Early English Meals and Manners Part 53

Cap. lxiiij.

[Sidenote: Nereids.]

++Nereydes be monsters of {th}e see, all rowghe of body / & whan any of them dyeth, tha{n} the other wepe. of this is spoke{n} in balena, the .xiiij. chapter.

[Sidenote: Orchun. Is Balene's deadly enemy.]

-- ++Orchu{n} is a monster of {th}e se / whose lykenes can nat lightely be shewed / & he is mortal e{n}nemye to {th}e balene, & tereth asonder the bely of the balene / & the balene is so boystous {tha}t he can nat turne hym to defende him, and {tha}t costeth him his lyfe / for as sone as he feleth hi{m} selfe wou{n}ded, than he si{n}keth doune to the botom of the water agayne / & the Orchu{n} throweth at him w{i}t{h} stones / & thus balena endith his lyfe.

Cap. lxvi.

[Sidenote: Pearl-Oyster.]

++Ostren is an oyster that openeth his sh.e.l.l to receyue {th}e dewe & swete ayre. In {th}e oyster groweth naturall orient perles that oftentymes laye on the see stronde, & be but lytell regarded, as Isidorus saith.

Cap. lxvij.

[Sidenote: Pagrus.]

++Pagrus is a fisshe that hath so harde tethe {tha}t he byteth {th}e oyster sh.e.l.les in peces, & eteth out the fisshe of the{m}.

[Sidenote: Sea-Peac.o.c.k.]

Nota. Pauus maris is the Pec.o.c.ke of the Se, & is lyke the pec.o.c.ke of the londe, bothe his backe, necke, & hede / & the

[Sidenote: Percus.]

nether body is fisshe Nota. Percus is of diuers colours, & swift in ro{n}nynge in {th}e water, & hathe sharpe finnes, & is a

[Sidenote: Pecten: winks.]

holsome mete for seke people. Pecten is a fisshe that is in sandy grou{n}de, & wha{n} he is meued or stered, he wynketh.

Cap. lxx.

[Sidenote: Pinna. How he catches small fishes.]

++Pinna is a fisshe {tha}t layeth alwaye in the mudde, and hathe alway a lodisma{n}, & some name it a lytel hoge, & it hathe a rou{n}de body, & it is in a sh.e.l.l lyke a muscle; it layth in the mone as it were dede, gapyng open / and than the smale fisshes come into his shel, weni{n}g of him to take their repaste / but whan he feleth {tha}t his sh.e.l.l is almoste ful / than he closeth his mouthe, & taketh them & eteth them / & parteth

[Sidenote: _Plaice._]

them amo{n}ge his felowes. The playce is well knowen fisshe, for he is brode & blake on the one syde, and whyte on the other.

Cap. lxvij.

[Sidenote: Polippus.]

++Polippus hath gret strength in his fete / what he therin cacheth, he holdeth it fast / he spri{n}geth somtyme vp to the s.h.i.+ppes syde, & snacheth a ma{n} w{i}t{h} him to the grou{n}de of the see, & there eteth him / & that {tha}t he leueth, he casteth it out of his denne agayn / they be moche in the se about Venis / & he is taken in barellis where hartys hornes be layd in / for he is gladly be those hornes.

Cap. lxxvij.

[Sidenote: Rumbus.]

++Rumbus is a great fisshe stronge & bolde / but he is very slow in swi{m}mi{n}ge, therfor can he gete his mete but soberly w{i}t{h} swi{m}myng / therfor he layth him down in the grou{n}de or mudde, & hideth him there / and all the fisshes that he can ouercome / co{m}mynge forby him, he taketh and eteth them.

Cap. lxxviij.

[Sidenote: Rubus.]

++Rubus is a fisshe of the grekes se & of the sees of ytaly / they be rou{n}de lyke a ringe, & haue many rede spottes / & is full of sharpe finnes & pinnis / he is slow in swi{m}mynge because he is so brode / he gothe be the grou{n}de, & wayteth there his praye / & suche fisshes as he can gete he burieth in

[Sidenote: Ryache.]

the sandes, & it is a very swete fisshe. Ryache be fisshes that be rou{n}de / somtyme they be in length & brede two cubites / & it hath a long tayle / theron be sharpe pinnes / & it is slowe in swi{m}mynge.

Cap. lxxix.

[Sidenote: _Salmon._]

++Salmo is a fysshe engendred in the swete water, & he waxeth longe & gret / & also he is heuy / & his colour nor sauour is nat G.o.de tyll he haue ben in the salt wat{er} & proued it / thus draweth the samon to the water agaynst {th}e streme; he neuer seaseth tyll he haue ben i{n} the se and returned agayn to

[Textnote: [A ? fleshe.]]

his olde home, as Phisiologua saith / his fisshe[A] is rede, & he may nat liue in a swet sta{n}dinge water / he must be in a fresshe riuer that he may playe up and dou{n}e at his plesure.

[Sidenote: Salpa. _Stockfish?_]

++Salpa is a fowle fisshe and lytell set by / for it will neuer be ynough for no maner of dressinge tyll it haue ben beten with grete hamers & staues.

Cap. lxxij.

[Sidenote: Serra. Cuts through s.h.i.+ps with his fins.]

++Serra is a fysshe with great tethe, and on his backe he hathe sharpe fynnes lyke the combe of a c.o.c.ke / and iagged lyke a sawe wherew{i}t{h} thys monstrous fisshe cutteth a s.h.i.+p thorough, & whan he seeth a s.h.i.+ppe co{m}mynge, than he setteth vp his fi{n}nes & thi{n}keth to sayl with the s.h.i.+ppe as fast as it / but whan he seeth that he can nat co{n}tinue / tha{n} he latteth his finnes fall agayn & destroieth the s.h.i.+ppe with

[Sidenote: Scylla.]

the people, and tha{n} eteth the dede bodyes. Nota. Scilla is a monster in the see betwene Italye & Sicill / it is great ennemye vnto ma{n}. It is faced & handed lyke a gentylwoman / but it hath a wyde mouthe & ferfull tethe / & it is belied like a beste, & tayled lyke a dolphin / it hereth gladly singinge. It is in the wat{er} so stronge that it can nat be ouercome / but on {th}e lond it is but weke.