Section 9

A C*rPe is generated of putrefaftion,
Efpeciallyof the putrified mud of fweet water: for it is experienced, that in cer- tain Lakes,compafled about with Hills,where there is no Wcll,nor Kiver,to moiften it but only the rain, after fome few fhowers, there hath been great ftore of fifh, efpccially Carps: but there are fome of this kind generated by copulation. There arc alfo in certain particular Lakes, particular kinds of fiihes, as in the Lemane, and the Benacian Lakes, there be divers kind of Carpcs, and other fuch fifhes. Likewife there are certain
Earthly fifhes generated of pntrefaUion.
Tliny reports, that in Paphlagonia, they dig out of deep ditches, certain earthly fifhes very good to be eaten • and it is fo in places where there is no (landing wa- ter- and he wonders that they (hould be generated without copulation : but Aire-
Of the (feneration of ^Animals. jj
ly it is by vertue of fome moifture, which he afcribes co the Wells, becaufe in fome of them fifhes are found. Likewife
Shel fijk are generated of the frothy mud,
.or elfe meerly of the falt-water ; for they have neither feed, nor male, nor female; thehardneffe and clofenefle of their fhels, hindering all things from touching or rub- bing their inward parts, which might be fit tor generation, Anfiotle faith, they breed all of themfel?es; which appears by thi of a forthy mud putrified : and in many placeSjWliere no fuch thing was before,many fhel-fifhes have bred, when once the place waxed muddy,for lack of moifture.And that thefe fifhes emit no feed or generativ e matter, ic appears, becaufe that when the men of Chios had brought out of Lesbos many Oyfters, and caft them into Lakes neer the Sea, there were found no more then were caft in ; onely they were feme- what greater. So then Oyfters are generated in the Sea, in Rivers and in Lakes, and therefore are called Limnoftrea, becaufe they breed in muddy places. Oppiaws mites alfo, that they have neither male nor female, but are generated of themfelves and their own accord, without the help of any copulation. So the fifh called Orti- ca , and the Purple, and Mufcles, and Scallops, and Perwinkles, andLimpins, and all Shel-fifh are generated of mud: for they cannot couple together, but live only as plants live. And look how the mud differs , fo doth it bring forth different kinds of fifties : durty mud genders Oyfters, fandy mud Perwinkles,the mud in the Rocks breedeth Holoturia, Lepades, and fuch-like. Limpins, as experience hath fhewed, have bred of rotten hedges made to fifh by j and as foon as the hedges were gone, there have been found no more Limpins.
Chap. V.
That new kinds of living Creatures may be generated of divers beafis , by carnal copulation.
\\^E have (hewed that living Creatures are generated of putrefa&ionrnow we will fhew,that fundry kinds of beafts coupling together, may bring forth new kinds of CreaiUres, and thefe alfo may bring forth others ; fo that infinite monfters may be daily gendred : for whereas Ariftotle faith, that Africk alwayes brings forth fome new thing j the reafon thereof is this, becaufe the Country being in moft places dry, dners kinds of beafts come out of fundry quarters thither , where the Rivers were, and there partly for luft,and partly by conftraint, coupled together, and fo gendred divers monftrous Creatures. The Antients have fet down many fuch generations, and fome are lately devifed, or found out by chance ; and what may be hereafter, let men of learning judge. Neither let the opinions of feme Philofophers ftay us, which hold that of two kinds divers in nature, a third cannot be made, unlike to either of the parents; and that fome Creatures do not gender at all, as Mules do not : for we fee, that, contrary to the firft of thefe their pofitions, many Creatures are gene- rated of kinds divers in nature, and of thefe are generated others, to the perpetual confervation of this new kind ; as hath been tried in many Villages,that divers kinds coupling together, have brought forth other new kinds, differing from their proge- nitors every day more and more, as they multiply their copulations , till at length they are fcarce in any thing like the former. And againft their fecond Pofttion, we muft not think that the one example of Mules not gendring, fhould prejudice the common courfe of other creatures. The commiftionsor copulations, have divers ufes in Phyfick, and in Domeftical affairs, and in hunting : for hereby many proper- ties are conveyed into many Creatures. Firft, we will rehearle thole experiments, which the Antients have defcribed, and then thofe which new Writers have recor- ded, and our felves have feen in divers Countries. And by this, the ingenious Rea- der may find out others. But firft I will relate certain observations, which Arifto* tie and others have prefcribed, that this kind of generation may be more eaftly
