Page 82

        82.             THE        NATUR
 -     with a black cows milk againft the collick.The
       allh s ofthe skin burnt in vineger, cures a fting
       of a Serpent, fiNeared on. A fume of the hair
       is good againftwormes.
                CHAPTER               X.
                    Of V['/c /ls.
                  ARTICLE 1.
        Of the commonm Vl/eefel, or Ferret.
Ambro;in.  A    Lmoft all Diationary-writers fetch
H. Digil.     the name MAifiela , (Weefel) from
1.2. C. I.
        .11^.  Mus, and Telum, a Moufe,and a Wea-
                pon,becaufe of his length: fome from
        Teele, longe; at length, or from far; or from
        Mas, and Stelloo, moufe-flealing, becaufe they
        draw them out of their holes. Of old Galee,
,,.r>, from the milky whitenes. Some Jedroo, from
  [I svi his fox-craft. Of late Numphita. It is reddifl,
        on the fides, and back; fometimes yellowifli,
  v. .'ever white about the thraot: Slender-bodied,
        ihort.tayled. The teeth lef~e then the moufes;
        the heart fmall , yet in comparifon with that of
        other beafis, great enough. They are found
        everywhere ; but the white moft in Northern
        Regions. The great ones are in Mauritania,the
        greateft, in the Tartefian territory without
        Hercules his pillars, by Cales. In Java woods
        they are. In the Ifle Pordefelene they paffe
* AltI.  not their bounds. Bring them into Bxotia,they
        dy, or fly. They dwell in holes,clefts of rocks,
        haymows, and fiables.  He eats all things;
r; ,k,,  moftwhat mice,aid moles; he abftain not from
P11M   ferpents : he lies in wait tbr bats ; he fucks
I IN4  Pigeon-egges,and the blood of birds killed,
-.;    picks out dead mens eyes, catches hares ; he
        Ibath been feen with one in his mouth. That
        they bring forth at the mouth,is a tale forged
6i l.dr,. out of the fained turning Galanthis Alkmenas
        Mayd, by Iuno into a Weefel. That they have
        a womb, is certain. The Raven ,and crow
        hate them for fucking their egs: their voyce
i,._ ' frights hens; they fight with Cats. They fight
A&idLt t i with ferpents, armed only with a fprig of run,
        or with flwthiftles; if they want thefe, they are
        worfted. Their dung, if they live in fields,and
        woods, finclls like musk. With their age they
        change colour.  They recover their whelps
        fight with an herb; are eafily tamed, if you
        rub their teeth with garlick. They dare fet on
        greater beafts. They build their holes with
        two doors, one North, the other South. They
        tranfport their young thence for a dayes fpace.
        Their bite is mortall, and makes mad; if it but
        touch a Cows udder, it is inflamed. Oyl where-
        in the Weefel hath rotted is a remedy, or rub-
        bing the place with the skin dry. Ariflides of
        Locris died of the bite of a Weefel. The
Ui1.   Mexicans eat them. Galen faith that corn-
       ed with failt, and dried the flefh tafis like Hare.
       The brain dried helps not a little againft
(} ic1r. fwounding fits. The ftomack ftuf'd with Co-
, 9    riander-feed cures ferpent bites. The lungs are
ALL HISTORY
good for the lungs. The liver helps giddineffe, Doficor.
and fwounding, becaufe it increafes, and de- M. M.
creafes with the moon. Pliny commends the 1.2. c. 24.
gall againIt all venome, Matthiolus ofed it with
Fennell. water againft dimnefe of fight, and
skin fpots. The yard dried is foverain againft
the ifrangury. The fiones, and womb, like the
Eagle-fione, prevents a womans mifcarrying.
Lonicerus cries up the blood with juice of
Plantan againfi the gout,Galen,againfl catarhs.
Mathiolus magnifies the dung taken in hony,
with pulfe-meal, and feny-greek againiftfwel-
lings, and wens. The Weefel whole is of ufe.
Diofcorides commends it unbowelled , and
long pickled againif fting. Galen ufed the duf (Jl. 1.3.'
dried againft the falliug-fickneffe. Matthiolus t-
the afles of it burnt made with water into a
dow, againsf head-ache, dimneffe of fight,
and blood-fliotfmeared on. Marcellus burned
it to aihes in an old pot, and mixt them with
hony on a thirfday, in the wane of the moon
againit fwellingsof thejaws. See Ambrofine
about the divers ufes of it. A Weefels foot Porta.
hung with rofe, and muftard-feed on the bran- Phytogp
                                            1.6. c.4.
 ches of a barren tree make it beare. Farriers Galen.
 with a piece of the skin have cured Horfes of
 the parlous difeafe, called Tach. Some fprinkle
 feeds with the aies on their ground to drive
 away field-mice; others feeth them in much
 water to that purpofe. Some make the Weefel,
 and I6tis herein to differ, that the one is kept Dig;
 tame,the other goes wild.Others call the white c'' ccs.
 one Hermellamii; thatthat is white only on the Gjblii
 breaft Vifela. T1fhe Rofola , or Guifela, his
 dung fmells fweet. One is called a Salamander FigniL
                                            Idial. de
  for his many colours. The Auftrian Girella, MLAitcla.
  is of the bignefh of a Weezel. The Italian
  Curriers lbew a skinne black, and gliftring
  brought out of the cold Coafts, called the Ro-
  foleus, or Romulus. Some count the Chiurca
  a Ferret. The Vormela mentioned by Agri-
  cola, is another; and Cardan adds the Lardi-
  roni, and the Genetta.
  Scaliger writes that the Chiurca hath a ferrets
  face, and bulk, a foxes head, lives under
  ground, is very fruitfull, bringing at a birth
  twelve at once.The tayl fmall,and almoft bald;
  it felf is black-haired, carrying her young
  under her belly in a bag. The African Ferret
  is as big as a great Moufe, refembling a Ferret, Hicr
  and a Squirrell, lifting up the tayl, but not over I. E. 1.9.
  the head as the Squirrel; but high, and fpread- c.32.
  ing it abroad, and fitting eating on the breech, Cluli.
  holding his food with the fore-feet fquirrell-
  like, and tofling it. In either jaw were two
  longer fore-teeth the ears roundifh, the haire
  party-coloured from head to tayl, fandy,dusk,
  and white with ftreaks. The tayl very hand.
  fome, he could difplay it like a Pea-cock; five
  toes on each foot; foure forwards,the middle-
  moft longefi; the fiftd like a fpur behinde. He
  refufed no food, but liked bread beft; he was
  tame, and went loofe. On flipboard they
  come into the marriners laps, and ftockins, fo
  tame they are. Nieremberg calls it a Lybia
  Weezel.
                             ARTICLE