Beast

Sources : Capreola

Bartholomaeus Anglicus [13th century CE] (Liber de proprietatibus rerum, Book18.23; 18.84): [Book 18.23] Capriolus, as Avicen[na] sayth, is lyke to Hynnulus an Hinde calfe, and this beast chaungeth not his téeth, and when one may perceiue that he hath greate téeth, then it is token of long life, and also of long continuance. And this beast Capriolus hath right fayre and pleasaunt eyen, and also sharpe. Also libro. 8. Aristotle affirmeth & saith, that these beasts Caprioli haue wit when they be wounded, and séeke the hearbe Pulegium Cerinum, and ease thereof to drawe out arrowes out of theyr bodye if they sticke therein. By businesse of running & swiftnesse of moving his flesh is discharged of superfluitie of moisture, and his flesh is so made the more tender, & the better to defie, & the better of savour and smell. For the hevie savour thereof is taken away, as Constant. sayth. To get meate, this Capriolus climbeth up from high places, to more high places, and knoweth by smel betwéene wholsome hearbs & unwholesome. And be cheweth his cud, and is clove footed, and defendeth himselfe in woods and lands from hunters and their houndes, not with his clawes, hornes, and téeth, but onelye with swiftnesse of flight. And so when he is pursued in valleys & in fieldes, hée taketh his course and flyeth: into high places and mountaines. In the mountaynes of Jude bée some Caprioli, that cateth hearbes with good smell and savour, and in theyr féete be certaine hollownesse, in the which certayne humours bée gathered, and bréedeth postumes, the which postumes first be riped, and then broken with mooving and with froting, and throwe out of the body with small hairye leaves. And the substavite that is conteined within the skinne, is best of smelling, and most precious among spicerye, and most profitable and vertuous in medicine, as Dioscorides sayth, and Platearius also, & that we call commonly Moricum. [Book 18.84] PIgargus is a cleane beast to meate, as it is said Deutro. 14. and is an horned beast, as a Goat bucke, & is lesse then an Hart, & greater then a goat bucke: and is like to the beast yt is called Hircoceruus, but is much lesse then he. Looke wtin de Tragelapho. And he cheweth his cud, as the Goat buck, & is clove footed as an Hart, and is a wilde beast, and of great switnesse, and dwelleth in woods and in desart. And Hugution saith, that Pigargus is a little lowe bird, and that name commeth of Pige, that is lownes. But in Deut. it is taken for a foure footed beast, yt is like to the beast that is called Hircocemus, as the Glose meaneth there. And this name Pigargus hath no aspiratio¯ in the first silable, & so it shall not be written with H but some men write Phigargus, and doe amisse, as it is knowen by bookes that be dilligently corrected. - [Batman]