Section 75

THE
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FIFTEENTH-BOOK
Natural Magick :
Shews to catch living Creatures with your hands,
and to dcftroy them.
The Proem i,
*y ^£ (ball ffeak. of Fawkni>-g , thit nrofi me*, and efpeeially great men, delight in. If you will catch living creatures, the} are taken by force, or by craft. They are taken by craft , and ki&ed. But how that may be done, fhJl be taught in Philojophy, that {hews the "Hat we and manners of living Creatures: Tor it is caftt,when you £»«a» their Natures and their Manners, cunning may find ways to allure and take them. Fir ft, I fh all teach how te- a/lure and take them, by meat, whiftle, light, fmell, love, and other frauds j or elfe to make them drunkj and take tbm, or to kill them with venome. IfhaUfet dewn examples.
Chap. I.
fft 4 W^At meats ^wers (°rts *f -Animals are allured.
f;; Here is nothing that more allures and draws on Animals , then meat and plealure , and love. Wherefore from thefcfrull I be- gin. They follow meat for neceffity; unlefs they would dye for hunger , ihey mu t fearch for that : Bnt divers Creatores feed on divers meats, andfomeof them feed on particular diet; and youmsy g>iCfs at the reft thereby by your ownieafon,
7he bait for a Sturgeon^ or fVhale»fifh. Srnrgcons or Whales are allured with the Lungs of a Bull rolled , hung upon a line with a hook, call into the fea ; the Sturgeon prefemly fmels it , and being greedy of it,prefentlv fwallows it down, and is caught with the hook : Oxen draw him to the
Chore. oElian.
A bait for a Sargtts.
The Sargus loves Goats exceedingly, as we fhall fhew , and hunts after the fmeil of them Wherefore the Fifhir-man wets his parte in Goats blood, and cafts it into that pare of the fea where they haunt ; and they are drawn thither by the fent of it, as by a charm, and arecatched with the hook. Moreover, if men fatten to the hook the bait that is made of a Moufe fifh fal ted, and move this gently in the fea, the Sar- gi will come to ic exceedingly, and gather about the hook for the love of it, and are eafi'y caught by their grccdineis after the meat.
tA bait for Thymalus. Ticinus a River in Italy prod ucet h a fifh called Thymalus, that is not taken with the d«nty baits that other fifh are, but onely with the Gnat, an enemy toman ; andfhe
delights in no other bait.
"the bait for an Aulopiut. Coradni, blackfifh, whofc heads fhine like Gold, allure the Aulopii ; when they ob- fcrve fome fuch dainty food, and they come to it rcjoycing.
Of Hunting, Fowling, Fifhing, &c.
A Bait for Stimmer-nhitings. The Btic is made of the Purple f fh ; for this is bound raft to the line, and this rnskes them iwim to the Bair,becavfe they love k;and when any one of them by greedinefs lays hold of the Bait, the reft will run after , and catch hold of the hooks , that for number you Chall hardly draw them to you , fo many will b; hanged together by fe- veral hooks.
Bait for an Eel.
Eels lie in their holes ; and the mouthes of their holes being fmeered in the ponds with feme odoriferous things , they are called forth as other Fifh are. Anflotla Yet Pltny faith falfe, that they are not allured , but driven away by the font of dead Eels. Ofiantu wittily faith, they are allured with garbage. Would y ou knew
A Bait for Mullets.
Beciufe the Julides are a Bait almoH for all Fifh , or your groundlings or little Sea- fquils j therefore they are a part of all Baits. Or , take of the Liver of the Tuny Fifh, four drachms ; Sea-fquils,eight drachma ; Sefamum-fecd, four drachms ; Beans ground, eight drachms ; of raw Dog-fiflh , two drachms : pown all thefe, and make them up with new Wine diftillcd into balls, for good Baits. This is
A Bait for all Fifh.