H wrought,
34. Natural Magick, 'BooJ^z.
wrought. Firft, the creatures thus coupled, mutt be of an equal pitch j for if there be great oddes in their bigneffe , they cannoc couple: a dog and a wolf, a Lion and a panther, an Affe and a Horfe, a Partridge and a Hen, are of one bignefle, and therefore may couple together ; but a Horfe and a Dog, or a Mare and an Elephant, or a Hen and a Sparrow cannot.Secondly, they muft have one and the famefpaceto bring forth in : for if one of them bring forth in twelve rrioncths, and the other in fix, then the young will be ripe by one fide, when it is but half ripe by the other. A dog mult have two moneths, and a horfe muft have twelve : and the Phiiofopher ftith, no creature can be born, except he have his full time. So then a deg cannot be born of a man, nor a Horfe of an Elephanr, becaufethey differ in the time of their bearing. Again, the creatures which we would thus couple, muft be ore as iuftfui as the other : for a chafte creature, that ufeth coition hut once a year, if be have not his female at that time, he lofeth his appetite before he can fancy any ether mate : but thole which are full of luft, will eagerly couple with another kind as well astheirown. Among four-footed beafts, a dog,a goat, a iwine, anafs, bemoftla- fcivious ; among birds, partridges, quailes, doves, fparrows. Moreover, they muft be coupled at fuch a time as is fit for generation : for Nature hath prefcribed certain limes and ages fit for that work. The common time, is the Spring ; for then almoft all Creatures are prone to luft. The ages of them muft likewife be&c : for the ge- nerative power comes to creaturcs,at a fet age. Neither of them muft be barren, nor weak, nor too young ; for then their feed is unfit for generation : but both of them, if it may be, in the prime of their beft age and ftrength. If any creatures want appe- tite thereunto, there be many fligBts, whereby we may
UWake them eager in luft.
And if the female do caft out the feed, there be means to make her hold in it. Pro- vokements to luft there are mar.y let down by Writers, and fome ufual with us e/£- Uanu» writes, that keepers of fheep, and goats, andMare^, do befmear their hands with fait and nitre, and then rub the generative parts of them in the time of their coition, for their more luftful and eager performance of that action. Others be- fmear them with pepper, others with nettles feed, others with myrrh and nirre ; all of them kindle the appetite of the female, being well rubbed therewith, and make her ftand to her male. TheHe-goa^s,if you befmear their chin, and their noftrels with fweet ointmenr,are thereby much enclined to luft ; and contrariwife, if you tie a thred about the middle of their tail, they are nothing fo eager of copulation. Jib- fyrtm fheweth,that if you wipe off fome nature or feed of a mare, and therewith belmear the noftrils of a Stallion horfe, it will make him very luftful. Djdimus faith, that if Rams, or any other beafts, feed upon the herb Milk-wort, they will become both eager to luft, and ftronger for the aft of copulation. Pliny fheweth, that Onions encreafe defire of copulation in beafts, as the herb Rotchet doth in men. The She- afs, holds the feed within her the better, if prefently after copulation fhe be well beaten, and her genitories befprinkled with cold water, to make her run after it. Many fuch helps are recorded by thofe who have written the hiftories of living creatures.
Chap.VI.
How there may be Dogs of great courage, and divers rare properties, generated of divers ki»ds of Beafts.
