Having spoken of the cure of animals, it follows that we speak of the arms and abilities that they have for defending themselves. For all of them generally have offensive and defensive arms, and other arts or abilities that serve them as arms, not in one manner, but in many and diverse ones. For the Creator provided some with claws, teeth, and curved beaks; others with hooves, as those that horses have; others have defensive arms, as are those of some that have hides so hard that scarcely will a dart pass through them; others have shells, as tortoises and freshwater turtles, and some serpents and dragons and whales, and other great beasts of the sea. Such are the shells of that great beast that Scripture calls Leviathan, whose arms the same Lord who gave them to it describes so particularly in the Book of Job, saying: “Its body is like a shield of steel, furnished with scales so joined one with another, that not even a little air enters through them. It makes no more account of iron than of straws, nor of steel than of rotten wood. No crossbowman will make it flee, and the stones of the sling are for it a light awn, and the blows of the hammer are for it a light straw, and it will make mockery of the lance that comes through the air brandishing.” These and other arms the Creator gave to this fierce beast that he there represents to us, in order to show, both in great things and in small, the greatness of his power and wisdom.
But in a small body the defensive arms that he gave to the spiny lobster of the sea and to the lobster are of extreme admiration, because these names they have in Portugal. These fish are dressed in a jointed armor, made of a hard shell, and this so perfectly finished that in all the smithies of Milan a more perfect one could not be made. Only the eyes had to be uncovered in order to see, but above each one there is for guard a kind of point of worked diamond, so that no one can reach them without his harm. And it has more another advantage over our armors, which is that the shell above is sown with caltrops and sharp points, so that no fish can bite it without hurting its mouth. And because it was necessary to have some secret place by which they should discharge the excrements, for this they have a hatch so fitted and so tight, that no water can enter through it. And because these arms were heavy for the swiftness of swimming, the Creator supplied this lack by giving them twelve oars, six on each side, with which they marvelously cut the waters and swim. Nor because he gave them these defensive arms did he deny them the offensive ones, because they have two arms with two pincers at the end of them, which they open and close at their will, and with them seize what they wish. And because nothing necessary should be lacking to them, the two pieces of these pincers or claws are not smooth, but in the manner of a saw have their little teeth so that the fish that they seize cannot escape from them. And with these claws they bring the food to the mouth, and eat in the manner that we eat, serving themselves with hands for this, which none of the fish nor even of the other animals does, setting aside the apes, because all the others serve themselves with the mouth alone to eat or graze, but this one brings the food to the mouth with the hands, which we see each day, not without admiration, in crabs, which, as they are similar to them, eat in the same manner.
These are the modes with which the Creator provided many of the animals, both for hunting and for defending themselves, but to those to whom he did not give arms, he gave swiftness to flee from enemies, as to the stag, the fallow deer, and the hare. To others he gave singular arts and industries to escape from dangers, and leave their adversaries and pursuers mocked, as to the foxes, which know a thousand tricks for escaping, and no less to the hare, which at times steals the body from the greyhound that pursues it, at others with greater artifice, when it sees the enemy near, raises dust with its feet in order to blind him and make him lose his aim. But what does it do when it sees the eagle fall upon itself? Nor either is industry lacking to it for this, because it rises on its feet, and lifts its ears as much as it can and, as the eagle hunts by flight, it attacks the part of the body that it sees more lifted; then it immediately lowers it, and thus escapes, overcoming by art the force of the pursuer, and showing us by experience what the Wise Man said: “Wisdom is worth more than forces, and the prudent man than the strong.” And in another place: “The wise man scaled the city of the strong, and destroyed all the force of his confidence.”
This animal also has another industry, and it is that it enters the burrow by a leap, in order not to leave trail so that its house may be known. And strong and armed animals also use another similar industry. For the bear, so that the place of its dwelling may not be found, uses this artifice, that it enters into it turning itself mouth upward, and going backward so as not to leave sign of the print of its feet. But the lion conquers it even in this industry, because he walks backward and to one part and to another, now downward, now upward, and part of this footprint
he covers with dust, so that with this confusion of paths he may also leave the hunter confused so that he does not know how to hit upon where he dwells and rears his little young. Therefore if the strong help themselves with art and industry, what will the weak do, who have no other arms? Thus the partridge does not enter the nest by flight, so that it may not be known, but much before falls to earth, and walking arrives at it.
