Section 11

Thoes gendred of a Wolf and a female JJy&na.
This medley, Uefychim and Varinns have defcribed ; That of them comes this Thoes, as the Greeks call it. The Scholiaft upon Homer faith, Thatic is like to the Hyaena: and feme call it Chaos. Plmy faith, That this Chaos, which by the French is called Rapbium , was firit let forth for a fhew , in the psmes of Tcmpey the Great: and that it hath fpots like a Leopard, but is fa- ftiioned like a Wolf. But the Greeks nuke mention cf a very flrangc adul- tery, thac
The BiMrian Camel is gendred of a Camel and a Swine ;
for Didjmtts , in his workes called Geoponica, reporteth , that . in certain Moumaines of Jr-dh , Boares and Camels feed together, and fo fall to co- pulation, and gen er a Camel: and this Camel lo gendred, hath a dcuble nfing, cr two butches upm his back. Eut as the Mule which is generated of a Horle and an Afs, is in many qualities like the Sire , fo the
I is
Natural Magick, TSooJ^i.
is begotten of a Boar, is ftrong and full of ftiffe briftles like a Boar - and is not lb foon down in the mud as other Camels are, buc hi lp.; himfelf out Judily by his own force ; and will carry twice fo great a burthen as others. But tbereafon of their name, why they are called Ba&rian Camels, is this; Becaufe the firft thac ever was io generated, was bred in the Country of Ba&ria.
Chap. XII.
Of fundry c ovulations ^whereby a man genders with fundry kinds of Beafis.
IAm much afhamed to fpeak of it , that Man being the chief of all living Crea- tures, fhould fo foully difparage himfelf , as to couple with bruit beafts, and procreate fo many half-favage Monfters as are often feen; wherein Man (hews himfelf to be worfe then a beaft. I will relate lbme few examples hereof, thereby to make fuch wicked wretches an oblo-quie to the World, and their names odious to others. Plutark. faith, That bruit beafts fall not in love with any , but of their own kinde ; but man is fo incenfed with luft, that he is not afhamed mod villanoufly to couple himfelf with Mares and Goats , and other Beafts ; for Man is of all other Creatures moft leche- rous, at all feafons fit and ready for copulation; and befides, agrees with ma- ny living Creatures in his time of breeding : all which circumHances make much for the producing of monftrous, and half-favage broods. And howfoever the matter we (peak of is abominable, yet it is not fruitleffe, but helps much to the knowledge of fome other things in the fearching out of the fecreciesof na- ture. Plutark ya his Tract, which he calls the Banquet of the wife men, fheweth, that a fhepherd brought into the houfe of Periander,
A Babe gendred of a Man and a Mare,
which had the hands, and neck, and head of a Man, but otherwife it was like a Horfe ; and it cried like a young child. Tkales, as foon as he faw it, told Periander, thac he did not efteem it as a Grange and monttrous thing, which the gods had fent to portend and betoken the (editions and commotions likely to enfue, as Diodes thought of it ; but rather as a naturall thing: and therefore his advice was , that either they fhould have no Horfe-keepers • or if they had, they fhould have wives of their own. The fame Author in his Parallels , reportcth out of Agefilatu his third book of Italian matters, thac Ffflvius Stella loathing the company of a woman, coupled himfelf with a Mare, df whom he begat a very beautiful maiden-child ; and (he was called by a fit name, Epna. And the fame P/«wr^reporeth alfo of
A maiden that was generated of a Man and an Afs ;
for Arifionymns Epbejitts, the Son of 'DemonftratM , could not away with a womans company , but made choice of an Affe to lie with ; and (he brought him forth after a certain time , a very comely maiden , and in {hew exceed- ing beautiful: fhc was called Onofcelis , that is to fay, one having Affes thighes : and this ftory he gathered out of Arifiotle , in the fecond of his Paradoxes. But Galen cannot think this poffible; nay, it is fcarce poflible in nature, feeing a Man and an Affe differ fo much as they do: for if a man fhould have to do with an Affe , her wombe cannot receive his feed, becaufe his genitories are not long enough to convey it into her place of conception » or if it were , yet (he would prefently , or at leaft not long
Of the (feneration of Animals, 4.3
a'ter, tmrre hi; feed. Or, if (he could fo conceive, and bringherbirt.fi to per- fection , how , or by what food fhould it be nourifhed after the birth ? Bur, though this can hardly be, yet I do no: think it altogether impoflible , feeing all men are not of a like complexion, but feme may be found, whofe complexion doth not much differ from a horfes ; and lbme men alio have longer and larger genito- rics then others ; as alio fome Mares and Affes have leffe and fhorter genitories then others have : and it may be too, that fome celefiial influence hath a ftroke inir, byenliving the feed, and caufing the Dam to conceive it, and bring it forth in due time. And becaufe all theie things do very feldom concur together, there- fore fuch births are very feldom fecn. tAZlianus writeth another ftory, That there was once generated
A half-beaft of a Man and a Coat.