Tartntinm teacheth us this for all Fifh : Take of the flrong Whale% eight drachms ; yellow Butterflies, Annifeed, Checfe of Goats Milk , of each four drachms ; of O- popenax, two drachms . Hogs blood, four; as much Galbanum : pown them all, and pour on fo v. re Wine : make cakes, and dry them ia the Sun,
Chap, II.
How Hiring Qrtatwes are drawn on with the baits of love.
THere are two Tyrants that rule over brute Beafts, meat, and pleafnre or love; not fmell,noi found:nor fumes ; nor do other things allure their minds beGdeslove: that we may fay of wilde Be*fts as well as of man , Wanton love can do any thing with mortal Creature*. If we will
Take Cutties with the bait of love ; To take Cuttles there needs neither wheels nor nets ; but you may catch them thu-, with baits of love, to trail the Female Cuttle, and the Male fccii git never fo far off, fwims presently after, and fafteneth cloic about her ; and whilft they thus embrace, the Fifhcrs cunningly take them up.
To catch a Pollard or Cftpito. */£lian faith, that in the Grecian Gulph, the fharp-fighted Cupito is ; but I have feen ihcm taken in the Adriatick Sea by the fury of love. The Fifher bindes the Female either to a long fifli-pole,or to along rope ; but fhr muft be fair and fat : for the Male cares not for one that is lean : fo is he drawn to the fhore : or,hc folows the net; and you muftobferve how to lay hold of him : for when the Female is drawn, the Mjles fwim after her,beingfuiioufly in love ; the Fifher man cafts in his net,and takes them.
To catch a Scartu or Gilthead. The Scarus of all Fifh is the moft lafcivicus; his unfatiable defire of the Female, is the caufe that he is taken ; cunning Fifhermen that know this , lay fnares for him thus : They catch the Female, and tie the top of her mouth to a tore, and they craw her a- live through ihc^ea in fuch places as they haunt : the Males arc mad vvuh lufr when they fee her, and ftrive to ccme at her,and ufe all fuch means as lovers do : hut when they come neer the net, the Fifhci draws in the Female, and the Males lwim- aaing ia after her, are catcht. Opanm% Yy T&
ftO Natural Magick. cBoo!^ i$.
To catch Elephants.
There is a Pic made 10 catch Elephants , and four Females are put in to allure the Males i the Maies come, and enter into the Pic : bu- thole that lie in wait,puil away the Bridge, and lb they have the Elephants faft. ofLhan.
To catch a Ni^htinoale.
The Female Nightingale is fhut in a Case , the Fowler counterfeits their note ; the Males come when they hear it ; and lceing the Female , the Male flies about till he fall into the ncr.
Chap. III.
Alfo other Animals are c died, together by thivgs the) like.
A Lib, feme Animals by Sympathy , are drawn by the love of fome things, or of fome other Creatures, which he that lays lnarcs obferving, ufeth fuch meats for them, that whillt they follow what they love, they may fall into the fnares. If you would know how
To catch a Sargus j
It is a mad way to catch them. The Sargi love Goats unmeafurably j and they are fr> mad after them, that when lo much as the (hadow of a Goat , that feeds neer the (hore.fhsll appear neer unto them, they prelently leap for joy,and iwim to it in haftej and they imitate the Goats , though they are not fit to leap: and thus they delight to come unto them. They are therefore cacch'd by thofe things they fo much defire. Whereupon, the Filher putting on a Goats skin with the horns, lies in wait for them, having the Sun bchinde his back , and pafte made wet with the decoftion of Goats flefh : this he cafis into the Sea where :he Sargi ule to come; and they, as if they werechatmed, runtoit, and are much delighted with the fight of theGoats skin, and feed on the pafte. Thus the Fitherman catchcth abundance of them. dElian. Opian doth elegantly defcribe it thus :
The Sargi doth rt*n mad for love of Goats,
And a little after,
7 he cunmrg F'jher hid in a (joats .r£/«,
(Jfric.kts two Cats horns unto hu temples faft ;
His bait mix%d with Goats bhcd1 / e doth within ,
7 he Sea let loofe. 7 he Sargiu ccrr.es m hafte :
For of the bait he deerly loves the fmeHy
And the (joats shin doth tole htm en m well.
