The Asse is called in Latine Asinus, in Greeke Oros and Killos... The Haebrues call it Chamor, and the Persyans Care... the Italyans, Lasino, the Spaniardes Asno, the French Vng asne, the Germans Esel, Mul, and the Illyrians Osel; the which beast is intituled or phrased with many epithites among Poets; as, slow, burthen-bearing, back-bearing, vile, cart-drawing, mill-labouring, sluggish, crooked, vulgar, slow-paced, long-eared, blockish, braying, ydle, devill-hayred, filthy, saddle-bearer, slow-foot, four-foot, unsavoury, and a beast of miserable condition; beside many other such titles in the Greeke.
Asses are ingendred both by their owne kind and also by horses... An asse is more desirous of copulation than a horse... If a horse cover a female asse which hath been entred by a male asse, he cannot alter the seed of the asse: but if an asse cover a Mare which a horse hath formerly entered, he will destroy the seed of the horse.
When an asse dieth, out of his body are ingendred certaine Flies, called Scarabees.
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From Edward Topsell, The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes, Describing the true and lively figure of every Beast, with a discourse of their severall Names, Conditions, Kindes, Vertues (both naturall and medicinall), Countries of their breed, their love and hate to Mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their Creation, Preservation, and Destruction, London, 1607.
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