MEDIEVAL NATURAL HISTORY.-BIRDS AND FISHES.
SOURCES OF SOME TRADITIONS.
In following out his plan of describing the productions of each element before considering the next in order, Bartholomew was led to consider air and its products early in his scheme. Accordingly his twelfth book is devoted to birds, and his thirteenth to the inhabitants of the waters. There is hardy any reason in these books for omitting any part more than another except space, but the editor hopes that those chosen will put the reader in possession of a key to the more common allusions in pre-Restoration literature.
When the editor spoke of the wholesale way in which our author is conveyed by Elizabethan poets, he had in mind this and the following chapters. A single example will show this. Let the reader compare the account of the peacock with the following stanza from Chester's 'Love's Martyr':
Our author's knowledge of birds is largely derived- the authentic from Aristotle; the legendary from the Fathers, Ambrose, Austin, Basil and Gregory, -the Gloss,-and from P/in)'. Some of these legends seem to be pointed at in the Hebrew Scriptures. Thus PS. ciij 5, ' Thy youth is renewed like the eagle's,' either gave rise to, or refers to, the tradition quoted in our account of the eagle: and likewise Job xxxviij; 41, and Ps. cxlvij 9, seem to be responsible for the tradition in the account of the raven. It would be interesting to learn whether any independent traditions of this nature exist.
It is worth pointing out that our author has contributed to the 'Gesta Romanorum' several stories. The 'wild tale,' as Warton calls i4 of the elephant and the maidens, as well as the story of 'the storke wreker of avouterie' mentioned by Chaucer in the 'Assemblie of Foules,' and derived from Neckham, and the similar tale of the lioness, obtained their wide circulation through the popularity of Bartholomew's book. It would be an interesting task to trace these tales to their origin, but this is neither the place nor the time to do so'. and the editor similarly leaves to lovers of Shakespeare the pleasure of proving to themselves his intimate acquaintance with the book.
In the part of the chapter quoted from the thirteenth book, the editor has tried to get together some of those stories which impressed people's minds most. Such a one is the tale of the remora. We remember Jonson's use of it in the 'Poetaster '-~
Other tales remind us of Olaus Magnus, and some of them are plainly
Eastern.
OF THE EAGLE,
Now it pertaineth to speak of birds and fowls, and in particular and first of the eagle, which hath principality among fowls. Among all manner kinds of divers fowls, the eagle is the more liberal and free of heart. For the prey that she taketh, but it be for great hunger, she eateth not alone, but putteth it forth in common to fowls that follow her. But first she taketh her own portion and part. And therefore oft other fowls follow the eagle for hope and trust to have some part of her prey. But when the prey that is taken is not sufficient to herself, then as a king that taketh heed to a community, she taketh the bird that is next to her, and giveth it among the others, and serveth them therewith.
Austin saith, and Plinius also, that in age the eagle hath darkness and dimness in eyen, and heaviness in wings. And against this disadvantage she is taught by kind to seek a well of springing water, and then she flieth up into the air as far as she may, till she be full hot by heat of the air, and by travail of flight, and so then by heat the pores are opened and the feathers chafed, and she falleth suddenly in to the well, and there the feathers are changed, and the dimness of her eyes is wiped away and purged, and she taketh again her might and strength.
The eagle's feathers done and set among feathers of wings of other birds corrupteth and fretteth them. As strings made of wolf-gut done and put into a lute or in an harp among strings made of sheep-gut do destroy, and fret, and corrupt the strings made of sheep-gut, if it so be that they be set among them, as in a lute or in an harp, as Pliny saith.
Among all fowls, in the eagle the virtue of sight is most mighty and
strong. For in the eagle the spirit of sight is most temperate and
most sharp in act and deed of seeing and beholding the sun in the roundness
of its circle without blemishing of eyen. And the sharpness of her
sight is not rebounded again with clearness of light of the sun, nother
disperpled. There is one manner eagle that is full sharp of sight, and
she taketh her own birds in her claws, and maketh them to look even on
the sun, and that ere their wings be full grown, and except they look stiffly
and stedfastly against the sun, she beateth them, and setteth them even
tofore the sun. And if any eye of any of her birds watereth in looking
on the sun she slayeth him, as though he went out of kind, or else driveth
him out of the nest and despiseth him, and setteth not by him.
