely Eagle of all Birds the King,
For none but fhe can gaze againft the Sunne,
Her eye-fight is fo cleare, that in her flying
She fpies the fmalleft beaft that euer runne,
As fwift as gun-fhot vfing no delay,
So fwiftly doth fhe flie to catch her pray.

She brings her birds being yong into the aire,
And fets them for to looke on Phoebus light,
But if their eyes with gazing chance to water,
Thofe fhe accounteth baftards, leaues them quight,
But thofe that haue true perfect conftant eyes,
She cherifheth, the reft fhe doth defpife.

The Griffon is a bird rich feathered,
His head is like a Lion, and his flight
Is like the Eagles, much for to be feared,
For why he kils men in the vgly night:
Some fay he keepes the Smaragd and the Iafper,
And in purfute of Man is monftrous eager.

The gentle birds called the faire Hircinie,
Taking the name of that place where they breed,
Within the night they fhine to glorioufly,
That mans aftonied fenfes they do feed :
For in the darke being caft within the way
Giues light vnto the man that goes aftray.

Ibis the bird flieth to Nilus flood,
And drinking of the water purgeth cleane :
Vnto the land of AEgypt he doth good,
For he to rid their Serpents is a meane;
He feedeth on their egges, and doth deftroy
The Serpents nefts that would their Clime annoy.

The Lapwing hath a piteous mournefull cry,
And fings a forrowfull and heauy fong,
But yet fhee’s full of craft and fubtilty,
And weepeth moft being fartheft from her yong:
In elder age fhe feru'd for Southfayers
And was a Propheteffe to the Augurers.

The birds of AEgypt or Memnodides,
Of Memnon that was flaine in refcuing Troy
Are faid to flie away in companies,
To Priams pallace, and there twice a day
They fight about the turrets of the dead,
And the third day in battell are confounded. 

The Nightingale the nights true Choriffter,
Mufickes chiefe louer in the pleafant Spring,
Tunes Hunts-vp to the Sunne that doth delight her,
And to Arions harp aloud will fing:
And as a Bridegroome that to church is comming,
So he falutes the Sunne when he is rifing.

The Romane Caefars, happie Emperours,
Efpecially thofe of the yongeft fort,
Haue kept the Nightingale within their towers,
To play, to dally, and to make them fport,
And oftentimes in Greeke and Latine tong,
They taught thofe birds to fing a pleafant fong.

This bird as Hiftories make mention,
Sung in the infant mouth of Stefichorus,
Which did foretell due commendation,
In all his actions to be profperous :
So Bees when Plato in his bed did lie,
Swarm'd round about his mouth, leauing. their, home.

The fluggifh, flouthfull and the daftard Owle,
Hating the day, and louing of the night,
About old fepulchers doth daily howle,
Frequenting barnes and houfes without.light,
And hides him often in an Iuy tree,
Leaft with fmall chattring birds wrong’d he fhould be.

Faedaque fic volucris venturi nuntia luctus,
Ignauus Bubo, dirum mortalibus omen.

The filthy meffenger of ill to come ;
The fluggifh Owle is, and to danger fome.

This ill bedooming Owle, fate on the fpeare,
Of warlike Pirrhus marching to the field,
When to the Graecian armie he drew neare,
Determining to make his, foes to yeeld,
Which did forefhew finifter happineffe,
And balefull fortune in his bufineffe.

The Parrat cald the counterfeiting bird,
Deckt with all colours that fair Flora yeelds,
That after one will fpeake you word for word :
Liuing in wooddie groues neare fertile, fields
They haue bene knowne to giue great Emperors wine,
And therefore fome men hold them for deuine.

The proud fun-brauing Peacocke with his feathers,
Walkes all along, thinking himfelfe a. King,.
And with his voyce prognofticates all weathers,
Although God knowes but badly he doth fing :
But when hei lookes downe to his bafe blacke Feete,
He droopes, and is afham'd of things unmeete.

The mighty Macedonian Alexander,
Marching in louely triumph to his foes,
Being accounted the worlds conquerour
In Indie fpies a Peacocke as he goes,
And maruelling to fee fo rich a fight,
Charg'd all men not to kill his fweete delight.

The Pellican the wonder of our age,
(As Ierome faith) reuiues her tender yong,
And with her pureft bloud, fhe doth affwage
Her yong ones thirft, with poifonous Adder ftong,
And thofe that were fuppofed three dayes dead.
She giues them life once more being nourifhed.

The vnfatiate Sparrow doth prognofticate,
And is held good for diuination,
For flying here and there, from gate to gate,
Foretels true things by animaduertion :
A flight of Sparrowes flying in the day,
Did prophetic the fall and facke of Troy.

The artificiall neft-compofing Swallow,
That eates his meate flying along the way,
Whofe fwiftneffe in our eyfight doth allow,
That no imperiall Bird makes her his pray:
His yong ones being hurt within the eies,
His helpes them with the herbe Calcedonies.

Cecinna and the great Volateran,
Being Pompeis warlike and approued knights,
Sent letters by thefe Birds without a man,
To many of their friends and chiefe delights,
And all their letters to their feete did tie,
Which with great fpeed did bring them haftily.

The fweete recording Swanne Apolloes ioy,
And firy fcorched Phaetons delight,
In footed verfe fings out his deep annoy,
And to the filuer riuers takes his flight,
Prognofticates to Sailers on the feas,
Fortunes profperitie and perfect eafe.

Cignus in aufpicijs femper laetiffimus ales,
Hoc optant nautae quia fe non mergit in vndis,

But what fad-mournefull drooping foule is this,
Within whofe watry eyes fits Difcontent,
Whofe fnaile-pac'd gate tels fomething is amiffe:
From whom is banifht fporting Meriment:
Whofe feathers mowt off, falling as he goes,
The perfect picture of hart pining woes ?