Section 14

Of the (feneration of
je&ure whether he hath begotten a Cow-calf or aBulchin; for if he leap off by the right fide, it is certain that he hathr begotten a Buichin . if by the left fide, then a Cow-calf. Wherefore the ^Egyptians in their Hieroglyphicks,when they would figni- fie a woman that hath brought forth a daughter,they make the chara&er & likenefs of aBuil looking toward the left fidejbut to fignifie the birth of a fon,they make his cha- racter as looking toward the right fide.But if you defire to have a male generated, A- fricams, Columella, and Dtdymtts counfel you to knit up the left Hone of the Sire; if a female, then to knit up his right ftone ; at foch times as he is to be coupled for generation. But becaufe this would be too muchto do, where there is great ftore of caitel, we may aflay it by another means. Northern blafts help much to the conception of a male, and Southern blafts to the conception of a female, as4?/*'*/ reporceth : the force of the Northern air is fuch, that thofe beafts which are wont taprocreate females only, this will caufe to bring forth males alio. The Dams at the lime of their copulation, muff be fet with their nofes into the North : and if they have been ufed to coition ttill in the morning, you mUft not put them to it in the afternoon, for then they will not ftand to their mate. Ariftotte, a man moft fubtile, and exquifitely feen in the works of nature, willeth us, that about the time of gendering, we fhould wait for fome Northern blafts in a dry day, and then let the flock feed againft the winde, and fo let them fall to copulation: if w«~ would procure females to be generated, then we muft fo wait for Southern blafts, and lec them ftand with their heads towards the South as they are in copulation ; for fo not only ^r//?0f/ that tAHioKtUyPltnjy Africantti mdDtdymu* do all give, that if the cattel, asfoon as they have been covered, do turn themfelves toward the Southern winde, then certainly they tave conceived females. There is alfo fome caufe of the procreation of a male, or of a female , in the begetters themfelves ; nay further , feme caufe thereof may be the force and operation of fome waters : for fometimes the waters caufe that a male or female be generated. There is, not far from the City Pana, a certain River called Milichus ; and not far from that , another River called Chara- dius; whereof if the beafts drink in the Spring-time, they commonly bring forth all males : for which caufe the Shepherds there drive away their flocks at that time, and feed them in that part of the Country which lieth fartheft off from that River • as Paufamai writeth in his Achaica.
Chap. XXII.
Of divers experiences that may be , and have beenyraBifed upon divers living Crea- tures.
'J'Here remain now certain experiments of living Creatures, both pleafant, and of fome ufe, which we have thought good here to fet down,to favc a labour of feek- ing them any further. Andfirft,
How to make Horfes have white [pots on them.
Ic is a thing required in the art of trimming of Horfes, to be able to caufe white fpots to grow in fome parts of them ; for crafty Horfc-conrfers are wont to coun- terfeit white fpots in the forehead, or left thigh, or right (houlder of an Horfe, thereby to deceive Inch men, as are wont to gefle at the goodneffe and qualities of a horfe, by the conjecture of fuch marks. And this their counterfeit pra&ife hath been detected by this chance ; that the hair of a horfes skin being galled off in any place, after a while hoary hairs have grown up there of themfelves; and it is noc unlikely but that this chance taught them that practife. The manner of the doing it , is, firft to (have off the hair in that place where you would have a white fpot ; and then rub off, or cut the upper skin, and fo you ihall there have a white patch. But Oppitofu fpeaking of the fame experiment, (hews that it is to be done by fire. There be fome Horfes, faith he, that are full of white round fpots intermingled
