HA RDWI CKE 'S S CIE NCE - G O SSI P. 



225 



to ends and delicacy of structure, quite as beautiful 

 a series of phenomena as is presented by the structure 

 and economy of the flowering plants. H. W. S. 



NATURAL HISTORY IN THE 

 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



F. Kitton, Hon. F.R.M c S. 



IN the eighth volume of Science-Gossip we called 

 the attention of our readers to the Bestiary of 

 Philip de Thaun, written in the twelfth century, during 

 the long period that had elapsed between the publication 

 of that treatise and the work I now propose to give 

 some extracts from, we might expect to find a consi- 

 derable advance in Zoological knowledge. Such, 

 however, is not the fact, not the slightest attempt 

 seems to have been made to verify the descriptions of 

 the early writers, and their accounts of monsters are 

 implicitly believed in. 



This book is much more pretentious than the 

 Bestiary, as the following verbatim copy of the title- 

 page will show : — 



" The 

 HISTORY 



OF 



fovre-footed 

 Beastes, 

 Describing the true and lively figure of every Beast 

 with a discourse of their several Names, Conditions, 

 Kindes, Vertnes (both naturall and medicinall), 

 Countries of their breed, their love and hate to man- 

 kinde, and the wonderfull work of God in their 

 Creation, Preservation, and Destruction. 



Necessary for all Divines and Students, because 

 the story of every Beast is amplified with Narrations 

 out of Scriptures, Phylosophers, Physicians, and 

 Poets : wherein are declared divers Hyerogliphicks, 

 Emblems, Epigrams, and other good Histories, collected 

 out of all the Volumes of Conradvs, Gesner, and 

 all other Writers to this present day. By Edward 

 Topsell. 



London : 

 Printed by William G. laggard. 

 1607." 

 The book is a small folio, and contains about 900 

 pages (including the "Epistle Dedicatory" and 

 index.) It is dedicated 



"To 



THE REVEREND AND RIGHT 



Worsiiipfull Richard Neile, D. of Divinity, 



Dean of Westminster, Master of the Savoy, and 



clearke of the A'iug his most excellent Majesties closet 



all felicity, Temporall, Spirituall, and Eternall. 



The library of English Bookes and Catalogues of 

 writers (Right Worthy and Learned Dean, my most 

 respected Patron) have growne to the height not 

 only of a iust-number, but also innumerable : and no 



maruell, for God himself hath in all ages presented 

 lerning in the next place to life, for as life is the 

 Ministereall Governor, and moouer in this world, 

 so is learning the Ministeriall Governor, and moouer 

 in life .... As life is different, and diuers 

 according to the spirit wherein it is seated, and by 

 which it is norished, as with a current, as also is 

 Learning according to the last vse and practise of 

 rules, Canons, and authors from whan as from a 

 fountaine it taketh both beginning and encrease euen 

 as the spirit of a Serpent is much quicker than the 

 spirit of an Oxe, and the learning of Aristotle and 

 Pliny more lively and lightsome then the knowledge 

 of other obscure Philosophers vnworthy to be named, 

 which either through enuie or Non proficiencye dursl- 

 neuer write." 



The dedication then proceeds to dilate upon the 





Fig. 105. Sphinga, or Sphinx Ape. 



desirability of a knowledge of the history of animals 

 which the writer thinks will tend to make mankind 

 better. "Were not this a good perswasion against 

 murder, to see all beasts so to maintaine their 

 natures that they kill not their owne kind. Who so 

 vnnaturale and vnthankfull to his parents, but by 

 reading how the young Storkes and Wood-peckers 

 do in their olde age feed and nourish them, will not 

 repent and amend his folly and bee more naturale '? 

 What man is so void of compassion that hearing of 

 the bounty of the Bone breaker Birde to the young 

 Eagles, will not become more liberale ? Where is 

 there such a sluggard and drone that considereth the 

 labours, paines, and travels of the Emmet, Little 

 bee, Field mouse, Squirell, and such others that will 

 not learne for shame to be more industrious and set 

 his fingers to worke ! Why should any man living 

 fall to do euill against his conscience, or at the 

 temptation of the Deuill seeing a Lyon will never 

 yeeld. Mori scit unici nescit — and seeing the little 



