Chapter 10

Churls speak of him [the wolf] and say that a man loseth his voice, if the wolf seeth him first. Therefore to a man that is suddenly still, and leaveth to speak it is said, "Lupus est in fabula," "The wolf is in the tale." And certainly if he know that he is seen first, he loseth his boldness, hardihood, and fierceness. The wolf is an evil beast, when he eateth, and resteth much when he hath no hunger: he is full hardy, and loveth well to play with a child, if he may take him; and slayeth him afterward, and eateth him at the last. It is said, that if the wolf be stoned, he taketh heed of him that threw the first stone, and if that stone grieveth him he will slay him: and if it grieveth him not, and he may take him that throweth that stone, he doth him not much harm, but some harm he doth him as it were in wrath, and leaveth him at last.... The wolf may not bend his neck backward in no month of the year but in May alone, when it thundereth. And when he goeth by night to a fold for to take his prey, he goeth against the wind for hounds should not smell him. And if it happeth in any wise that his foot maketh noise, treading upon anything, then he chasteneth that foot with hard biting.... I have read in a book that a string made of a wolf's gut, put among harp strings made of the guts of sheep, destroyeth and corrupteth them, as the eagle's feathers put among culvours', pulleth and gnaweth them, if they be there left together long in one place.

He [the cat] is a full lecherous beast in youth, swift, pliant, and merry, and leapeth and reseth on everything that is to fore him: and is led by a straw, and playeth therewith: and is a right heavy beast in age and full sleepy, and lieth slyly in wait for mice: and is aware where they be more by smell than by sight, and hunteth and reseth on them in privy places: and when he taketh a mouse, he playeth therewith, and eateth him after the play. In time of love is hard fighting for wives, and one scratcheth and rendeth the other grievously with biting and with claws. And he maketh a ruthful noise and ghastful, when one proffereth to fight with another: and unneth is hurt when he is thrown down off an high place. And when he hath a fair skin, he is as it were proud thereof, and goeth fast about: and when his skin is burnt, then he bideth at home; and is oft for his fair skin taken of the skinner, and slain and flayed.

Physiologus speaketh of the Panther and saith that he hateth the dragon, and the dragon fleeth him: and when he hath eat enough at full, he hideth him in his den, and sleepeth continually nigh three days, and riseth after three days and crieth, and out of his mouth cometh right good air and savour, and is passing measure sweet: and for the sweetness all beasts follow him. And only the dragon is a- feared when he heareth his voice, and fleeth into a den, and may not suffer the smell thereof; and faileth in himself, and looseth his comfort. For he weeneth that his smell is very venom.

All four-footed beasts have liking to behold the divers colours of the panther and tiger, but they are a-feared of the horribleness of their heads, and therefore they hide their heads, and toll the beasts to them with fairness of that other-deal of the body, and take them when they come so tolled, and eat them.

The mermaid is a sea beast wonderly shapen, and draweth shipmen to peril by sweetness of song. The Gloss on Is. xiii. saith that sirens are serpents with crests. And some men say, that they are fishes of the sea in likeness of women. Some men feign that there are three Sirens some-deal maidens, and some-deal fowls with claws and wings, and one of them singeth with voice, and another with a pipe, and the third with an harp, and they please so shipmen, with likeness of song, that they draw them to peril and to shipbreach, but the sooth is, that they were strong hores, that drew men that passed by them to poverty and to mischief. And Physiologus saith it is a beast of the sea, wonderly shapen as a maid from the navel upward and a fish from the navel downward, and this wonderful beast is glad and merry in tempest, and sad and heavy in fair weather. With sweetness of song this beast maketh shipmen to sleep, and when she seeth that they are asleep, she goeth into the ship, and ravisheth which she may take with her, and bringeth him into a dry place, and maketh him first lie by her, and if he will not or may not, then she slayeth him and eateth his flesh. Of such wonderful beasts it is written in the great Alexander's story.

