The like deceit may be practised in the teeth of other Sea-animals; in the teeth also of the _Hippopotamus_, or great Animal which frequenteth the River _Nilus_: For we read that the same was anciently used instead of Ivory or Elephants tooth. Nor is it to be omitted, what hath been formerly suspected, but now confirmed by _Olaus Wormius_, and _Thomas Bartholinus_ and others, that those long Horns preserved as pretious rarities in many places, are but the teeth of Narhwales, to be found about Island, Greenland and other Northern regions; of many feet long, commonly wreathed, very deeply fastned in the upper jaw, and standing directly forward, graphically described in _Bartholinus_[SN: De Unicornu.], according unto one sent from a Bishop of Island, not separated from the crany. Hereof _Mercator_ hath taken notice in his description of Island: some relations hereof there seem to be in _Purchas_, who also delivereth that the Horn at _Windsor_, was in his second voyage brought hither by _Frobisher_. These before the Northern discoveries, as unknown rarities, were carried by Merchants into all parts of _Europe_; and though found on the Sea-shore, were sold at very high rates; but are now become more common, and probably in time will prove of little esteem; and the bargain of _Julius_ the third, be accounted a very hard one, who stuck not to give many thousand crowns for one.
Nor is it great wonder we may be so deceived in this, being daily gulled in the brother Antidote Bezoar; whereof though many be false, yet one there passeth amongst us of more intollerable delusion; somewhat paler then the true stone, and given by women in the extremity of great diseases, which notwithstanding is no stone, but seems to be the stony seed of some Lithospermum or greater Grumwell; or the Lobus Echinatus of _Clusius_, called also the Bezoar Nut; for being broken, it discovereth a kernel of a leguminous smell and tast, bitter like a Lupine, and will swell and sprout if set in the ground, and therefore more serviceable for issues, then dangerous and virulent diseases.
Sixthly, Although we were satisfied we had the _Unicorns_ Horn, yet were it no injury unto reason to question the efficacy thereof, or whether those vertues pretended do properly belong unto it. For what we observe, (and it escaped not the observation of _Paulus Jovius_ many years past) none of the Ancients ascribed any medicinal or antidotal vertue unto the _Unicorns_ Horn; and that which _Ãlian_ extolleth, who was the first and only man of the Ancients who spake of the medical vertue of any _Unicorn_, was the Horn of the _Indian_ Ass; whereof, saith he, the Princes of those parts make bowls and drink therein, as preservatives against Poyson, Convulsions, and the Falling-sickness. Now the description of that Horn is not agreeable unto that we commend; for that (saith he) is red above, white below, and black in the middle; which is very different from ours, or any to be seen amongst us. And thus, though the description of the _Unicorn_ be very ancient, yet was there of old no vertue ascribed unto it; and although this amongst us receive the opinion of the same vertue, yet is it not the same Horn whereunto the Antients ascribed it.