Finally, to all these unarmed animals the Creator provided fear, which is mother of security, because this makes them go solicitous, fleeing from dangerous places and seeking the secure ones, as the stags and fallow deer do, which go through the high crags and precipices, their heads lifted in order to see and smell anything that can harm them. With which they also teach us that the security of our souls is no less in the fear of God, than that of their bodies with the fear of dangers. For this Solomon says that “blessed is the man who always lives fearful, because this fear makes him solicitous to steal the body from all the occasions of dangers.” And Ecclesiasticus: “Keep,” he says, “the fear of God, and grow old in it.” He means: although you be reared old in the house of God, and your virtue be very ancient and proved, do not for that lose the company of fear.
I
It is a thing of great admiration what Solinus writes of the elephant, which, seeing itself much pressed by hunters, breaks the tusks and leaves them on the earth so that, giving them the ivory that they seek, they may leave it with life, redeeming its vexation with one part of its body in order to conserve the whole. And the same author, chapter 23, says another thing similar to this of another animal, which in Latin is called castor, from which it seems that the name of castrated was derived, because this one castrates itself with its teeth when it sees itself much harried and pursued by hunters, leaving on the earth that part of its body that they seek, so that they may cease pursuing it. These things will seem incredible to those who look at nothing more than the abilities that can be expected from an animal, but whoever considers that divine providence governs animals, and gives them inclinations and natural instincts for all that is fitting to their conservation and defense, will hold none of this as incredible. For if we said that divine providence supplies in all animals the lack that they have of reason, giving them inclinations and instincts so that with them they may do what they would do if they had it, and we see that all men who have it consent that an arm or a leg be cut from them in order to conserve life, it is not an incredible thing that these animals should wish to lose one part of their body for the same cause.
Nor will what I shall say of the battle that the elephant and the unicorn have between themselves over the pastures be incredible. For the unicorn, which has over the nose a horn as hard as iron, having to enter into the challenge with the elephant, which is much greater than it, trusting in its arms, prepares itself for the fight by sharpening that horn on a stone in order to wound better with it. And entering the field, as it is smaller than its contrary, it puts itself beneath its belly, and with a thrust that it gives him with this horn, kills him. But if perchance it misses the blow, the elephant, which is of greater forces, makes it pieces. And with all that the elephant, because of the advantage that it recognizes in the arms of the enemy, fears it greatly. Known and very notorious in the kingdom of Portugal is the battle that there was between these two animals in the time of the most serene King Don Manuel. In which
the elephant had so great fear of this beast, that it determined to avail itself of its feet by fleeing. And not seeing an open way for this except a great window that had an iron grating, it struck against it with so great impetus that it knocked it down, and through it escaped. This is the truth of this history, and those who wrote it in another manner are deceived.
Very notorious to hunters is the battle of falcons with herons, but not all know how to philosophize and contemplate the wisdom of the Creator, both in this and in other things. This hunt is so pleasant that many lords spend more than would be reason on it, without remembering that all this taste that they buy with so dear a price and weariness, is to wish to enjoy and see the abilities that divine providence placed in these birds, in the one for attacking valiantly, and in the others for defending themselves wisely. They loose, then, the falcons against this bird, of which some are no more than groomers that pluck it, and others killers, which are those that kill it. Where a thing of admiration happens, and it is that, on loosing from the hand the killer, which is very far from it, it divines that that one is the one that is to kill it, and immediately begins to croak and to make the feeling that it can for its near death. And not for this does it faint nor cease doing all it can to escape with life. And for this it does another thing of no less admiration, because, feeling that the load of sustenance is an impediment to it for flying, it vomits it and unloads itself of it, so that the hunters see the little fish that it had eaten fall to earth. The hour of the last combat arrived, then, the falcon falls like lightning upon it, but industry and arms are not lacking to it for defending itself, because it turns its beak upward between the wings, and if the falcon is not very dexterous, the more furiously it comes to strike it, so much the greater danger it runs of being nailed upon its beak, and with this it happens that the one who came to kill dies, and pays with his death the fault of his daring. Other times it uses another industry, which is to take shelter in some lagoon of water, if perchance it finds it, because the falcon is fearful of water, and thus it shelters itself. But who taught this bird so many arts and industries? Who told it that the falcon was fearful of water, in order to take shelter and secure itself in it from its enemy? Who made it divine, among many falcons that pursue it, the one that is to kill it, and this on loosing it from the hand? Who taught it to lighten itself by discharging the food eaten in order to fly more lightly? Who taught it to await the blow of the enemy with the point of the arm that the Creator gave it, which is as if it said: if you have to come to me, it has to be by the point of the sword? All these are works of divine providence, which did not wish to leave this bird altogether forsaken of the arms and industries necessary to defend itself from its enemy, and with this to provide a noble and honest recreation to kings and great lords. But it belongs to them, when they recreate themselves in this, to lift their eyes to the Creator, whose are these things that recreate and exercise them, and also to provide that they not give themselves so much to this that they forget the obligations of their estate and office, as is written of King Antiochus, whose vassals complained of him that, because he gave himself much to hunting, he did not attend to the businesses of the kingdom.