OF THE GOSHAWK,
The goshawk is a royal fowl, and is armed more with boldness than with claws, and as much as kind taketh from her in quantity of body, it rewardeth her with boldness of heart. And two kinds there be of such fowls, for some are tame and some are wild. And she that is tame taketh wild fowls and taketh them to her own lord, and she that is wild taketh tame fowls. And this hawk is of a disdainful kind. For if she fail by any hap of the prey that she reseth to, that day unneth she cometh unto her lord's hand. And she must have ordinate diet, nother too scarce, ne too full. For by too much meat she waxeth ramaious or slow, and disdaineth to come to reclaim. And if the meat be too scarce then she faileth, and is feeble and unmighty to take her prey. Also the eyen of such birds should oft he seled and closed, or hid, that she bate not too oft from his hand that beareth her, when she seeth a bird that she desireth to take; and also her legs must be fastened with gesses, that she shall not fly freely to every bird. And they be borne on the left hand, that they may somewhat take of the right hand, and be fed therewith.
And so such tame hawks be kept in mews, that they may be discharged
of old feathers and hard, and be so renewed in fairness of youth. Also
men give them meat of some manner of flesh, which is somedeal venemous,
that they may the sooner change their feathers. And smoke grieveth
such hawks and doth them harm. And therefore their mews must be far
from smoky places, that their bodies be not grieved with bitterness of
smoke, nor their feathers infect with blackness of smoke. They should be
fed with fresh flesh and bloody, and men should use to give them to eat
the hearts of fowls that they take. All the while they are alive
and are strong and mighty to take their prey, they are beloved of their
lords, and borne on hands, and set on perches, and stroked on the breast
and on the tail, and made plain and smooth, and are nourished with great
business and diligence. But when they are dead, all men hold them unprofitable
and nothing worth, and be not eaten, but rather thrown out on dunghills.
OF BEES,
The properties of bees are wonderful noble and worthy. For bees have one common kind as children, and dwell in one habitation, and are closed within one gate: one travail is common to them all, one meat is common to them all, one common working, one common use, one fruit and flight is common to them all, and one generation is common to them all. Also maidenhood of body without wem is common to them all, and so is birth also. For they are not medlied with service of Venus, nother resolved with lechery, nother bruised with sorrow of birth of children. And yet they bring forth most swarms of children.
Bees make among them a king, and ordain among them common people. And though they be put and set under a king, yet they are free and love their king that they make, by kind love, and defend him with full great defence, and hold [it] honour and worship to perish and be spilt for their king, and do their king so great worship that none of them dare go out of their house, nor to get meat, but if the king pass out and take the principality of flight. And bees chose to their king him that is most worthy and noble in highness and fairness, and most clear in mildness, for that is chief virtue in a king. For though their king have a sting yet he useth it not in wreck. And also bees that are unobedient to the king, they deem themselves by their own doom for to die by the wound of their own sting. And of a swarm of bees is none idle. Some fight, as it were in battle, in the field against other bees, some are busy about meat, and some watch the coming of showers. And some behold concourse and meting of dues, and some make wax of flowers, and some make cells now round, now square with wonder binding and joining, and evenness. And yet nevertheless, among so diverse works none of them doth espy nor wait to take out of other's travail, neither taketh wrongfully, neither stealeth meat, but each seeketh and gathereth by his own flight and travail among herbs and flowers that are good and convenable.
Bees sit not on fruit but on flowers, not withered but fresh and new, and gather matter of the which they make both honey and wax. And when the flowers that are nigh unto them be spent, then they send spies for to espy meat in further places. And if the night falleth upon them in their journey, then they lie upright to defend their wings from rain, and from dew, that they may in the morrow tide fly the more swifter to their work with their wings dry and able to fly. And they ordain watches after the manner of castles, and rest all night until it be day, till one bee wake them all with twice buzzing or thrice, or with some manner trumping; then they fly all, if the day be fair on the morrow. And the bees that bring and bear what is needful, dread blasts of wind, and fly therefore low by the ground. when they be charged, lest they be letted with some manner of blasts, and charge themselves sometimes with gravel or with small stones, that they may be the more stedfast against blasts of wind by heaviness of the stones.
