XXI.

French.

Au _Crustamin_ pres Mer _Adriatique_. Apparoistra un horrible poisson, De face humaine & de corps aquatique, Qui se prendra dehors de l’Hamecon.

English.

In the _Crustamin_ near the _Adriatick_ Sea, An horrid Fish shall appear, Having a mans face, and a fishes body, Which shall be taken without a hook.

ANNOT.

I suppose this _Crustamin_ to be some place so called, near the _Adriatick_ Sea.

As for Fishes with an humane face, we have several examples of them. _Ambrosius Paræus_ relateth divers, and in his works hath inserted the Pictures of them.

1. When _Mena_ was Governour of _Ægypt_, and walked by the _Nilus_ side, he saw a Sea-man rising out of the River, having an humane shape as far as the Navel, and with a grave look and fair hairs, intermixed with white ones, bony Breast, and distinct Arms, the rest of the body was like a Fish. Three days after in the Morning appeared another Sea-monster like a woman: those two Monsters appeared so long, that every body had time to consider them.

2. _Rondeletius_ saith, that in our age was taken a Fish in the Sea of _Norway_, which every body presently called a Monk, because of the resemblance.

3. In the year 1531. was seen a Sea-monster, covered with Scales, which for the resemblance was called a Bishop, _Rondeletius_ and _Gesuerus_ have the Picture of it.

4. In the year 1523. was seen in _Rome_ a Fish about the bigness of a Child of five years old, that had humane shape to the Navel, except the ears: So that all those things related of _Tritons_, _Nereides_ and _Sirens_ seem not altogether fabulous, and we may conclude with _Pliny_: _Vera est vulgi opinio, quicquià nascatur in parte naturæ ulla, & in Mariesse, præterque multa quæ nusquam alibi_, lib. 9. cap. 2.