\^/"E will firft fpeak of Dogs, as being a moft familiar creature with us, and fuiting with many beafts, in bigneffe, in like time of breeding ; and befides, being al- wayes ready for copulation,and very lecherous, oft-times coupling with beafts of a far divers kind, and fochangeth his fhape andfafhion, leaveth the bad qualities of his owakind,andis made fitter to hunt,to keep any thing from fpoii,to play or make fport,and for divers other ufes. And firft, how
Of the (feneration of Animals.
A flrong Indian-do* may be generated of a Tygre.
•This is called by fome,a Maftive ; by others a Warrior, or a Hircan-Dog/yfr//?^/* calls them Indian-dogs, and laith, they are generated of aDog-and aTygce ; and el.ewhere, of adog and another wilde beait, but henames .it not. Tim) write?, that the Indians intending to generate dogs of Tygres, fie the She-tygres in the woods about rutting time ; and dogs coupling with them engender young: but the firft and fecond births they care not for, as being too fierce ; but the third they bring up, as being milder and fitter for their ules. zAZliantts relates the ftory of this kind of Dogs, out of Indian Writers : that the ttouteft Bitches, and fuch as are fwifteft to run, and beft to hunt, are by the fhepherds tied to certain Trees within the Tygres walk : as foon as the Tygres light upon them , ' if they have not before met with their prey, they devour them; but if they be full of meat, and hot in luft, then they couple with the Bitches • and fo gencfate,nota Tygre,but a dog, their feed degenerating into the mothers kind. And thefe dogs thus gendred, fcom to hunt a Boar, or an Hart j but a Lion they will fet gallantly upon. A Noble man of In- dia made trial of the valor of thefe dogs, before Alexander the Great, on this manner: firft, he fet an Hart before him; but the Dog (coming the Hart, Bir- red not at him ; next, a Boar, but neither ftirred he at the Boar ; after that a Bear, but he fcorned the Beartoo: laftof all,aLion ;then the Dog feeingthat he had an even match in hand, rofe up very furioufly , and run upon the Lion, and took him by the throat, and (lined him. Then the Indian that fhewed this fport, and knew well this Dogs Valour, firft cut off his tail; but the Dog cared not for'his tail, in comparifon of the Lion which he had in his mouth : next, he cut off one of his Tegs; but the Dog held faft his hold ftill, as if it had been none of his legs: after "that, he cauied another of his leg? to be broken ; but the Dog flill kept his hold : after that, his third leg, and yet ftill he kept his hold : afifer that, his fourth leg, and yet the Dog was ft'll as fierce upon the Lion, as at the firft : Nay, when laft of all his head was cut off from his body,yet ftill it ftiickfaft by the teeth in the fame place, where he took his firft hold. Alexander feeing this, was much grieved for' the Dogs death, and greatly amazed at his valour, that he would rather feffer his life, then his courage to be taken from him. The Indian perceiving that, gave to Alex- anderfour fuch Dogs ; and he received them as a great Prefent, and accepted them gladly and thankfully : and moreover, rewarded the Indian that gave them, with a Princely reeompence. This fame ftory Fhiles alfo writes. But Diodorta Siculm and Strata, (ay that Sopithes a King, gave Alexander an hundred and fifty ofthefc Dogs, all very huge and ftrong, and ufually coupling with Tygres. And 'Pollux writes the fame. And Vlmark^ defcribes the Indian-dog, and his fight before Alex- ander , as it is before related : Pliny writes, that the King of Albania gave^ Alexan- der a great Dog, wherewith he was much delighted : but when he brought the Dog, firft Bears, then Boars, and then Deer, andfawhe would not touch them, being much offended that fo great a body fhould have fo little courage, he caufed him to bekilled. The King that gave him, hearing this, lent him another, and withal char- ged the Meffenger, that he fhould not be tryed in fmall matches, but either with a Lion or an Elephant. So then, Alexander caufed a Lion to be fet before him, and prefentlv the Dog killed him: afterward he tried him with an Elephant ; and the Dog briftled and barked at him, and affaulted him fo artificially every way, till the Elepha^ was giddy with turning abour, and fo fell down and was killed. (Jratius writesof this kind of dogs, thus generated of a Bitch and aTygre. There is alfo another kind of Dogs x
generated
\6 Natural Magick, Hool^i.