The obedience of bees is wonderful about the king, for when he passeth
forth, all the swarm in one cluster passeth with him. And he is beclipped
about with the swarm, as it were with an host of knights. And is then unneth
seen that time for the multitude that followeth and serveth him, and when
the people of bees are in travail, he is within, and as it were governor,
and goeth about to comfort others for to work. And only he is not bound
to travail. And all about him are certain bees with stings, as it were
champions, and continual wardens of the king's body. And he passeth selde
out, but when all the swarm shall go out. His outgoing is known certain
days tofore by voice of the host, as it were arraying itself to pass out
with the king.
OF A PIGEON,
The culvour is messager of peace, ensample of simpleness, clean of kind, plenteous in children, follower of meekness, friend of company, forgetter of wrongs. The culvour is forgetful. And therefore when the birds are borne away, she forgetteth her harm and damage, and leaveth not therefore to build and breed in the same place. Also she is nicely curious. For sitting on a tree, she beholdeth and looketh all about toward what part she will fly, and bendeth her neck all about as it were taking avisement. But oft while she taketh avisement of flight, ere she taketh her flight, an arrow flieth through her body, and therefore she faileth of her purpose, as Gregory saith.
Also as Ambrose saith, in Egypt and in Syria a culvour is taught to
bear letters, and to be messager out of one province into another. For
it loveth kindly the place and the dwelling where it was first fed and
nourished. And be it never so far borne into far countries, always it will
return home again, if it be restored to freedom. And oft to such a culvour
a letter is craftily bound under the one wing, and then it is let go. Then
it flieth up into the air, and ceaseth never till it come to the first
place in which it was bred. And sometimes in the way enemies know thereof
and let it with an arrow, and so for the letters that it beareth, it is
wounded and slain, and so it beareth no letter without peril. For oft the
letter that is so borne is cause and occasion of the death of it.
OF THE CROW,
The crow is a bird of long life, and diviners tell that she taketh heed
of spyings and awaitings, and teacheth and sheweth ways, and warneth what
shall fall. But it is full unlawful to believe, that God sheweth His privy
counsel to crows. It is said that crows rule and lead storks, and
come about them as it were in routs, and fly about the storks and defend
them, and fight against other birds and fowls that hate storks. And take
upon them the battle of other birds, upon their own peril. And an open
proof thereof is: for in that time, that the storks pass out of the country,
crows are not seen in places there they were wont to be. And also for they
come again with sore wounds, and with voice of blood, that is well known,
and with other signs and tokens and show that they have been in strong
fighting. Also there it is said, that the mildness of the bird is
wonderful. For when father and mother in age are both naked and bare of
covering of feathers, then the young crows hide and cover them 'with their
feathers, and gather meat and feed them.
OF THE RAVEN
The raven beholdeth the mouths of her birds when they yawn. But
she giveth them no meat ere she know and see the likeness of her own blackness,
and of her own colour and feathers. And when they begin to wax black, then
afterward she feedeth them with all her might and strength. It is
said that ravens' birds are fed with dew of heaven all the time that they
have no black feathers by benefit of age. Among fowls, only the raven hath
four and sixty changings of voice.
OF THE SWAN,,
The swan feigneth sweetness of sweet songs with accord of voice, and
he singeth sweetly for he hath a long neck diversely bent to make divers
notes. And it is said that, in the countries that are called Hyperborean,
the harpers harping before, the swans' birds fly out of if their nests
and sing full merrily. Shipmen trow that it tokeneth good if they
meet swans in peril of shipwreck Always the swan is the most merriest
bird in divinations. Shipmen desire this bird for he dippeth not
down in the waves. When the swan is in love he seeketh the female, and
pleaseth her with beclipping of the neck, and draweth her to him-ward;
and he joineth his neck to the female's neck, as it were binding the necks
together.
OF THE PHOENIX
Phoenix is a bird, and there is but one of that kind in all the
wide world. Therefore lewd men wonder, thereof, and among the Arabs,
there this bird is bred, he is called singular-alone. The philosopher
speaketh of this bird and saith that phoenix is a bird without make, and
liveth three hundred or five hundred years: when the which years
are past, and he feeleth his own default and feebleness, he maketh a nest
of right sweet smelling sticks, that are full dry, and in summer when the
western wind blows, the sticks and the nest are set on fire with burning
heat of the sun, and burn strongly. Then this bird phoenix cometh wilfully
into the burning nest, and is there burnt to ashes among these burning
sticks, and within three days a little worm is gendered of the ashes, and
waxeth little and little, and taketh feathers and is shapen and turned
to a bird. Ambrose saith the same in the Hexameron: Of the humours or ashes
of phoenix ariseth a new bird and waxeth, and in space of time he is clothed
with feathers and wings and restored into the kind of a bird, and is the
most fairest bird that is, most like to the peacock in feathers, and loveth
the wilderness, and gathereth his meat of clean grains and fruits.