There was a certain young man in Sybaris, who was called Crachis, a lufter after Goats ; and being over-ruled by his luff , coupled himfelf with a fair Goat , the faireff he could light upon , and lived with her as his Love and Concu- bine, beff owing many gifts upon her, as Ivy and Rufhes to eat; and kept: her mouth very fweet, that he might kiffe her; and laid under her foft graffe* that flic might lie eafie, and flsep the better. The He-goat , the Ring-leader of the Herd, efpying this, watcht his time when the young man was on flcep, and fell upon him and fpoiled him. But the She-goat, when her time was come,brought forth an infant that had the face of a man, but the thighs of a Goat. The fame Author writcs,That
Women lie with He -goats, and with the Cynocephali ;
for the He-goats are fo lecherous, that in the madneffe of their luff, they will fet upon Virgins, and by force ravifh them. Herodotus in his fecond book, writeth of a He- goat , that had to do with a woman openly, and in the fight of many men (fandingby. Strabo faith, that in the Mediterranean Sea, a little without the mouth of a :River neer to Sebenis and ^Pharnix, there is an ifland called Xoas, and a City within the Province of Sebenis, and the Citiel Hcrmopo- lis and Mendes, where Pan is honoured for a Gpd, and with him is likewife honoured a He-goat ; and there , as Pindaru* reports , He-goats have to do with women : In the utmoft corner of the winding of the River 'Kilns , faith he, are fed certain Herds of Goats; and there the lecherous He-goats are mingled with women. */£lianust\(o writes of the Indians, that they will not admit into their Cities any red A pes, becaufe they are oft-times mad in luff towards women ; and if at any time they find fuch A pes, they hunt and deftroy them, as be- ing adulterous beafts. Tliny writes alfo, That
Man couples with divers kinds of beafts ;
for fome of the Indians have ufual company with bruit beafts ; and that which is fo generated, is half a beaff, and half a man.
Chap. XIII.
That divers kinds of birds may be generated of divers birds coupling together,
BEfore we come to fpeak of the commixtion of birds , it is meet to prc- fcribe certain obfervations for the mote eafie effecting thereof • that if we have need to fnpply any defects in any birds, wc may be the better
I 2 inftrufted
4.4- Natural Mag ick, Eoof^z.
inftru&ed how co perform it readily, to make them fitter for oar ufes. We (hewed before out of Anftotle^tx. if we would mingle Creatures of divers kinds, we muft fee that they be of like bigneffe, of a like proportion of time for their breeding, of a like colour; but efpecUlly, that they be very lecherous ; for otherwife they will hardly infert themfelves into a ftrange ftock. If a Falconer be defirous to pro- duce fighting Hawks, or Cocks, or other birds, he muft firft fcek out good lufty males, fuch as be thong and ftomackful, that they may derive the fame qualities in- to their young ones. Next, they muft procure ftrong and couragious females: fcr if but one of them be ftomackful, the young ones will rather take after the dulneffe and faint-heart of the one, then after the quicknefle and courage of the other. When you have thus made choice of the belt breeders, before their copulation, you muft keep them together within doors, and bring them by little and little ac- quainted with each other ; which you may beft do, by caufingthem to feed and to live together. Therefore you muft prepare a pretty little cottage, about ten foot loag,andten foot broad ; and let all the windows be made out toward the South, fo that there may good ftore of light come in at the top of the houfe. In the mid- dle you muft make a partition with lattifes or grates, made of Oficrs : and let the rods ftand fo far afundcr, as that the birds head and neck may go in between them : and in one fide of the room, let that bird be alone by her felf , which you would make tame; in the other fide, put the other birds which you purpofe to join in co- pulation with the ftrange bird. So then, in the prime of the Spring, (for that is the time wherein all Creatures are molt eager in luft) you muft get you fruitful birds, and let them be of the fame colour, as is the bird which you defire to become tame, Thefc you muft keep certain daics at the fame boord as it were, and give them their meat together, fothat the ftrange bird may come at it through the grate : for by this means (he will learn to be acquainted with them, as with her fellows, and will live quietly by them, being as it were kept in prifon from doing them any wrong : whereas otherwife (he would be fo fierce upon them, that (he would fpare none, but if fhe could, deftroy them all. But when once by tra& of time, and continu- al acquaintance with his fellows, this male-bird is become fomewhac gentle, look which of the females he is mort familiar witb,let her be put in the fame room where he is ; and give them both meat enough. And becaufe commonly he either kills, or doth am. care for the firft female that is put unto him, therefore, left the keeper (houldlofe all his hope, he muft keep divers females for fupply. When you perceive that he hath gotten the female with young, prefently you muft divorce one of them from the other,and let him in a new mate,thac he may fill her alfo:and you muft feed her well till fhe begin to fit upon her egges, or put the egges under fome other that fits. And thus fhall you have a young one, in all refpe&s like the Cock : but as foon as the young ones are out of the fhell, let them be brought up by themfelves, not of their mother, but of fome other Hen-bird. Laftof all, the females of this brood, when they be come to ripeneffe, that they ftand to their Cock, their firft or their fecond brood will be a very exaft and abfolute kinde.
Chap. XIV. Divers commixtions of Hens with ether Birds.
