PREFACE. 



\. j\. 



be 



THIS book presents in a convenient form for reference a 

 collection of the quaint theories about Natural History 

 accepted by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. The work 

 is meant to be rather a sketch than an exhaustive treatise, 

 otherwise it would fill many volumes. The plan of the 

 book is to give some illustration of each word mentioned 

 by Shakespeare when there is anything remarkable to be 

 noted about it. The term " Natural History " has been 

 taken in its widest sense, as including not only fauna but 

 flora, as well as some precious stones. 



It is certain that Shakespeare believed some of the strange 

 ideas here mentioned, especially about those animals which 

 he had had no opportunity of observing in their wild 

 state ; but, on the other hand, Shakespeare's knowledge of 

 Natural History (in so far as his own observation extended) 

 was far greater than that of his contemporaries as here 

 illustrated. 



All the quotations inserted in this book are from works 

 which were the standard authorities in Shakespeare's time, 

 and the extracts are cited with the utmost exactness, 

 except where the spelling in all but a few rare words has 



en modernized, and where uninteresting matter has been 

 omitted. A few of these extracts are given, not for their 



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