Our Lord wishes to show us the greatness of his wisdom in infinite differences of means that he orders for one same end. Who would think that there are species of herbs that help to fight? In the orchard of a monastery of ours there appeared at times a scorpion, and a large and spirited cat determined to fight with it, for which it prepared itself with rue, rolling itself much in it. And armed, and trusting in these arms, it goes to seek the
enemy, a religious from the window of his cell watching this combat. And after many encounters from one part and the other, finally the cat, taking the scorpion between its claws in the air, tore it to pieces and killed it.
To this purpose another more admirable thing is recounted. There are on the island of Ceylon some large snakes, which they call of hood, because such their head and neck appear, which are so poisonous that in twenty-four hours they kill. But divine providence, which ordered remedy for all things, provided that on this island there should be born a tree that serves as theriac against this poison. For only its odor and the breath of the one who has eaten it puts this beast to sleep and weakens it. For which reason, when a little animal of the shape of a weasel wishes to fight with this snake, it fills itself with the leaves of this tree, and breathing upon it with this odor, puts it to sleep and thus prevails against it. It also uses another singular industry, because it makes two doors in its burrow, one wide-mouthed and another narrow, and in the fight flees to this burrow by the wide mouth, through which the snake enters in pursuit of it: but, entering further in with the force that it carries, it comes to be entangled in the narrowness of the hole, leaving half the body outside of it. Then the little animal, going out quickly by the other narrow mouth, leaps upon the snake, and cuts it through the back. Here we have another example of how much more industry is worth than force, and another argument of how divine providence left nothing, however small it might be, without arms and without remedy. For what thing is more vile and despised than a little snail? This one lacks eyes, but it does not lack defensive arms, because in place of them it has two very delicate and very sensitive little horns, with which it tests and feels all that can be harmful to it. And meeting with something that is troublesome to it, immediately it shrinks and withdraws into its little house, which is the repair and refuge that the one who created it gave it, conformably to its smallness.
II
At every step we find many manners of arms and defenses in animals, in which the Creator traced many things similar to ours, but what in us art does imperfectly, in them nature does perfectly. Merchants carry their merchandise by sea to other lands and, in order to navigate secure from corsairs, they carry in their company an armada of men of war that may defend them. Therefore a thing similar to this, as Saint Ambrose refers, the storks do, which at a certain time of the year, gathered in one company, travel toward the band of the East with as great order and concert as an army of very well-ordered soldiers would go. And because on this road dangers of other enemy birds are not lacking, divine providence ordered that there should be other friendly birds that would be faithful companions of their road, and would help to defend them, which is a great company of rooks. And this is understood to be so, because in this time these birds disappear from the land and, when they return, the wounds that they received in defense of their friends are seen. Therefore who, let us see, made them so constant and so faithful in this defense, and moreover at the cost of their wounds and blood? Who placed laws and penalties upon them if they abandoned the militia, since none of them turned its back nor left the company? Let men learn, then, from here the laws of hospitality, let them learn from the birds the fidelity and humanity that is owed to guests, to whom they do not deny their dangers. But we, on the contrary, close the doors to those to whom the birds give their very lives. What has been said is from Ambrose.
From the storks let us pass to the cranes, which have another manner so admirable for freeing themselves from dangers, that, because it is so known, it has taken away its due admiration from a thing so admirable, which, if it were not so notorious, would seem incredible to many. For who could believe that when they go on the road, and night having arrived they have to sleep and rest, one has the charge of watching, so that the others may sleep secure, and if some danger should offer itself, it awakens them with its croakings so that they may put themselves in safety? Who would believe that this watcher, so that sleep may not conquer it, takes a stone in the hand, so that, if perchance it should fall asleep, at the falling of the stone it may awaken? And because it is reason that the labor be distributed through all, since the benefit is common to all, when this one wishes to rest, it awakens another with a certain lower croaking, which, without complaining that the thread of sleep was cut from it, nor saying why more to me than to any of these, succeeds in the office of watch, and also takes its stone in the hand, and faithfully does the office of sentinel in the watch that falls to it.