The tiger is the swiftest beast in flight, as it were an arrow, for the Persees call an arrow Tigris, and is a beast distinguished with divers specks, and is wonderly strong and swift. And Pliny saith that they be beasts of dreadful swiftness, and that is namely known when he is taken, for the whelp is all glimy and sinewy; and the hunter lieth in await, and taketh away the whelps, and fleeth soon away on the most swift horse that he may have. And when the wild beast cometh and findeth the den void, and the whelps away, then he reseth headlong, and taketh the fore of him that beareth the whelps away, and followeth him by smell, and when the hunter heareth the grutching of that beast that runneth after him, he throweth down one of the whelps; and the mother taketh the whelp in her mouth, and beareth him into her den and layeth him therein, and runneth again after the hunter. But in the meantime the hunter taketh a ship, and hath with him the other whelps, and scapeth in that wise; and so she is beguiled and her fierceness standeth in no stead, and the male taketh no wood rese after. For the male recketh not of the whelps, and he that will bear away the whelps, leaveth in the way great mirrors, and the mother followeth and findeth the mirrors in the way, and looketh on them and seeth her own shadow and image therein, and weeneth that she seeth her children therein, and is long occupied therefore to deliver her children out of the glass, and so the hunter hath time and space for to scape, and so she is beguiled with her own shadow, and she followeth no farther after the hunter to deliver her children.

Avicenna saith that the bear bringeth forth a piece of flesh imperfect and evil shapen, and the mother licketh the lump, and shapeth the members with licking.... For the whelp is a piece of flesh little more than a mouse, having neither eyes nor ears, and having claws some-deal bourgeoning, and so this lump she licketh, and shapeth a whelp with licking.... And it is wonder to tell a thing, that Theophrastus saith and telleth that bear's flesh sodden that time (of their sleeping) vanisheth if it be laid up, and is no token of meat found in the almery, but a little quantity of humour.... When he is taken he is made blind with a bright basin, and bound with chains, and compelled to play, and tamed with beating; and is an unsteadfast beast, and unstable and uneasy, and goeth therefore all day about the stake, to the which he is strongly tied. He licketh and sucketh his own feet, and hath liking in the juice thereof. He can wonderly sty upon trees unto the highest tops of them, and oft bees gather honey in hollow trees, and the bear findeth honey by smell, and goeth up to the place that the honey is in, and maketh a way into the tree with his claws, and draweth out the honey and eateth it, and cometh oft by custom unto such a place when he is an-hungered. And the hunter taketh heed thereof, and pitcheth full sharp hooks and stakes about the foot of the tree, and hangeth craftily a right heavy hammer or a wedge tofore the open way to the honey. And then the bear cometh and is an- hungered, and the log that hangeth there on high letteth him: and he putteth away the wedge despiteously, but after the removing the wedge falleth again and hitteth him on the ear. And he hath indignation thereof, and putteth away the wedge despiteously and right fiercely, and then the wedge falleth and smiteth him harder than it did before, and he striveth so long with the wedge, until his feeble head doth fail by oft smiting of the wedge, and then he falleth down upon the pricks and stakes, and slayeth himself in that wise. Theophrastus telleth this manner hunting of bears, and learned it of the hunters in the country of Germany.

A fox is called Vulpes, and hath that name as it were wallowing feet aside, and goeth never forthright, but always aslant and with fraud. And is a false beast and deceiving, for when him lacketh meat, he feigneth himself dead, and then fowls come to him, as it were to a carrion, and anon he catcheth one and devoureth it. The fox halteth always, for the right legs are shorter than the left legs. His skin is right hairy rough and hot, his tail is great and rough; and when an hound weeneth to take him by the tail, he taketh his mouth full of hair and stoppeth it. The fox doth fight with the brock for dens, and defileth the brock's den, and hath so the mastery over him with fraud and deceit, and not by strength.... The fox feigneth himself tame in time of need, but by night he waiteth his time and doeth shrewd deeds. And though he be right guileful in himself and malicious, yet he is good and profitable in use of medicine.

