Of the (generation of <*Animals. ZH

take good effect in all kinds of birds; for if we take their Cages or Coops virhereiiithey are kept, and their nests wherein they sit, and white them on the inside withsome plastering work, or else cover them all over with white clothes or curtains,and so keep them in with grates, that they may not get out, but there coupleand sit, and hatch their egges, they will yeeld unto us white broods. So if youwould

Procure Pigeons of party colours,

you must take that course which Oppiantu hath set down. At such time, as they fallto kissing their mate, and are desirous of copulation, let him that keeps them laybefore their eyes sundry clothes of the bravest colours they can get, but especiallypurple: for the pigeons will in their heat of lust be much affected and delightedwith the sight thereof, and the young ones which they bring forth, (hall resemblethe same colours. The subtil Fowler, faith he, that gives himself to take and tobring up birds,is well acquainted with,and is wont to practise such experiments, andvery artificially procures fine colours in young Pigeons:he casteth before their spark-ling eyes fine wrought tapestry,and red coverlets,and purple garmentsjand so whileshe feeds their eyes with pleasing sights, he steals away their imagination to the co-lours which they look upon, and thereby derives the very fame colours into theyoung ones.

How to procure a (hag-hair 'd Dog.

In fas ting time you must strew their kennels, and the places where they lie andcouple, and usually haunt, with the fleeces and hides of beasts ; and so, while theycontinually look upon those sights, they will beget sbao whelps like Lions. Thiswe heard came to passe by chance, and without any such intended purpose, that alittle Bitch lying continually in a Rams fleece, when she came to be with whelp, shebrought forth puppies of the like hair as the fleece was.

How to procure Swine , and other beafts to be white »

Swine-herds, and Keepers of beasts, when they would have white litters, are wontto beautifie,aud to build the stables and places whither the beasts resort to lye ,with white roofs and white eaves; and the Swine which were brought forth insuch white sties, and the other beasts likewise that were brought forth in such whi-ter! places, became thereby white all over.

Chap. XX.

How it may be wrought , that WomenJhould bring forth fair and beautiful children,

B Y this which hath been spoken, it is easie for any man to work the like effectsin mankind, and to know how to procure fair and beautiful children. Nay,Writers make mention, that these things which we speak of, have oftentimes fallenout by chance. Wherefore it was not here to be omitted. The best means to pro-duce this effect, is to place in the bed-chambers of great men, the images of €»•fid, Adonis, and Ganymedes; or else to set them there in carved and graven work*,in some solid matter, that they may alwayes have them in their eyes: whereby hmay to passe, that whensoever their wives lie with them, still they may think uponthose pictures, and have their imagination strongly and earnestly bent thereupon rand not only while they are in the act, but after they hare conceived and quicknedalso: so shall the child when it is born, imitate and exprtffe the fame form whichhis mother conceived in her mind, when she conceived him, and bare in her mind,while she bare him in her wombe. And I know by experience, that this coursewill take good effect ; for after I had counselled many to use it, there was * woman,