* with*
5
with their black colour: it comethby the induftry of the Horfe-breeder , who when they are yet tender and young,cunningly burns eff their hair with an hot iron. But on the contrary, if you would nave
'f he hairs of a wounded or galled place, to grow up of the fame colour, as the other hair "'ft
Ttberiui hath taught the way how to do it. You muft knead three pints of bruiftd or ground barley, and put to it the froth of nhre and a little fait, and make it into loaves ; then you muft put them into an O/en till they are burned to coals ; after- ward crufh them, and beat them ro powder, and then mix them with oyle, and anoint the fore oc the fear therewith ; and this you muft do for twenty daies. But whatfhould be the reafon that this bailey afhes fhould caufe, not white hairs, but the like in colour to the reft, to grow upon the fears or fores of horfes whereupon if is calf, that, Alexander Aphrodiftui afcribes to thi?, becaufe barley hath in it a purga- tive and cleaning force, and fo wafteth and expelleth the humors,and all the naughty fluff, that was gathered by the fore into that parr, becaufe it was maimed, and con- fequendy nor fowell able to relieve it felf. Neither yet will 1 here omit thattoyifh experiment whereby we may
Procure in Oxen a counterfeit fhctv of fatnejfe*
If you take an Oxe Will grown in years, and make a hole into his thigh, and blew wind thereby into him, and afterward give him meat, he will fhewfat, though, indeed he be very lean. We may alio, by giving them feme kind of water to drink
C*ufe the flexes and hides of cattel to be of divers colours,
as tAZliantts fheweth. The River Crathis iffords one channel that makes bcafts white .• for Oxen and -heep, and all four-footed beafts, as Theophraftus faith , as foon as they drink of it, become white, though before they were red or black. In Eubcea , all for the moll part, are white Oxen by nature. Sheep, by reafon of the diveruty of mater which they drink, do divcrfly change their colour j the force and nature of the Rivers working this change in them, efpecially at every ramming time. Some are turned from black to white, and contrariwiie, fome are turned from white to black: thefe alterations are commonly feen neer to the River Antandrus, and ncer alio to a certain River in Thracia. The River Scamander, which is neer unto Troy, makes as many Sheep as drink of the water thereof, to become yellow. We may alfo corjc&ure and forefee by certain outward bodily figns in the Dam or Sire,
What colour their joung ones will be of.
To foreknow the colour of young Mules, we muft take fpecial example of the hairs of their Dams ears and eye-lids : forhowfoever the reft of their body is of one and the fame colour , yet in thefe two parts we may difcern fo many and fuch co- lours as the foal (hall have, as Columella writeth. So if you look under the Rams tongue, you fhall there find certain veins ; which if they be black, then will the Lambs be black alfo ; but if they be white, then he hath begotten white Lambs : for look what colour thefe veins are of, with the fame colour will the fleece of the Lambe be overfpread • infomuch that if there be fun dry colours in them, there will be alfo fundry like colours upon the Lambes, as Arifiotle, Democrittu and Vidymnt do witneffe. Now, how we may
Know bj the eggey whether the chickjvhen it is hatcht, will be a Cocf^ or a Hexy
*5i(l vd snob srt o)»h)i jtrfj tftz'M ' *'•** ,f "•.•>-..'**
Arijlotle tca.heth us : for, faith he, if the egge be exactly round, then it will yield
*7
a Cock-chicken ; but if it be {Somewhat long, then it yields an Hen-bird : the rea- tbn is, becauie in things that are round, the natural heat is more kindly and ftrongly compacted together.