THE SOURCES OF THE BOOK

ADAMANTIUS (fl. 258). Origen it quoted under this name. His commentaries on the Old Testament are the works quoted from.

AEGIDIUS CORBOLIENSIS, of Corbeil (d. 1220). A doctor at Montpellier, and Canon of Paris.

ALANUS DE INSULIS, OR DE RYSSEL (d. 1202). A monk of Canterbury, most probably an Englishman. His principal work is a poem in 9 books, called ANTI-CLAUDIANUS, largely quoted by all Middle Age writers. An account of it is given in the notes on the Secreta Secretorum (E.E.T.S.). He also wrote DE PLANCTU NATURAE, PARABOLAE, etc.

ALBERTUS MAGNUS (1193-1280). A famous doctor in the University of Paris and a Dominican Theologian. The works quoted are commentaries on the Natural Histories of Aristotle. They have often been printed. He was teacher of Thomas Aquinas and a contemporary of our author.

ALBUMAZAR (d. 886). An Arab astronomer.

ALCUIN (735-804). An English theologian: the work quoted is his "De Septem Artibus."

ALEXANDER NECKHAM, OR NEQUAM (1157-1217). His principal work is "De Naturis Rerum," a book little known on the Continent. Its use by Bartholomew is thus another proof of his English birth.

ALFARAGUS (9th cent.). An Arab astronomer, whose work is notable as being the chief source of the celebrated astronomical treatise, "The Sphere," of Johannes Sacrobosco (John of Halifax), a contemporary Englishman. It was the popular text-book for over three centuries, and was as well known as Euclid.

ALFREDUS ANGLICUS (fl. 1200). A physician and translator of Aristotle. See JACOB'S AESOP for a discussion on his works.

AL GHAZEL (1061-1137). A sceptic opponent of Averroes.

AMBROSE (d. 397). The Hexameron is the work used.

ANSELM (1033-1109). Theologian, Archbishop of Canterbury. The inventor of Scholasticism.

ARCHELAUS. A Greek geographer.

ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.). I would refer the reader to BRÈCHILLET JOURDAIN on the EARLY TRANSLATIONS OF ARISTOTLE, where he will find a mine of information on the works of this writer used in the Middle Age.

AUGUSTINE (d. 430).

AURORA, THE. A metrical version of the Bible by PETRUS DE RIGA, Canon of Rheims (d. 1209).

AVERROES (d. 1217). Moorish commentator on Aristotle.

AVICEBRON (d. 1070), OR IBN GEBIROL. A Spanish Jew. Author of the FONTIS VITA. A work translated by Gundisalvi, of the greatest influence on the Metaphysic of the Middle Age. See MUNCK, MÉLANGES.

AVICENNA (980-1036). An Arab physician, and commentator on Aristotle.

AYMON, OR HAYMON (d. 1244). An English Franciscan, afterwards General of the Order, who revised the breviary and rubrics.

BASIL (329-379). In HEXAMERON.

BEDE (673-735). The work by which he was best known in the thirteenth century was not his History but the works on the _Calendar_, etc.

BELETH, JOHN (before 1165). A French writer on ecclesiastical matters.

BERNARD (1091-1153).

BESTIARIUM. A collection of early myths on animals; of Eastern origin. There are many different forms of this work. All are founded on Physiologus.

BOETHIUS (470-526). His treatise on arithmetic is the work quoted here. His "Consolation" was almost unknown in the early Middle Age, his popularity resting on his translations of Aristotle and his treatises on Music and Arithmetic, the latter being a very important work in the history of the science.

CALLISTHENES, PSEUDO-. Author of the HISTORIA ALEXANDRI MAGNI DE PRELIIS. See BUDGE'S Syriac Version of this work.

CASSIODORUS (480-575). DE SEPTEM DISCIPLINIS. One of the favourite Middle Age Text-Books.

CATO (233-151 B.C.). On AGRICULTURE.

CHALCIDIUS (3rd cent.). A commentator on the TIMAEUS of Plato. Only a part of this is preserved.

