"There was a certaine cow-heard, in the Mountains of _Helvetia_, which, comming downe a hill, with a great caldron on his backe, he saw a beare eating a root which he had pulled up with his feet; the cowheard stood still till the beare was gone, and afterward came to the place where the beast had eaten the same, and, finding more of the same roote, did likewise eat it; he had no sooner tasted thereof, but he had such a desire to sleepe, that hee could not containe himselfe, but he must needs lie down in the way, and there fell a sleep, having covered his heade with the caldron, to keep himself from the vehemency of the colde, and there slept all the Winter time without harme, and never rose againe till the spring time; which fable if a man will beleeve, then, doubtlesse, this hearbe may cause the Beares to be sleepers, not for fourteene dayes, but for fourscore dayes together.
"The ordinary food of Beares is fish; for the Water beare, and others will eate fruites, Apples, Grapes, Leaves, and Pease, and will breake into bee hives sucking out the honey; likewise Bees, Snayles and Emmets, and flesh, if it bee leane, or ready to putrifie; but, if a Beare doe chance to kill a swine, or a Bull, or Sheepe, he eateth them presentlie, whereas other beasts eate not hearbes, if they eate flesh: likewise they drinke water, but not like other beastes, neither sucking it, or lapping it, but as it were, even bitinge at it.
"They are exceeding full of fat or Larde-greace, which some use superstitiouslie beaten with oile, wherewith they anoint their grape-sickles when they go to vintage, perswading themselves that if no bodie knows thereof, their tender vine braunches shall never be consumed by catterpillers.
"Others attribute this to the vertue of Beare's blood, and _Theophrastus_ affirmeth, that if beare's grease be kept in a vessell, at such time as the beares lie secret, it will either fill it up, or cause it to runne over. The flesh of beares is unfit for meate, yet some use to eate it, after it hath been twice sodden; other eat it baked in pasties, but the truth is, it is better for medicine than food. _Theophrastus_ likewise affirmeth, that at the time when beares lie secret, their dead flesh encreaseth, which is kept in houses, but beare's fore feet are held for a verie delicate and well tasted foode, full of sweetnes, and much used by the German Princes.