Now we will fpeak of the fociablencffe and familiarity which a certain Pic had with a friend of mine: who by this pretty device did make the Pie iowell acquainted with him, and fo fcrviceable to him, that (he would flic unto him, not only for the fupplying of her daily wants, but as it were for love, never forfaking him night or day. The device was this. While (he was yet unfeathcred intheneft, he broke off her lower beak, evenio her very jaws, that the poor wretch could not eatany meat but that which was put into her mouth with hands; and he himfelf gave her with his own hands all the meat (he did car. After that, (he would flie to his tren- cher at dinner and fupper, and would prate and chat unto him very flippant ; info* much that nothing could be l'poken in the houfc, but (he would imitate it,and fpeak it again ; and not only frame her tongue to their words, but her body alfo to the imitating and refembling of their actions. And he was wont it ill to leave her loofe ac home, and flie would flic about everywhere- but (till at dinner and fupper times (he would return home.lt fell out that the man had occafion to go from home fifteen oc fixteen days journey : fhc would alwayes bear him company, now and then flying a great way before him, and would (it flili upon a bough till he came at her ; and then (he would leap upon his cap and his (houlders, frisking about him for very joy ; and fometimes flaying behind him • and then when he was gone a great way before, (he would in all hafte flie away after to overtake him:and (he was alfo his continual bed- fellow; andyettothisday he hath her, and enjoyeth her familiar company. But* concerning the general tranfmutation and change of living creatures, letthefe thing; be fomcicnt which we have already fpoken*
How to make a bird, [oc table and familiar -with thee.
L
The
58
the n
THIRD BOOK
O F
Natural Magick •
D
Which delivereth certain precepts of Husbandry • and (hcweth how to intermingle fundry kinds of Plants, and how to produce new kinds.
The P R O E M E.
\A7Ehave rehear fed concerning divers kjnds of new living (freatures ; nowtyalll fpeal^ of Plants j whtchravifh with Admiration the eyes and mtndsof thofe that content* plate on them, with their abundant pleafantntffe, and wonderful Elegancy. Ihefe bring more profit, and by thefe a natural Phtlojofher mayfeem more admirable. For ufe made with the earth , is more honrft and honourable then With other things • and the ground never grows old or barren^ but ts everywhere naturally rank^to deceive new feed, and to pro* dttce new ; and u ever unfatisfied in fruttfulnejfe, and brings perpetual tncreafe- and if nature be alwayes admirable, jhe will [tern more wonderful in Plants, Copulation was b ut of ane kind, here it is almoft infinite ; and not onelj every Tree can be ingrafted into ever y Tree, but one tree may be adulterated with them all. Living Creatures of divers kinds were not eafily produced , and thofe that come from other Countries were hard to get: here is no difficulty at all : grafts are fetcht and fent, if need be, to any part of the world. And if diver fty of (freatures are made m Africa, by their copulating when they meet at the %jvers, that fo new creatures are alwayes produced ; here in Italy, where the Air is alwayes calme, and the Climate very indulgent, grange and wilde plants find a good harbour, and ground to grow in, which is the mother ar.d nounfher of all, and fo fruitful to produce new and diver fity of plants, that tt can hardly be exhaufled. And we can bet- terwrite of them, andhnow the truth more then others, becaufe we have them ft til before our eyes, and Jtn opportunity to conjider of their effetls. Ar.d if our Anceftors found n.a- ny new things, we by adding to theirs, have found many more, and fhall produce more excellent things overpaying them,becaufe daily by our art, or by chance ; by nature, or new experience, new plants are made. Diodorus write s, that the Vine at firft was but one^ and that was wtlde ; but now by the help of Bacchus alone, from the quality of the ground, the nature o f the climate, and the art of planting, it is varied ir to mar.y kinds, that it were madnejfe to numb r them up , and not worth our time.l^ature brought forth but one kind of Pear-tree : now fo many mens names are honoured by it, that one is called Decuma- na , another Dolabelliana, and another is named from Decumius and Dolabclia. The fame thing is obferved in Figges, of Livy and Pompcy. Quinces are of many kinds ; fome called Mariana from Marius, Manliana/roTw Manliu*, Appiana Claudiara f-om Appius Claudius, Cetfiana from Ceftius : their varieties have made the Authors names immortal. What fhall I fay of Laurel cherries, found in Pliny his timet what of Citrons? which as Atheraeus faith, were too fharp to eat in the days of Theophraftus,*^ the ance- ftors o/Plutark and Pliny; but Palladium made them to become fweet. What oj the Teach and Almond-peach Nuts, fruits our fore- father s knew not , yet now are they eaten% being pleaf ant and admirable? what of Clove-gillifiowers, that the Cjardrers Art hath made Jo dainty and frveet fcented ? and fo of ether plants I have everywhere fet down in this workj Our 'Naples abounds fo with them,that we would not go forth to fee the Orchards of the Hefpertde t, Alcinus, Semiramis, and at Memphis, that were made to hang above grwnd. But /fhall briefly and plainly relate the Hiftory.