CICERO (107-44 B.C.). In SOMN. SCIPIONIS.

CONSTANTINUS AFER (d. 1087). A Benedictine monk of Monte Cassino, and most probably the introducer of Arab medicine into Italy. He wrote the VIATICUM and the PANTEGNA (20 books). He introduced Arab medicine into Europe through the School of Salerno, translating many Arab authors.

CYPRIAN (d. 285). A Syriac astrologer, afterwards Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr in the Diocletian persecution.

DAMASCENE (11th cent.). Quoted by Constantinus Afer. A physician.

DAMASCENE, JOHN (end of 12th cent.). An Arab physician.

DAMASCIUS (circ. 533). A Syrian commentator on Aristotle, who took refuge in Persia. Author of a work on wonders quoted by Photius.

DIOSCORIDES (d. 47 B.C.).

DIONYSIUS AREOPAGITUS, PSEUDO- (circ. 400). DE CELESTI HIERARCHIA, DE DIVINIS NOMINIBUS.

DONATUS (333). A Grammarian.

EUFICIUS (circ. 600). A disciple of Gregory.

FULGENTIUS (circ. 550). A grammarian.

GALEN (131-210).

GILBERTUS (circ. 1250). A celebrated English physician in France; wrote COMPENDIUM MEDICINAE.

GREGORY (circ. 590). On Job.

HALY (circ. 1000). A Jewish physician. Wrote a PANTEGNI or COMPLEMENTUM MEDICINAE. The first medical work translated by Constantius Afer.

HERMES. In ALCHEMIA (not now extant).

HIPPOCRATES (460-351 B.C.).

HUGUTION PIZANUS (d. 1210). A jurisconsult and writer on Grammar.

HYGINUS, PSEUDO- (6th cent.). Writer on Astronomy.

INNOCENT III. (d. 1216). Wrote "De Contemptu Mundi," etc.

ISAAC (circ. 660). An Arab physician, who translated many Greek authors into Arabic.

ISIDORE (d. 636). Bishop of Seville. He wrote a work on Etymology in 20 books, one of the most popular works of the Middle Age.

JACOBUS DE VITRIACO (d. 1240). A Crusading Bishop, afterwards Cardinal legate. Wrote an EXEMPLAR, and 3 books of Eastern and Western History.

JEROME (340-420).

JOSEPH BEN GORION (900). Abridgment of Jewish History containing many legends.

JOSEPHUS (37-95). Jewish historian.

JORATH. DE ANIMALIBUS. A Syriac writer (?).

LAPIDARIUM. See MARBODIUS DE GEMMIS. There are many treatises under this name.

LEO IX. (1054). See Migne, Patrologia.

LUCAN (d. 65). One of the most popular Latin poets of the Middle Age.

MACER FLORIDUS (6th cent.). On THE VIRTUES OF HERBS.

MACROBIUS (circ. 409). His commentary on the dream of Scipio was a favourite work in Medieval times.

MARTIANUS CAPELLA (circ. 400). Wrote a poem, THE MARRIAGE OF MERCURY AND PHILOLOGIA, treating of THE SEVEN LIBERAL ARTS, which was the standard text-book from the 5th century for the schools.

MESSAHALA (circ. 1100).

METHODIUS, PSEUDO- (8th cent.). DE AGARINI.

MICHAEL SCOT (circ. 1235). At this time concerned in the translation of some Arabic works on Astronomy, and Aristotle's DE COELO and DE MUNDO DE ANIMA, and HISTORIA NATURALIS with commentaries.

MISALATH ASTROLOGUS (?).

PAPIAS (circ. 1053). Grammarian. [Milan, 1467, etc.]

PERSPECTIVA SCIENCIA. I cannot say whether this is Bacon's, Peckham's, or Albertus Magnus', but I believe it to be Peckham's, who was an Englishman, and afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury.

PETRUS COMESTOR (d. 1198). Named MAGISTER HISTORIARUM or Master of Histories, wrote an account of the world from the Creation, which, when translated into French, was called the "Mer des Histoires." A favourite Medieval book.

