FOURE-FOOTED BEASTES. 



(Feb. 13, 1892.) 



AMONGST the many quaint old books on natural 

 history that have come down to us, there is none 

 quainter than " The Historic of Foure-Footed 

 Beastes, describing the true and lively figure of 

 every Beast, with a discourse of their severall 

 Names, Conditions, Kindes, Vertues (both naturall 

 and medicinal), Countries of their breed, their love 

 and hate to Mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of 

 God in their Creation, Preservation, and Destruc- 

 tion. Necessary for all Divines and Students 

 because the story of every Beast is amplified with 

 Narrations out of Scriptures, Fathers, Phylosophers, 

 Physitians and Poets : wherein are declared divers 

 Hyeroglyphicks, Emblems, Epigrams, and other 

 good Histories, collected out of all the volumes 

 of Conradus Gesner and all other writers to this 

 present day." By Edward Topsell. A book 

 which is now by no means common, and is there- 

 fore not so generally known as it deserves to be. 

 This Edward Topsell appears, from his own 

 account, to have been, in 1607, when his book 

 was published, " Chaplaine in the Church of 

 Saint Buttolphe Aldergate " ; but a poor prefer- 