WE will begin with Hens, becaufe they are in great requeft with us, and are houfhold-birds, alwayes before our eyes j and befides, they may be very pro- fitable and gainful, if we can tell how to procreate and bring up divers kinds of £hera. Cocks are of all other moft lecherous $ and they fpend their feed, not only atthe fight of their Hens, but even when they bear them crake or cackle ? and to reprcffcWir luft, they are oftentimes carved. They tread and fall to their fport, almoft all the year long. Some Hens are very lufty, and withal very fruitful s info- rauch that they lay three-fcore egges before they fit tohatch them: yea, fome that ; arc kept in a pen, do lay twice in one day 5 and feme bring forth fuch ftore
Of the (feneration of (tdmmals. 4.5
o? egges , that they confume themfelves thereby, and die upon it. We will firft foew
How to couple
Partridges are much given to luft, and very eager of coition, and are mingled with other birds of divers kinds, and they couple betwixt themfelves, and fo have young ones ; as firft with Hens, of whom they procreate certain birds, which partake of both kinds in common, for the firft brood ; but in procefle of time, when divers generations have fuccefltvely paffed,they take meerly after the mother in all refpe&s, as Artfiotle writeth. The field-cocks are ulually more luftful then houfhold-cocks are, and they tread their Hens as foon as ever they are off the rouft ; but the Hens are more inclinable to coition, abouc the middle of the day, as Athenam writes,ouc of tAlUanm and Theophraftui : of which circumftances we may take our beft advan- tage in coupling them with Partridges. After the fame manner
A Hen and a Phetfant may gender together ;
for, as Florentitu writes, the Pheafant and the Hen agree both in their time of lay- ing, either of them bringing forth egges one and twenty daies after conception. And though (he be not fo wanton as other birds are, yet in their treading time they are glad of coition, and not very wilde, efpecially thofe that are of the fmaller fort : for thefe may cafily be made tame,and iuffered to go amongft Hens ; but at their firft taking they are very fierce, infomuch that they will not only kill Hens , buc even Peacocks too. Some men bring up Pheafants to make a game of them : buc fome breed them for delight and pleafure, as I faw at Ferraria in the Princes Court, where was brought up very great ftore, both of Hens and Pheafants too. And this hath been an old practice : for in Athentttt we find a faying of ftolomy^ that not on- ly Pheafants wercfent for out of Media, but the Country Hens, they alfo afforded good ftore of them, the egges being conceived in them by the treading of a Cock- pheafanr. Firft then, you muft take a Cock-pheafant,and be very careful in keeping of him tame amongft your Hens: after that, you muft feek out Country-hens of di- vers colours, as like the colour of the Hen-Phealant as you can, and let them live with the Cock-Pheafant, that in the Spring-time he may tread the Hens ; and they will bring forth fpeckled egges, everywhere full of black fpots,far greater and good- lier then other egges are. When thefe are hatched, you muft bring up the chicken with barly-flour, and fome leaves of fmallage fhred in amongft it; for this is the moft delightful and nouriflhing food that they that they can have. There is alfo
A Chick,gendred of 4 Pigeon and a Hen :
the Pigeon muft be young, for then he hath more heat and defire of copulation, and much abundance of feed ; for if he be old, he cannot tread : but young Pigeons do couple at all times, and they bring forth both Summer and Winter. I had my f elf at home a fingle Pigeon^c a Hen that had loft her Cock : the Pigeon was of a Urge fize, and wanton withal; the Hen was but a veryfmall one: thefe lived together, and in the Spring-time the Pigeon trode the Hen, whereby foe conceived, and in her due feafon laid egges, and afterward hatched them, and brought forth chicken that were mixc of either kind, and refembled the ftiape of them both. Ingreatneffe of body, in fafliion of head and bill,they were like a Pigeon • their feathers very white and curled, their feet like a Hens feet , but they were overgrown with fea- thers ; and they nude a noife like a Pigeon : and I took great pleafure in them j the rather, becaufe they were fo familiar, that they would ftill lit upon the bed, or nuzzle into fome womans bofom. But there i%yec another mixture, when
A
Natural Magic k. £oo\i.
A Cockjt And a *Pe a, gender the (jallo-Pavm ;
which is otherwife called the Indian-hen, being mixt of a Cock and a Pea, though the fhape be liker to a Pea then to a Cock. In body and greatneffe it rcfembles the Pea, but it hath a combe and chackels under the chin like a Cock : it hath the voice of a Pea, and fpreads forth her tail, and hath iuch varietie of colours as fhe hath. The talk of her flefh relifhes like a compound of them both ; whereby it ap- pears, that both kinds are not unfitly matcht together. But afterward, when the ihe Gallo-pavus and the Pea-cock were brought up tame together, we had of them very fruitful egges, which being hatcht, yeelded very goodly chickens, whofe feathers were of a molt orient and glittering colour: and thefe young ones after- ward growing bigger, were mingled in copulation with Pea-cocks and Pea-hens, and the brood which was fo generated of them, were in a manner all of the kind andfafhionof the Pea. The like a man may conjs&ure of other kinds of birds.