PHILARETUS (1100). A writer on Medicine.

PHYSIOLOGUS. A Syriac compilation of moralities on animal myths. It first appears in Western Europe as THEOBALDUS DE NATURIS XII. ANIMALIUM. Of Alexandrian origin, it dates from before the fourth century, and appears to have been altered at the will of each writer.

PLATEARIUS SALERNITANUS (circ. 1100) was Johannes, one of a family of physicians at Salerno. His work is called the PRACTICA. A book on the virtues of herbs. [Lugd., 1525, etc.]

PLATO (430-348 B.C.). The TIMAEUS is quoted, probably from Chalcidius.

PLINY (d. 79). Natural History. This and Isidore's work are the two chief sources of medieval knowledge of Nature.

PRISCIAN (circ. 525). Grammarian and physicist.

PTOLEMY (circ. 130). An Alexandrian astronomer, known through Arabic translations only at that time. [Ven., 1509, etc.]

RABANUS MAURUS (776-856) of Fulda, pupil of Alcuin. A Benedictine, afterwards Archbishop of Mayence, who wrote DE UNIVERSO MUNDO. [1468; Col., 1627, etc.]

RASIS (d. 935). An Arab physician, perhaps the greatest of the School. [Ven., 1548, etc.]

REMIGIUS (d. 908). A teacher of Grammar in the School of Paris. His grammar remained in use there four centuries. He wrote a gloss on Marcianus Capella.

RICARDUS DE ST. VICTOR (d. 1173). A Scottish theologian, Prior of St. Victor. A mystic of considerable acuteness. [Ven., 1506, etc.]

RICARDUS RUFUS (circ. 1225). A Cornishman who was a doctor in great renown, both at Oxford and Paris. He afterwards joined the Franciscans.

ROBERTUS LINCOLN., GROSTÊTE (d. 1253), the celebrated Bishop of Lincoln and patron of Bacon. Taught at Paris and at Oxford. Commentaries on Aristotle.

SALUSTIUS (d. 363?). DE DIIS ET MUNDO. A geographer.

SCHOLA SALERNITANA (circ. 1100). A treatise on the preservation of health in leonine verse for popular use, said to be addressed to Robert of England. It has been translated and commented on hundreds of times. The Middle Age very sensibly thought preservation from disease a branch of medicine equally important with the cure of it.

SECUNDUS. A writer on Medicine.

SOLINUS (circ. 100). Wrote an account of things in general-- POLYHISTORIA.

STEPHANUS (circ. 600). Commentary on Galen.

STRABUS (d. 847). A Benedictine, Abbot of Reichenau, near Constance. One of the authors of the Gloss.

SYMON CORNUBIENSIS (?).

VARRO, M. T. (116-26 B.C.). Most celebrated grammarian.

VIRGIL (70-19 B.C.).

WILLIAM CONCHES (d. 1150). Lectured at Paris, 1139, on Grammar, wrote DE NATURA.

ZENO (circ. 400), A writer on Medicine, and teacher at Alexandria.

_This list of Authorities cited is that given at the end of the complete work of Bartholomew._

BIBLIOGRAPHY

_Latin Editions_

Date. Place Printer. Remarks.