Alan speaketh of this bird and saith, that when the highest bishop Onyas
builded a temple in the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, to the likeness of
the temple in Jerusalem, on the first day of Easter, when he had gathered
much sweet-smelling wood, and set it on fire upon the altar to offer sacrifice,
to all men's sight such a bird came suddenly, and fell into the middle
of the fire, and was burnt anon to ashes in the fire of the sacrifice,
and the ashes abode there, and were busily kept and saved by the commandments
of the priests, and within three days, of these ashes was bred a little
worm, that took the shape of a bird at the last, and flew into the wilderness.
OF THE CRANE,
The crane is a bird of great wings and strong flight, and flieth high
into the air to see the countries towards the which he will draw. And is
a bird that loveth birds of his own kind, and they living in company together
have a king among them and fly in order. And the leader of the company
compelleth the company to fly aright, crying as it were blaming with his
voice. And if it hap that he wax hoarse then another crane cometh after
him, and taketh the same office. And after they fall to the earth crying,
for to rest, and when they sit on the ground, to keep and save them, they
ordain watches that they may rest the more surely, and the wakers stand
upon one foot, and each of them holdeth a little stone in the other foot,
high from the earth, that they may be waked by failing of the stone, if
it hap that they sleep.
OF THE GRIFFIN,
A griffin is accounted among flying things, (Deut. xiiij.) and there
the Gloss saith, that the griffin is four- footed, and like to the eagle
in head and in wings, and is like to the lion in the other parts of the
body. And dwelleth in those hills that are called Hyperborean, and are
most enemies to horses and men, and grieveth them most, and layeth in his
nest a stone that hight Smaragdus against venemous beasts of the mountain.
OF THE PELICAN,
A Pelican is a bird of Egypt, and dwelleth in deserts beside the river Nile. All that the pelican eateth,, he plungeth in water with his foot, and when he hath plunged it in water, he putteth it into his mouth with his own foot, as it were with an hand. Only the pelican and the popinjay among fowls use the foot instead of an hand.
The pelican loveth too much her children. For when the children be haught, and begin to wax hoar, they smite the father and the mother in the face, wherefore the mother smiteth them again and slayeth them. And the third day, the mother smiteth herself in her side, that the blood runneth out, and sheddeth that hot blood on the bodies of her children. And by virtue of that blood, the birds that were before dead quicken again.
Master Jacobus de Vitriaco in his book of the wonders of the Eastern
parts telleth another cause of the death of pelicans' birds. He saith
that the serpent hateth kindly this bird. Wherefore when the mother passeth
out of the nest to get meat, the serpent climbeth on the tree, and stingeth
and infecteth the birds. And when the mother cometh again, she maketh sorrow
three days for her birds, as it is said. Then (he saith) she smiteth
herself in the breast and springeth blood upon them, and reareth them from
death to life, and then for great bleeding the mother waxeth feeble, and
the birds are compelled to pass out of the nest to get themselves meat.
And some of them for kind love feed the mother that is feeble, and some
are unkind and care not for the mother, and the mother taketh good heed
thereto, and when she cometh to her strength, she nourisheth and loveth
those birds that fed her in her need, and putteth away her other birds,
as unworthy and unkind, and suffereth them not to dwell nor live with her.
OF THE PEACOCK,
The peacock hath an unsteadfast and evil shapen head, as it were the
head of a serpent, and with a crest. And he hath a simple pace, and small
neck and areared, and a blue breast, and a tail full of eyes distinguished
and high with wonder fairness, and he hath foulest feet and rivelled.
And he wondereth of the fairness of his feathers, and areareth them up
as it were a circle about his head, and then he looketh to his feet, and
seeth the foulness of his feet, and like as he were ashamed he letteth
his feathers fall suddenly, and all the tail downward, as though he took
no heed of the fairness of his feathers. And as one saith, he hath the
voice of a fiend, head of a serpent, pace of a thief. For he hath
an horrible voice.