In this manner and with these industries the Creator provided for the security of these birds. But to what end this? Let us now argue as Saint Paul argues upon that law in which God says: “Do not tie the mouth of the ox that threshes.” “Perchance,” says the Apostle, “does God have care of oxen?” It is clear that God did not place this law for love of the oxen, but for love of men. Therefore thus I also say. Perchance does God have care of cranes? It is clear that this manner of providence that he has for them is not for them, but for men, because with these works that so clearly discover him to be the author of them, he wished to give them to understand the care of his providence and of those three virtues that we said go in its company, which are goodness, wisdom, and omnipotence. For knowledge of them is one of the things that most moves our hearts to love, fear, hope, reverence, and obey so great a Majesty. In which there is much to feel the blindness of our heart, because going swimming among so many warnings and benefits of God and among so many marvels of his works, where he is so clearly discovered to us, we do not know him nor reverence him in them. So that, seeing, we do not see, and understanding, we do not understand, because we are content with seeing only the bark and appearance of things, without inquiring into their author. And because we do not take one step further, we cease to see the Creator who is just behind them. Therefore what shall I say of so much blindness as this? I shall say that we are like the children of Israel newly gone out from Egypt, to whom Moses said that, “having seen so many and so strange prodigies and miracles that God had worked for them, they had not had eyes to see, nor ears to hear, nor heart to know how to esteem and thank what God had done for them,” which appeared clearly, since a few days after the departure from Egypt they fabricated that calf, and adored it as God. Such it seems that we also are, since going surrounded on one part by so many benefits of God, and on another by so many testimonies of his goodness and providence, we are, among so many voices of his creatures, deaf and, among so many splendors of his glory, blind and, among so many motives of his praises (as many as are the creatures), mute.
What all of us know of these aforesaid birds, with other similar things of which here we have treated, make an argument that another thing no less admirable is true, which Francisco Patrizio of Siena refers in his book On the Republic. Where he says that on Mount Taurus many eagles are accustomed to go about. And because a band of geese, which are great
croakers, make their way through there at a certain time of the year, in order not to be sensed by the eagles, they provide themselves with remedy. But what remedy? Each one takes a stone in the mouth, and this necessitates them to keep silence all that road. This seems an incredible thing. But whoever remembers that the sea urchin does this same thing, when it divines the storm, as we said above, will also not cease to believe what these birds do.
Another thing I shall add here, I do not know if more admirable than the past ones, which Pliny refers. And the same Tully refers in the first book On the Nature of the Gods, in which he recounts many very notable things of this matter, intending by them to declare to us the highest wisdom of the Maker. These two distinguished authors say, then, that there is a manner of shell in the sea by name pina, in whose company there always goes a little fish that is called esquila, which fish and maintain themselves in a strange manner. For the shell opens its doors, into which enter the little fish that are beside it, and as it does not see nor make any movement, with this security their daring grows, and thus some and others enter in rivalry. Then the spy, which is that little fish that we said, softly bites the blind shell, giving it notice that the fishing is now secure. Immediately it closes and tightens its doors and with this kills the little fish that had entered, and shares the prey with the companion, and thus both maintain themselves. Therefore who will not praise here divine providence, which in this manner provided this shell with others’ eyes, and this little fish with sustenance, it paying him the labor of his service more faithfully than the lords of now pay that of their servants? And who will not recognize here the infinite wisdom of the Creator, who knew how to invent so many and so strange manners of abilities to maintain his creatures, testifying to us by all of them the greatness of his glory, so that as such we might reverence and adore it?
I finish this chapter supplicating our Lord to give us that prudence of serpents that he commended to us in his Gospel, which, seeing themselves mistreated and wounded, hide the head with all the craftiness that they can, and offer the body to the blows, putting at danger what is less, in order to guard what is greater, and thus defend their life. O if men did the same, when profits of the body encounter harms of the soul, that they would wish to lose the less in order to guard the more, consenting rather to suffer detriment in the corruptible body, which they have common with the beasts, than in the immortal soul, which they have similar to the angels, and likewise, the occasion offering itself either to lose God or to lose property, they would prefer to lose whatever the world can give, than to lose Him who alone is worth more than all, and without whom all abundance is poverty, and all prosperity extreme misery!
Another craftiness also is recounted of this beast, and it is that, the Creator providing it each year with a new garment, and it being necessary to discharge the old one, it helps itself with this industry for it, that it slips through a narrow hole in order to discharge it from itself. In which also there is given to us a document that he who wishes to discharge from himself the old man, subject to the appetites of the flesh, should know that it is fitting for him to enter through the narrow door of the mortification of his passions, and embrace the cross of the harsh and laborious life, because depraved nature, chiefly if it is confirmed with the custom of many days, cannot be conquered except with great difficulty, that is, with fasts, prayers, vigils, holy readings, silence, guard of the senses, and use of sacraments, and other such things. Which the holy Baptist accomplished
with many men, when coming out of the desert he astonished the world with the harshness of his life, and with the example of his virtues, and with the thunder of his preaching, as the Savior testified it when he said: “From the days of Saint John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven suffers force, and the forceful are those who seize it.”