HC *2500 Pr 8530 Pell 1867 1480 July 29 Lyon . Philippi & Reinhard. HC 2501 1048 1868 1481 Köln . Koelhoff HC 2502 8573 1869 1482 Nov. 21 Lyon . Petrus of Hungary HC 2503 8531a 1870 1482 Dec. 10 Lyon . Philippi & Reinhard. HC *2504 1055 1871 1483 Jan. 19 Köln . Koelhoff. H 2505 2036 1872 1483 May 30 Nürnberg Koberger H *2506 592 1873 1485 Feb. 14 Strassburg Press xv. HC *2507 3130 1874 1488 May 23 Heidelberg Press i. H 2508 .. .. 1488 Strassburg (Panzer I 36, 139) HC *2509 665 1875 1491 Aug. 11 Strassburg Press xv. HC *2510 2073 1876 1492 June 20 Nürnberg Koberger H 2511 .. .. 1495 Strassburg (Panzer I 52, 286) HC *2498 1105 1865 n.d. Köln Press viii. [circ 1473] formerly attributed to Zell. HC *2499 7452 1866 n.d. Basel Ruppel.[circ 1468] 10003 .. 1505 Aug. 11 Strassburg Husner. 11131 .. 1519 May 11 Nürnberg Peypus f.J.Koberger .. 1571 Venezia (Graesse III. 92) .. 1574 Paris. (Graesse III. 92) .. 1575 Strassburg (Graesse III. 92) .. 1601 Frankfurt Richter B.M. .. 1609 Frankfurt Stein Bib. Nat.

_Dutch Version_

H 2521 1479 ? ? HC 2522 9173 1886 1485 Haarlem Bellaert

Note--Pr. = Proctor.

_French Version by Jehan Corbichon in_ 1372

Date Place Printer Remarks HC 2514 Pr 8556 Pell 1880 . 1482 Nov.12 Lyon Huss. HC 2518 8561 1882 . 1485 Oct.23 Lyon Huss. HC 2515 .. 1881 . 1485-[6],Jan.26 Lyon Le Roy H 2516 .. 1883 . 1487, April 7 Lyon Huss. HC 2517 8564 1884 . 1491-[2],Mar.15 Lyon Huss. .. 1885 . 1496-[7] Lyon Huss. (Cop. II 884) HC 2519 .. .. . 1500 Lyon Le Diamantier HC 2513 8540 1879 . n.d. Lyon Siber (c.1482) .. 1877 . ? Lyon? Imperfect HC 2512 .. 1878 . n.d. Paris for A. Verard .. 1510 Paris for Petit& Lenoir (Brunet II 1622) .. 1512 Rouen n.p. (Brunet II 1622) .. 1518 Paris for Petit & Lenoir Bib.Nat. .. 1525 Paris P. Lenoir B.M. .. 1528,May 5 Paris Gandoul Voynich. .. c. 1530 [Paris] B.M. .. 1539 Paris Longis B.M. .. 1556 Paris L'Anglier (Brunet II 1623), Grasse says 1566 .. 1556 Paris Groulleau Bib. Nat. .. 1556 Paris De Banville Bib. Nat. .. 1556 Paris M.Boursette B.M. Bib Nat.

_Spanish Version by Fr. Vincent de Burgos_

HC 2523 Pr 8722 Pell 1887 1494,Sep.18 Toulouse Mayer 1556 Toledo De Avila B.M.

_English Version by John of Trevisa in_ 1397

HC 2520 Pr 9725 n.d. Westminster W. de Worde [c.1495] 1535 London Berthelet B.M. 1582 London East B.M.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The first edition of this selection was published at London in 1893.

The 1535 edition has 8 unpaged leaves (title, table, prologue, and Book I.), 338 numbered leaves, and printer's mark of Lucretia. The following errors in pagination are noted: 181 for 189, 197 for 187, 201 for 200, 203 for 201, 211 for 209.

The chief point of interest in the Bibliography is the question raised by Wynkyn de Worde's positive statement in his edition in his epilogue:

And also of your charyte call to remembraunce The soule of William Caxton first prynter of this boke In latin tonge at Coleyn hymself to avaunce That every well disposyd man may theron loke And John Tate the yonger Joy mote he broke Which late hathe in Englond doo make this paper thynne That now in our Englyssh this boke is prynted Inne.

Mr. Gordon Duff is disposed to think that Caxton may have worked on the undated Cologne edition (H.C. *2498), which must in that case be put before 1476, finding a link between his Bruges type and the Cologne presses in a work printed at Louvain in 1475 which contains type of both descriptions.

Most of these editions are in the British Museum. The copy of the Berthelet edition there has an autograph of Shakespeare in it--one of the Ireland forgeries.

GLOSSARY