wherein it triumpheth or prideth it ſelf, } Or, feathers. Heb. wing or feather. 'T he Peacocks beauty lies in its tail ; which may weil enough be comprehended underthis Name, as 1t 15 confeſſed, that the Latin word A/a which properly ſignifies a wing, is uſed by Martial and Cleudian to expreis the Peacock's tail m Or, as ſome render it, 0 the Oſtrich : whoſe Wings are much more great and goodly, 'than thoie of the Peacock. And for the otherword in the nexr Clauſe, which is reodred Oftrich,they trarflate it another way, For that the Hebrew word Haſidah doth not ſignific an Oſtrich, ſeems plain fiom the mention and deſcription of that Bird, P/ſal: 104; 17: Fer 8. 7. Lam; 4: 3: Zech: 5: 9. which doth not at all agree to the Oftrich. And foraſmuch as the following Verſes do evidently ſpeak of the Oftrieh, and iris abſurd to diſcourſe of a Bird which had not been ſo much as named, and conſequently the Name of it muſt be found in this Verſe, and there is no other Word in this Verſe which bids ſo fair for it,it may ſeem probable that this Word is nor ro be rendred the Peacock ( though it be ſo taken by moſt ) bur rhe Oftrich. Nor is it likely that both . the Peacock and the Oftrich ſhould be crouded rogether into one Verſe ; eſpecially when all rhe following Chara&ers belong only to the Jatrer. of them. Add ro this, thar it is confeſſed, even by the Hebrew Writers themſelves, Thar there isa great uncertainty in the ſignification of the Names of Birds and Beaſts ; and therefore it is zor ſtrange if many Interpre- ters were miſtaken in the ſignification of this word. » Or, or the wings or feathers of the Stork ( or, or ) the Oftrich? Or, didſt thou give (which may be repeated out of the former Branch ) the wings and feathers to the Stork? Or, werily ( the Particle im being oft uſed a5 2 note of confirmation, as P/al: 59: 16: & 63: 7: Prov: 3; 34 and 23:18:) it hath wings and feathers like thoſe of a Stork; for ſo in- deed they are, black and white like them. And this may be noted as a great and remarkable Work of God,that ir ſhould really have wings and feathers as other Birds havey and particularly the Stork, who comes neareſt to-itin bulk and colour, although ctherwiſegby its vaſt bulk, it might ſeem to be a Beaſt rather than a Bird, «s 2£ 1s alſo called by Ariſtotle and Pliny, and others.
14 Which oleaveth her eggs in the earth p, and war-
meth them in the duſt 9, | 07. e. Which Oftrich ; whoſe property this is noted to be by
Naturaliſts. Or, But 3 for this uauatural quality is oppgſed to oy good-
Chap. XXX1x %
|| Or, the feathers of the Stork
d Oftrich,
{Neh,
Whrges
9 hy le di | Heb:th1 vr;
X1x ſup.
{Neh,
Worges
ln dig.
(0 by
Hebzhe 955 ſtrength 7 : be goeth on to meet F the armed men &.
XXIX. \ | | oodlineſs of her Wings or Feathers» p Inthe place where - _ them ; where ſhe leaves them, either 1. from care, Ie L = ſhould cruſh and break rhem,if her vaſi Body ſhould fit _— - _ or rather, 2. from forgetfulneſs,or careleſnels, or unnatur _ folly ; to whichir is manifeſrly aſcribed in the following _ ES. 7 Firher 1. covering them with Sand, that they may be warme -n hatched by that, together wich the heat of the Sun, Bur this 1S L 1- ed a fabulous report ; for the Adrab:ans, amongſt whom this Bird 1s oſt frequent, and beſt known, affirm, That ſuch Eggs do quickly periſh and putrifie. Or, rather 2. expoſing them tothe heat of the Sun, which being exceſſive in thoſe hot Countries,doth, and mult needs quickly dettroy or ſpoil them. And the Oſtrich is ſaid to warm them, becauſe her leaving them there is not onely the occa- Gon, but in ſome ſort rhe cauſe of the Suns warming them. i5 And forgetteth that the foot r may cruſh them,
or that the wild beaſt may break them. r To wit, of wild Beaſts ( as it follows ) paſſing that way. 16 She is hardned s againſt her young ones 7, as though they werenot hers # ; her labour is 1n vain
ithout fear y ; we Or, He, z. / Cod hardens her, or, ſhe hardneth her ſelf. t 1.e. Againſt her Eggs,which he calls her young ones emphatically, to ag- gravate her fault and folly in deſtroying thoſe Eggs, which if nor negle&ed, would have bzen young ones. # As if they were laid by ſome other Bird. Or, that they may not be #0 her, 1. e. that they may be utterly loſt and deſtroyed; or as if it were her deſign to deſtroy their very becing«xTo wit,in laying her Eggs is wholly loſt. y This may be added as a farther aggravation.She dorh this,not becauſe ſhe 15 com- pelled to forſake her Eggs for fear of Men or Beaſts, but meerly out of an unnatural careleſneſs. Or,ſhe 1s without fear,or,for want of far, to wit, ofa provident fear and care about them. _
17 Becauſe God hath deprived her of wiſdom, nei-
ther hath he imparted to her underſtanding &. _
z Becauſe God hath nor implanted in her that natural InſrinQ, and Providence, and AffeRion,which he hath pur into other Birds and Beaſts towards their young- And yet no Man preſumes to re- proach me for making this difference in my Creatures, And as lit-
7 O B.
tlereaſon haſt thou to blame me for afflifting thee, when others not ſo bad as thou for the preſent go unpuniſhed : becauſe I have no; leſs authoritry over thee, than over them,and can diſpoſe ofall my Creatures according to my good pleaſure» The great folly of this Bird is noted by Arabick Writers, who beſtknow her, and that not only for this property of forſaking her own Eggs, but alſo for other things, as that ſhe eats any thing which 1s offered to her, as Iron, Stones, Glaſs, hot Coals, &'c. Whereas other Birds and Beaſts have ſo much Sagacity,as to reje& improper and unwholſome things; that being purſued by the Hunter, ſhe thinks her ſelf ſafe and un- ſeen, by hiding her head in the Sind : For which, and other ſuch, qualities, Ir is a Proverb among the Arabians, More fooliſh than an Offrich,
18 What time ſhe lifteth up her ſelf onbigh a, ſhe
{corneth the horſe and his rider 6.
# To flee from her purſuer : to which end ſhe lifteth up her head and body, and ſpreads her wings. 6 She deſpiſeth them in regard of her greater ſwifcneſs ; for though ſhe cannot flie becauſe of her great bujk,being ſaidto be as big as a new-bornCamel,yet by the aid of her wings ſhe runs ſo faſt, that Horſemen cannot reach her, as both Greek and other Authors have noted.
19 Haſt thou given the horſe ſtrength ? haſt thou clothed his neck with thunder d ?