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that mans wit may not compriſe to doe ſuch workes, for in them kinde rewardeth in ſleight and in wit, that that ſéemeth to be withdrawen from them in might and in ſtrength, as he ſaith.
Alſo in li. de mirabilibus mundi, circa finem, Solinus ſaith: that euery beaſts with crooked téeth as a ſawe, is a Glutton, and fighteth: as it fareth of hounds, Panthers, Lyons, and Beares. And the females of ſuch beaſts bring forth yoūg, vnperfect and vncomplete, as the Bitche bringeth forth blinde whelpes, and the female Bears bringeth forth a lumpe of fleſh not deuided by ſhape of members: and ſhe kéepeth that lumpe hot, vnder hir armes pits, as the Hen ſitteth on hir egges: and the female Beare, licketh that lumpe of fleſh, and ſhapeth it ſome and ſome, vntill it receiue perfect figure and ſhape of a Beare. Alſo the Panther & the Lions bringeth forth whelps, but not complete nor perfectly ſhapen, and euery beaſt that bringeth foorth many young, loueth beſt the firſt, and accounteth it moſt kindly hir owne, and therefore ſome beaſts eate and deuoure their owne broode, except the firſt, as ſome Swine doe oftentimes.
Alſo he ſayth, that in all beaſts that bring young foorth, vncomplete and vnperfect, the cauſe is gluttonie, for if kinde would abide vntill they were complete and perfect, the whelpes would ſlaye the damme with ſucking, for immoderate & ouer paſſing appetite: and therefore in ſuch beaſts, kinde is ſwift to bring them foorth ſoone, or to make them ſoone dye, leaſt they ſhoulde grieue the damme too ſore, and ſuch beaſtes, brought foorth in that manner, fight for meate and food, as Auicen ſaith, and hate each other. Therfore kinde hath ordayned remedie to ſave the kinde of thoſe beaſts, and ordaineth that ſuch beaſtes may bring foorthe manye young at once, ſo that if it happen that many of them be dead and loſt in ſighting, the kinde of them maye bee ſaued in few & not too many. Therefore the female Wolfe, whelpeth manye whelpes, as the Bitche doeth. And the Adder that is called Vipera hath twentie young at once, as he ſayth: and ſo for the increaſe of this Vipera be many aliue at once in the wombe, for deſire of nouriſhing they ſucke much, & drawe of the humour ſo much, that the damme ſufficeth not to ſuſtaine ſo many in hir wombe: therefore ſhe ſayleth and dyeth ere ſhe may bring foorth hir kinde at full. Alſo Ariſtotle and Auicen ſay, that beaſts with téeth ioyned togethers and blunt, haue few increaſe, and beaſts with téeth departed farre a ſunder and ſharpe, and ſet with many chinnes, haue many young, and much ſemen, & beaſts with little bodies, gender more than beaſts with great bodyes. And beaſtes that gender little and haue few of their kinde, haue few teates and diuerſly, and ſet in diuers places. And therefore the Bitch hath many teates, and the Sowe alſo, & be beaſts that haue many young. Alſo beaſts that vſe ſuperfluitie and continuance of the ſeruice of Venus, haue much ſhorter life than thoſe beaſts that ſerue Venus temperately and ſeldem: and therefore gelded men lyue longer than other, for in them the ſinewes are cut, by the which ſemen ſhoulde come downward to effect and working of generation.
Alſo in libro de Spermate Galen and alſo Conſtantine tell the cauſe and reaſon thereof. And Auicen libro de Animalibus affirmeth the ſame and ſayeth, that Sperma is gendered and commeth of good bloud and ful digeſted, the which bloud is readie to turne and to paſſe into nouriſhing of membes, and therefore when a man ſheddeth that humour ſeminall, the man is greatly diſcoloured, and the body more féebled than though he bled fortie times ſo much: for Sperma is a thing able and made readye to paſſe into nouriſhing of members: and therefore when Sperma paſſeth out of the bodie, kinde féeding and nouriſhing of the members, is taken and withdrawen, and thereof is great loſſe of ſpirites and of vertue in the bodye of the Beaſt. And ſo immoderate and ofte gendering is cauſe of ſpoyling and vndoing of the body, and ſo the lyfe is ſhortened.
And therefore the Elephant lyueth