PREFACE. vii 



G E NE RAL H ISTO RIES of thefe Kinds we have been 

 fumijhed with 'in the Writings of the luearned : Here I apply myfelf 

 to the DifctiJJion of one particular Species, viz. the Serpent : in which 

 I don't pretend td new Dijsoveries, but only to colleB, ahd bring iftta 

 one View., what has beenfaidby different Perfons, which is not to be 

 found by any without many Books, and much Time ; and which, 

 without the prefent Englifh Dref, 'Would not be underjlood by others 

 at all. 



IN accounting for fofne things relative to the SubjeSi, I have al-^ 

 ways chojen the Words of the hearnedin the Ph\ftcal ProfeJJion. 



TH E SubjeB being like Dufl:, theYooA of the Serpent, very dry, 

 / have endeavoured to give it forne Agreeablenefs, by a Variety of 

 Pajfagesfrom Hijlory, and RefleSlions of many kinds ; which, though 

 they may ?iot always naturally arife from the SubjeSi, yet being in- 

 tended for the Reader s Entertainment and InJlruSlion {as he goes 

 along in the principal Dejign of the Book) 1 hope they will find a fa- 

 vourable yiidgmenf. 



GIVE me leave, upon this occafion, to adopt Sir William 

 Temple'i Words, viz. " It is not perhaps amifs, fays he, to relieve 

 *' or enliven a bufy Scene fometimes with fuch Digrejions, whe- 

 " ther to the Purpofe or no/'* 



/ SHALL only add, that in cultivating this SubjeB, I have 

 attempted to give ajloort Difplay of the Divine PerfeSlions, which, 

 as they appear eminent in the Sy/iem ef the Creation in general^ fo in; 

 the Serpent they may be feen in particular ; and if it produces in the 

 Reader a more exquifite Perception of God in all his Works, I have my 

 End.; whg am 



Your Humble Servant. 



Imflii Memoirs from 1672 to 1679. Ztand Editlp, 57, 58* 59. 