Chip.
Of the Trodu&idri of new Tlants*
Chap. t.
How new kinds of Plants may be generated of putrefattion.
S we have fhcwed before, chat new kinds of Living Creatures miy be generated of putrefaction fo, to proceed in the fame order as we have begun , we will now (hew that new kinds of Plants may grow up of their own accord, without any help of feed or fuch like. The Antientsqueition- lefs were of opinion, that divers plants were generated of the earth and water mixt together; and that particular places did yield certain particular plants. We rehearied the opinion of Diogenes before, who held that plants are generated of water pu- trifled ink felf, and a little earth tempered therewith. Theofhrafttu held, that the rain caufeth much putrefaction and alteration in the earth, and thereby plants may benourifhed, the Sun working upon it with his heating, and with his drying; operation. They write alio, that the ground when it is flirred, brings forth fuch kinds of Plants alwaies, as are ufuall in the fame place. In the ifUCreta, the ground is of that nature, that if it be tfirrcd anywhere, and bo other thing fown or planted in it, it will of it felf bringfortha Cyprefle'tree: and their tilled lands, thofe that are fomewhat moitt , when they lie fallow, bring forth thi- flles. So the herb Laferin Africa, is generated of a kind of pitchy or clammy rain and thick dirt ; and the herb will fhew it felf out of the earth prefently afcerthe rain is fallen, Tlmy faid, that the waters which fall from above, arethecaufe of every thing that grows upon the earth, nature (hewing therein her admirable work and power: and many fuch things they report , which we have fpoken of in the books of the knowledge of Plants. And I my ielf have oft-times by experierce proved , chat ground digged out from under the loweft foundations of certain houfes , and the bottom of fome pits, and laid open in fome fmall veflel to the force of the Sun , hath brought forth divers kinds of Plants. And wher-ras T had oftentimes, partly for my own pleafure, and partly to fearch into the works of Nature , fought out and garnered together earths of divers kinds, 1 laid them abroad in the Sun , and watered them of- ten with a little fprinkling, and found thereby , that a fine lighc earth would bring forth herbs that had flight Italkes like a rufh, and leaves full of fine lit- tle ragges ; and likewife that a rough and fliff earth full of holes, would bring forth a flight herbe , hard as wood , and full of cfevifes. In like man- ner, if I took of the earth that had been digged cut of the thick woods,or out of moift places, or cut cf the holes that are in hollow ftones , it would bring forth herbs that had fmooth blewilh ftalkes, and leaves full of juice and fubftance, fuch as Peny-wort, Puiflme, Senegreek, and Stone-croppe. Wc made trial alfo of feme kinds of earth that had been farre fetcht , fuch as they had ufed for the ballaft of their Shippes ; and we found fuch herbs ge- cerated thereof , as we knew not what they were. Nay further alfo, even out of very roots and barks of Trees, and rotten feeds, powned and buried, and there macecrated with water , we have brought forth in a manner the very fame herbs ; as out of an Oken root , the herb Polypody , and Osk-fern , and Splenewort , or at leaft fuch herbs as did refemble thofe, both in making and in properties. What fhould I here rehearfe, how many kinds of toad-ftools and puffs we have produced? yea, of every fcveral mixture of putrified things * fo many feveral kinds have been generated. All which I would here have fet down, if I could have reduced them into any method; or elfe if fuch plants had been produced > as I intended : but thofe same that were never