Generated of a Lion,
And thefe are ftrong Dogs, and good Hunters. 'Pollux faith, that Arcadian Dogs firftcame of a Dog and a Lion, and are called Lion-dogs. And Ceelittt writes the fame : and Oppianus commends the Arcadian Dogs, and thofe of Tegca, which is a Town of Acadia. This is alio
A firong and fwtft Dog, gendred of a kind of Wolf called lhosy
which, as Arifiotle writes , is in all his entrails like a Wolfs ; and is a firong beaft, fwift, and is wont to encounter the Lion. 'Pliny faith, it is a kind of Wolf ; Hefychituiiuh, it is like a Wolf • Herodotm, that it is gendred in Africa : Soltnnt calls them Ethiopian Wolves : Nearchtu calls thefe beads Tygres, and faith there be divers kinds of them. Wherefore Gratiut faith, that dogs generated of thefe Thoes, are ftrong, and fit to hunt ; and calls them halt-iavage, as coming of a tame Dog, and a favage kind of Wolf. There is alio a
Dog called Crocutay gendred of a 'Dog and a Wolf
Pliny faith, that thcfe Dogs break all things with their teeth, and prefently devour them. As the Indians join Tygres, fo do the Gaules join Wolves and Dogs together ; every herd of Wolves there, hath a Dog for their Ring-leader. In the Country of Cyrene in Libya, Wolves do couple with Dogs, as Artftotle and Pollux write. Galen in his book concerning the ufe of Parts, writes, that a Bitch may conceive by a He- wolf, and fo the She- wolf by a Dog, and retain each others feed, and ripen it to the bringing forth of both kinds. Diodorw faith, that the dog which the ./Ethiopi- an calls Crocut a , is a compound of the Nature of a Dog and a Wolf. When Ni- fhtu was hunting, one of his dogs eagerly purfued a (he-wolf, and overtaking her, began to line her, changing his fiercenefTe into luft. Albertus faith, that the great Dog called a Maftive, is gendred of a Dog and a Wolf. I my felf faw at Rome, a dog generated of a wolf ; and at Naples, a (he-wolf of a dog. Ovid, faith, that the dog Nape was conceived of a Wolf j and Ovid and Virgil both, mention the dogLycifca, which, as ///Wor? write?, are generated of wolves and dogs coupling together. Ccelitu call* thefe dogs Cbaonides j being gendred of a kind cf wolf called Chaos, as fome fuppofe, whence they have that nunc, Eut if we would ge- nerate fwift dogs, as Grey-hounds, we muft join dogs with fome fwift beafts. As , couple dogs and foxes together, and they will
Gender fwift Dogs} called Lacedamoman Dogs.
AriflotBy and out of him (jalen, report, that bcafts may couple together, though they be of a divers kind ; fo that their nature do not much differ, and they be of a like bigneffe, and thereby futabie for their times of breeding and bringing forth, as it is betwixt dogs and wolves ; of both which, arc gendred fwift dogs, called Lacedzmonian dogs : the firft births are of both kinds ; but in time, after fundry interchangeable generations, they take after the dam, and follow the kind of the female. 'Pollux faith, Thcfe arc called Alopecidz, fox-dogs i as Xenophou alfo writes of them, and makes them to be hunting dogs : and furely the beft and fwift eft hunting dogs, as Grey-hounds, are long-headed, and (harp-fnourcd, as foxes are. Hefychiw and Varintu call them Dog-foxes. But now, if we would genc« rate a kind of
Swift Dogs, and firong withal,
we muft make a medley of fundry kinds of dogs together ; as a Maftive and a Grey- hound gender a fwift,and withal a ftrong dog,as Arifiotle writes:or elfe couple a dog with a wolf, or with a Lion j for both thcfe mixtions have Hunts-men devifed ; the