"The < P%BFACE. 



for his Poverty or mean Parentage ; honoured all men, was affable to the 

 meaneft, not preferring himfelf before others, but condefcendina to 

 them of low degree. 2. He was fo refolutely fbber and temperate, that 

 neither the importunity of company ©r pleafure of fenfe could ever 

 tempt him to excefs. 3. Of that exemplary chaftity and purity, that his 

 life condemns the d ifToluten els and corf upt practices of the prefent Age 

 and demonftrates the poffibility of restraining and regulating thofe mo- 

 tions and defires, which of all others are wont to be moll: violent and in- 

 ordinate. 4. So fcrupuloufly juft and righteous, that he had rather a 

 great deal fuffer wrong than do any. 5. So true to his word and promife 

 that a man might fafely venture his Eft-ate and Life too upon it: His 

 word being, as an honefl mans is laid to be, as good as his Bond. 6, So 

 faithful and conftantto his Friend in all conditions, as well adverfe as 

 proiperous, that one might be fecure of him, and confident of his help 

 and afliftance, whatever diftrefs or calamity might befall one : He never 

 deferting any man only becaule fortune frown a upon jhim, as the com- 

 mon fort of Friends are wont to do. 7. He was of io diffufe and com- 

 prehenfive Charity, that he could heartily affeit and embrace good men 

 of all perfuafions • Good men, I fay, to exclude fuch op inions as are de- 

 ftructive of, or ineonfiftent with true goodnefs. 



To thefe I might add his Patience and Submiflion to the Divine Will 

 which did eminently appear in the time of his ficknefs, when hepro- 

 fefled himfelf contented to leave the world, if it pleafed God to have it 

 fb, though then in the height of his flrength and parts, and in the hoc 

 purfuit or ufeful ftudies and defigns, and in fuch circumftances, as to his 

 private affairs and concerns in the world, as rendred fbme continuance of 

 life very defirable to him, and would have tempted a man of ordinary 

 vertue to exprefs fome anger and difcontent at thefentence and expectati- 

 on of death. And laftly, his due fear and reverence of the Deity, deep 

 fenfe of his goodnefs, and thankfulnefs for the fame, fincere Piety in all 

 his carriage toward him, and great abhorrency of whatever tended to his 

 diflionour. 



Thus much, though lefs pertinent to the Argument of this prefent 

 Work, I thought fit to premiie concerning his Vermes, partly to do him 

 right by procuring him the honour due to his memory : And partly to 

 provoke young Gentlemen of this Nation, by the propofalof fo illuftri- 

 ous an example of their own Rank, to profecute the ftudy of ingenuous 

 Literature, and afpire to true honour by the conftant exercife of Vertue. 



I proceed now to give an account of this Work, and acquaint the Rea- 

 der with the occafion of his attempting it, and what progrels he made in it. 

 Obfeiving in this bufie and inquifitive Age the Hiftory of Animals alone 

 to have been in a great meafure neglected hyEngliJh men ( for that fince 

 Turner and Mouffet none that I know of hath performed anything therein 

 worthy of commendation ) he made the ftudy thereof his Province, ap- 

 iymg himfelf with all diligence to the cultivating and illuftrating of it. 

 • h that he might the more effectually do, he not only read what had 

 be n written by others, but did himfelf accurately defcribe all the Animals 

 he could find or procure either in England or beyond the Seas, making a • 

 Voyage into forein Countries chiefly for that purpof^, to fearch out, 

 view and defcribe the feveral Species of Nature. And though he was not 



Ions 



