Of the GORGON or strange Lybian Beast.
AMong the manifold and divers sorts of Beasts which are bred in Africk, it is thought that the *Gorgon is brought forth in that Countrey. It is a fearful and terrible beast to behold, it it hath high and thick eye-lids, eyes not very great, but much like an Oxes or Bugils, but all flery-bloudy, which neither look directly forward; nor yet upwards, but continually down to the earth, and there∣fore are called in Greek, Catobleponta. From the crown of their head down to their nose they have a long hanging mane, which make them to look fearfully. It eateth deadly and poysonful herbs, and if at any time he see a Bull or other creature whereof he is afraid, he presently causeth his mane to stand upright, and being so lifted up, opening his lips, and gaping wide, sendeth forth of his throat a certain sharp and horrible breath, which infecteth and poysoneth the air above his head, so that all living creatures which draw in the breath of that air are grievously afflicted thereby, losing both voyce and sight, they fall into lethal and deadly Convulsions. It is bred in Hesperia and Lybia.

The Poets have a fiction, that the Gorgones were the daughters of Midusa and Phoroynis, and are called Stringo, and by Hesiodus Sthenp, and Euryale, inhabiting the Gorgadian Islands in the Aethiopick* Ocean, over against the gardens of Hesperia. Medusa is said to have the hairs of her head to be living Serpents, against whom Perseus fought, and cut off her head; for which cause he was placed in Heaven, on the North side of the Zodiack above the Waggon, and on the left hand, holding the Gorgons head. The truth is, that that there were certain Amazonian women in Africk, divers from the Scythians, against whom Perseus made war; and the Captain of those Women was call Medusa, whom Perfeus overthrew, and cut off her head, and from thence came the Poets fiction, describing it with Snakes growing out of it as is aforesaid. These Gorgons are bred in that Countrey, and have such hair about their heads, as not only exceedeth all other Beasts, but also poysoneth when she standeth up∣right. Pliny called this Catablepon, because it continually looketh downward, and saith that all the parts of it are but small, excepting the head, which is very heavy, and exceedeth the proportion of his body, which is never lifted up, but all living creatures dy that see his eyes.

By which there ariseth a question, whether the poyson which he sendeth forth, proceed from his breath, or from his eyes. Whereupon it is more probable, that like the Cockatrice he killeth by see∣ing, then by the breath of his mouth, which is not competible to any other Beasts in the world. Be∣sides when the Souldiers of Marius followed Jugurtha, they saw one of these Gorgons, and supposing it was some Sheep, bending the head continually to the earth, and moving slowly, they set upon him with their swords, whereat the Beast disdaining, suddenly discovered his eyes, setting his hair upright, at the sight whereof the Souldiers fell down dead.

Marius hearing thereof sent other Souldiers to kill the Beast, but they likewise dyed as the former. At last the Inhabitants of the Countrey, told the Captain the poyson of this Beasts nature, and that if he were not killed upon a sudden, with the only sight of his eyes, he sent death into his

hunters: then did the Captain lay an ambush of Soldiers for him, who slew him suddenly with their spears, and brought him to the Emperour; whereupon Marius sent his skin to Rome, which was hung up in the Temple of Hercules, wherein the people were feasted after the triumphs; by which it is apparent that they kill with their eyes, and not with their breath.

So that the fable of Serviut, which reporteth that in the furthest place of Atlas, these Gorgons are bred, and that they have but one eye a piece, is not to be believed, except he mean, as else-where he confesseth, that there were certain maids which were sisters, call Gorgons; and were so beautiful, that all young men were amazed to behold them. Whereupon it was said, that they were turned into stones: meaning that their love bereft them of their wit and sense. They were called the daughters of Cetus; and three of them were made Nymphs, which were called Pephredo, Enyo, and the third Dinon: so called as Geraldus saith, because they were old women so soon as they were born, whereunto was assigned one eye and one tooth. But to omit these fables, it is certain that sharp poysoned sights are called Gorgon Blepen, and therefore we will follow the authority of Pliny and Atheneus. It is a Beast all set over with scales like a Dragon, having no hair except on his * head, great teeth like Swine, having wings to fly, and hands to handle, in stature betwixt a Bull and a Calf.

There be Islands called Gorgonies, wherein these Monster-Gorgons were bred, and unto the days of Pliny, the people of that Countrey retained some part of their prodigious nature. It is reported by Xenophon, that Hanno King of Carthage ranged with his Army in that Region, and found there cer∣tain women of incredible swiftness and pernicity of foot. Whereof he took two only of all that ap∣peared in sight, which had such rough and sharp bodies, as never before were seen. Wherefore when they were dead, he hung up their skins in the Temple of Juno, for a monument of their strange na∣tures, which remained there untill the destruction of Carthage. By the consideration of this Beast there appeareth one manifest argument of the Creators divine wisdom and Providence, who hath turned the eyes of this Beast downward to the earth, as it were thereby burying his poyson from the hurt of man: and shadowing them with rough, long, and strong hair, that their poysoned beams should not reflect upwards, untill the Beast were provoked by fear or danger, the heaviness of his head being like a clog to restrain the liberty of his poysonful nature; but what other parts, vertues, or vices are contained in the compass of this Monster, God only knoweth, who peradventure hath per∣mitted it to live upon the face of the earth, for no other cause but to be a punishment and scourge unto mankinde; and an evident example of his own wrathful power to everlasting destruction. And thus much may serve for a description of this Beast, untill by Gods Providence, more can be known thereof.