This is
the gentlest and most tractable of all beasts, and understands and is
taught many things, so that it is even taught to do reverence to kings,
being of acute sense and great judgment. When the female is once
seasoned, the male never touches her afterwards. The male lives two
hundred years, or at least 120, and the female almost as long; but the
flower of their age is reckoned 60 years. They cannot endure our winter
or cold weather; but they love to go into rivers, in which they will
often wade up to their trunk, snuffing and blowing the water about in
sport; but they cannot swim, owing to the weight of their bodies. If
they happen to meet a man wandering in the wilderness, they will go
gently before him and lead him into the right way. In battle they pay
much respect to those who are wounded, bringing such as are hurt or
weary into the middle of the army where they may be defended. They are
made tame by drinking the juice of barley[213].
[Footnote 213: The meaning of this expression is by no means obvious. It
is known that in India, arrack, or a spirituous liquor distilled from
rice, is given regularly to elephants, which may be here alluded
to. - E.]
They have continual war with dragons, which desire their blood because
it is very cold; wherefore the dragon lies in wait for the passing of an
elephant, winding its tail of vast length round the hind legs of the
elephant, then thrusts his head into his trunk and sucks out his breath,
or bites him in the ears where he cannot reach with his trunk.
