The Preface. 
.( — ■ ■<• - — 1 — 1 ' 
putt feme times, mo ft when they makg an acute angle with the Belly 5 yet the 
great eft ftrefs ufually lies upon the hinder thefe being as the Centre of 
Gravity, and the Load, aud Body of the Horfe, the two Counter, Weights. 
And when he Goes without Drawing, his fore Feet only fupport him } but 
his hinder, ferve alfo as Leavers to carry him on. And therefore when he 
walks, he always moves his hinder Foot firfi. 
Together with Juch Notes as thefe, arifing from the Defeription of the 
outward Parts 5 how largely and ufefully might that of the Inner his Gene- 
ration, Breeding and the like, be alfo infijlcd on. And fo the like of other 
Animals. Whereby a better Hiflory of them might be written in five years \ 
than hath hitherto been done in two Thoufand. 
As for the Figures, I have given only thofe of fuch particulars, as are 
omitted by others. Saving one or two, found in fome Authors left known, 
or common. Nor any, but what is alfo defcrib'd : which makes any further 
Explication of thefe needle •f, be fides what the Reader will find next before 
them. 
After the Defer iptions 5 injlead of medling with Myftit'k., Mythologies, 
or Hieroglyphick^mattersi) or relating Stories of Men who were great Ri- 
ders, or Women that were bold and feared not Horfes 5 as fome others 
h&ve done : I thought it much more proper, To remarque fome of the Ufes 
and Reafens of Things. Where alfo for the fake of the Englip Reader, I 
have undergone the tranferibing fome particulars. More I could have done, 
with lefi trouble. Thefe I hope will compenfate the room, they take up. 
Amongll Medicines, I have thought fit to mention the Virtues of divers 
Exoticks. Becaufe the greateji Rarity, if once experienced to be of good 
ufe 9 will foon become common. The Jefuites Barque, of which, no Man 
yet hath well defcrib'd the Tree, and very few know precifely where it grows ^ 
yet what great quantity, doth the much ufc of it bring over to us $ Unicorns 
Horns, upon the like motive of Trade, would be as plentiful as Elephants 
Teeth. 
I have made the Quotations, not to prove things well known, to be true 3 
as one * (and he too defervedly ejieemed for his great Diligence and Curio- * Aldrovindm 
fity ) who very formally quotes Ariftotle, to prove a Sheep to be amongfi the 
Bidilca: Ovem, f inquit) exgenere effe Bifulcorum, non folum 
ipfa loquitur, fed Ariftoteles etiam fcripto publicavit , inquiens j as if 
Ariftotle, muft be brought to prove a Man hath ten Toes. But partly, To 
be my Warrant, in matters lefs credible. Partly, to give the Authors, that 
which is their due : not at all liking the Malignant-way of fome, who never 
mention any, but to confute him. Tet withall, To rellifie his Mijtakes 
where I found them. And to mind the Reader, Not to perufe the mojl Ho- 
nefi, or Learned Author, without feme caution. 