How tc catch Cartridge.
■
Partridge love Deer exceedingly , and are cofened by their skin. Thus: If a man pot on aDeer*s skin, and the horns upon his head, andecme clofely to them ; they fuppciiWg it is a Deer indeed, will entertain him , and draw neer if him ; acd will not flie aw»y; and rmbrare him as much as one would do* Friend, come from a long journey : but by this great friend linefs , they get nothing bur nets and fnares.
Catching of Buftardst
Buftards of all Birds are thought to be mcft in love with Horfes ; and it appears, be- caufc they cannot endure other living creatures, but when they lee a Horfe,they will prefently flie to him, with great joy, and come neer to him. If a man put on ahorie skin, he may catch as many as he plcafe 5 lor they will come neer for love of the horfe. So almoll are rl»
Of Hunting, Fowling, Fifhing, &c.
Ths Polypi or Pourcontrels taken?
The Polypi take delight in the Olive tree , and they are oft-times found faflned wich their claws about the body cf k: fometimes alio , they are found clapping about the Fig-tree that grows neer the Sea , and eating the Figs , faith Clearchus. Wherefore Fifhers let down an Olive bough into the Sea, where the Polypi ule to be. In fhort fpace, without any labour, they draw up as many Polypi as they will. Opian handfomcly defcribes it thus :
The Polypus doth love the Olive tree, And by the fpeckjed leaves {'tis wonder) he Is catch 'd, "
He is enraged for the Olive ■ bough, The wary Fijher doth by this know how To catch this Fijh : for he doth bmde about A piece of Lead> an Olive- branch throughout r The Fifh lays hold, and will net let it qo ; He loves it} and it proves his overthrow.
Chap. IV.
What noifts will allure Birds,
NOt onely Iove,but noifes and Mufick will draw them : and each creature delights in fomefpecial noife. Firft,
The Dolphin loves the Harp,
And with this Mufick is he moft delighted , as alfo with the found of the Organ?. Hence Herodotus firft, and others from him, report , that Arion was carried to Tena- rus on a Dolphins back : for when the men of Corinth call him into the Sea, he beg» ged that he mi^ht have bis Harp with him, and might fing one fong as he was thrown in. But a Dolphin took him, and brought him to Tenarus. Opiau,
A Wolf is charmed by a LMinftrelor Flute. A Minflrel at Pythiocara , when he fang and played very pleafantly , he made the Wolves tame. *AZliau.
Her fes delight in xhcMufick^of the Flute.
The Horfesof Lybia are fo taken with the noife of the F'ute , that they will grew traceable for mans ufe thereby, and not be obftinate. Shepherds make a Shepherds Pipe of Rhododaphne ; and by piping on this, they will fo delight Horfes, that they will run after them : and when the Shepherds play on,the Horfes will rtand ftifl, and weep for joy. Euripides faith, that Shepherds provoke Mares to take Horfe, by play- ing on a Pipe ; and the Horfes are fo provoked to back the Mares.
Stags and Bores are taken with a Pipe. It is a common faying among the Tynheni. that Bores and Stags are taken moft with them by Mufick: which fo comes to pafs. Nets being pitch d, and all things m?de ready for to enfnarc them, a man that can play well on the Flute, goes through dales and hills, and woodland plays as hegoes,neer their haunts : they liftcn exceeding- ly after it, and are eaftly taken by it : for they arc foravi&ed , that they foryt where they arc. And thus by delight they fall into the fnare, and are taken. e/£- lian.