OF THE VULTURE,
In this bird the wit of smelling is best. And therefore by smelling he savoureth carrions that be far from him, that is beyond the sea, and ayenward. Therefore the vulture followeth the host that he may feed himself with carrions of men and of horses. And therefore (as a Diviner saith), when many vultures come and fly together, it tokeneth battle. And they know that such a battle shall be, by some privy wit of kind. He eateth raw flesh and therefore he fighteth against other fowls because of meat, and he hunteth fro midday to night, and resteth still fro the sunrising to that time. And when he ageth, his over bill waxeth long and crooked over the nether, and [he] dieth at the last for hunger.
And some men say, by error of old time, that the vulture was sometime
a man, and was cruel to some pilgrims, and therefore he hath such pain
of his bill, and dieth for hunger, but that is not lawful to believe.
OF FISH.
Jorath saith, that there is a great fish in the sea, that hight Bellua,
that casteth out water at his jaws with vapour of good smell, and other
fish feel the smell and follow him, and enter and come in at his jaws following
the smell, and he swalloweth them and is so fed with them. Also he saith
that Dolphins know by the smell if a dead man, that is on the sea, ate
ever of Dolphin's kind; and if the dead man hath eat thereof, he eateth
him anon; and if he did not, he keepeth and defendeth him fro eating and
biting of other fish, and shoveth him, and bringeth him to the cliff with
his own working.
OF THE REMORA.
Enchirius is a little fish unneth half a foot long: for though he be
full little of body, nathless he is most of virtue. For he cleaveth
to the ship, and holdeth it still stedfastly in the sea, as though the
ship were on ground therein. Though winds blow, and waves arise strongly,
and wood storms, that ship may not move nother pass. And that fish holdeth
not still the ship by no craft, but only cleaving to the ship. It
is said of the same fish that when he knoweth and feeleth that tempests
of wind and weather be great, he cometh and taketh a great stone, and holdeth
him fast thereby, as it were by an anchor, lest he be smitten away and
thrown about by waves of the sea. And shipmen see this and beware that
they be not overset unwarily with tempest and with storms.
THE CRAB AND THE OYSTER
The crab is enemy to the Oyster. For he liveth by fish thereof
with a wonderful wit. For because that he may not open the hard shell
of the oyster, he spieth and awaiteth when the oyster openeth, and then
the crab, that lieth in await, taketh a little stone, and putteth it between
the shells, that the oyster may not close himself. And when the closing
is so let, the crab eateth and gnaweth the flesh of the oyster.
THE WHALE.
It is said that the whale hath great plenty of sperm, and after that he gendereth, superfluity thereof fleeteth above the water;. and if it be gathered and dried it turneth to the substance of Amber. And in age for greatness of body, on his ridge powder and earth is gathered, and so digged together that herbs and small trees and bushes grow thereon, so that that great fish seemeth an Island. And if shipmen come unwarily thereby, unneth they scape without peril. For he throweth as much water out of his mouth upon the ship, that he overturneth it sometime or drowneth it.
Also he is so fat that when he is smitten with fishers' darts he feeleth not the wound, but it passeth throughout the fatness. But when the inner fish is wounded, then is he most easily taken. For he may not suffer the bitterness of the salt water, and therefore he draweth to the shoreward. And also he is so huge in quantity, that when he is taken, all the country is better for the taking. Also he loveth his whelps with a wonder love, and leadeth them about in the sea long time. And if it happeth that his whelps be let with heaps of gravel, and by default of water, he taketh much water in his mouth, and throweth upon them, and delivereth them in that wise out of peril, and bringeth them again into the deep sea. And for to defend them he putteth himself against all things that he meeteth if it be noyful to them, and setteth them always between himself and the sun on the more secure side. And when strong tempest ariseth, while his whelps are tender and young, he swalloweth them up into his own womb. And when the tempest is gone and fair weather come, then he casteth them up whole and sound.
Also Jorath saith, that against the whale fighteth a fish of serpent's kind, and is venemous as a Crocodile. And then other fish come to the whale's tail, and if the whale be overcome the other fish die. And if the venemous fish may not overcome the whale, then he throweth out of his jaws into the water a fumous smell most stinking. And the whale throweth out of his mouth a sweet smelling smoke, and putteth off the stinking smell, and defendeth and saveth himself and his in that manner wise.