7 be Paftinica is taken by dancing and tJMufick*
Again
When the Fifheraun fees the Paftinica, or Ray , fwimming , he leaps ridiculoufly in
Y y a his
Natural Magick. 2>00^if.
his Boat, and begins to play on the Pipe : the Paftinaca is much taken with it, and fo comes to the top of the water, and another lays hold of him with his Engine.
Grampels by Mufick^are enticed on land, Fifhermen catch Grampels by Mnfick : feme lie hid , others begin to play with the Pipe : when the Grampels hear the Mufick, they presently come forth of their holes, as if they had been charmed ; and they are io raviftied, that they will come out of the waters. Thefe go back and play on the Pipe, the others run and catch them on dry Land.
Cm a p. V.
Fifhes are allured by light in the night*
AMongrt the many Arts to deceive Animals, Light is one : for at night , when fomeFHh reft, Fifhermen carrying Light in their Boats, draw thefe Fifh to them , and fo flrike them with a three-forked Spear , or catch them alive. Which Opian knew.
Either at noon, or when the Sun doth fety Are Fifhes caught^ or elfe in the darkjiighty By burning torches taken in the'Het • For whtlft they takefuch pleafure in the Light , The Fifherman doth fir ike them with hu dartt Or elfe doth catch them then by fome fuch Art,
Many men have been much troubled how to make a Fire or Light under Water , that Fishes feeing it afar off, might fwim to it. 1 have done it thus : I made a Pil- lar of Brafs or Lead , three or four foot diameter : it was flaarp or pyramidal below, that it might fink the better into the deep ; end it was bound about with iron hoops, that being funk by its weight, it might be drawn under the water : I fet on the top a Pipe that was fifteen or twenty foot long, and one foot broad. The middle of this Pillar had many open windows , five or fix , and thefe were Glafs-windows , well poliftied and fitted to them , and the joynts were well glued with Pitch , that no water could come in. I funk the Pillar by its weight in a place fit for it ; but the mouth ©f the Pipe ftood at leaft two foot above water : then I let down a lighted Candle into the belly cf the Pillar by the Pipe, with a cord; and it was fo provided, that what motion foever it had , it fhould always ftand upright. Thr Light pafled through the windows into the waters, and by reflexion made a Light that might be feen under water very far : to this Light, abundance of Fifh came,and I catched them with Nets.
Chap. VI.
That by Looking-Glajfes many Creatures *re brought together,
IF Females be wanting,Looking-Glaffes may ferve to make reflexion of themfelves; fo thefe Creatures , deluded by their own pidures, are drawn thither. Alfo Li- quors may ferve in tread of Glaflcs,
The Cuttle u taken with a Glafs. Glaflfes put into wood are let down by a cord by theFiftiermen into the waters* and as they flote, they are drawn by degrees : the Cuttle feeing himfelf in it , cafts himfelf at bis own image ; and laying fart hold of the wood with his claws, whilft he looks upon his own picture as enamored by it,he is circumvented by the Net, and taken.
A Jackdaw is taken with 4 Looking Glafs,
Jack-
Of Hunting, Fowling, Fljhing, &c. 333
Jackdaws love themfelves : the Fowler following to take them, invents fuch waves ; for where he fees they flock , there he fets a Bafon full of Oyl ; the curiciii Bird coming thither, fits on the brim of the Veflel, looking down to fee her own Piclure ; and becanfe &e thinks that fhe fees another Jackdaw, (he hattens to flee dc wn, and fo falls into the Oyl, and the thick Oyl Hicks to her , and i"o fhe is catched wichouc fnares or nets.
How Quails are taken with a Lookjng-Glaftt.
flearchus faith, that Quails fpend their feed not only when they fee the Female?^ but when they hear their cry alfo. The caufe is the imprcfllon in their mindes , which you fhall know when they couple , if you fet a Locking Glafs againft them, and before that a Gin : for running foolifhly to their picture in the Glafs , they fee they are catchr. Athenam and Ettfiathim .
Chap. VII.