The Preface. 
— — i — " — - 1 1 
in, than the fiucceeding ones. But had He, and Others, been more parti' 
cular in the Matters they treat of', their Commentators had engaged their 
own and, their Readers "Time much better^ than in fo many ft ait left and end- 
lefi Difiquiftions and Contefis. It vrerc certainly a Thing both in it felf 
JDeflrable, and of much Confequence , To have fitch an Inventory of Nature^ 
wherein, as on the one hand, nothing flmdd be Wanting'^ fo nothing Re- 
peated or Confounded, on the other. For which, there is no way without 
a deer and full Defcription of Things. 
Befidcs, that in fitch Defiriptions, many Particulars relating to the Na- 
ture and Ufie of Things, will occur to the Authors mind , which otherwije 
he would never have thought of And may give occafion to his Readers, for 
the consideration of many more. And therefore it were alfib very proper, That 
not only 'Things firangc and rare, but the mofi known and common amongfil 
Wjj> were thus deficrib'd. Not meerly, for that what is common in one Conn- 
trey, is rare in another: but becaufe, I ike wife, it would yield a great abeam- 
dance of matter for any Man's Reafon to work. upon. He that notes, That 
a Grey hound hath pricked Ears, but that tho fe of a Hound hang down j§j 
may alfo the Reafon of both : for that the former hunts with his Ears , the 
the latter, only with his Nolc : So that as a blind Man, minds nothing but 
what he Hears : fo a Hound, having his Ears half Stop'd with the Flaps^ 
minds nothing but what he Smells. He that fkall obferve, 1 hat a Horfie^ 
which ought to have many and firong Teeth, and large and thick, Hoofes y 
hath no Horns : and that an Ox, with Horns, hath fewer Teeth, and 
tveaker Hoofs : cannot but at the fame time fee the Providence of 'Nature 9 
In dijpofing of the fame Excrcmentitiom parts of the Blood, either way, as 
is mofi fiuit able to the Animal. One that conjiders the Teeth of a Horfe,fees 
the reafon, why he hath fo long an upper Lip j which is his Hand, and in 
feme Jort anfwers to the Probofcis of an Elephant 5 whereby he nimbly winds 
the Graf in great quantities at once into his Mouth. So that for Nature 
to have made him a port Lip, had been to make a little Hopper, to a great 
Mill. The fame Animal having need of great Lungs, how necejfary is it alfo 
for him to have a broad Breafi, well bowed Ribs, and, wide Nojirils to give 
them play ? That being much pefier'd with Elys, he flmdd have a long brufh 
Tail to whisk them of. Whereas the Afi, which either for the hardnefi and 
drynefi of his Skin, or other Caufe, is lefi anoy d with them, hath no need of 
finch an one. That being heavy, he fiwuld not Tread or Leap fitififi, as a Man 5 
but have a Pattern made him, gradually and fafely to break the force of his 
weight. By This, his Body hangs on the Hoof, as a Coach doth by the 
Leathers. Without this , the mofi thorow pae'd Horfie , would tread fib 
hard, that as it were impojfible for any man to endure long upon his Back .* 
fo his Joynts would be much chafed, and he mufii needs prefiently tyre. Tet 
if it be too long, by yielding over much, it makes every flep fiomewhat mors 
laborious, and to loofiefiome ground. He that would have one for Carriage, 
will choofe him fiiort, and high Bacl(d. For Runing, long, and clean or 
/lender Limb'd : another, wdre like a Man that fiwuld run a Race in his 
Boots. And a due length is as necejfary : which is, when the Meafure be' 
tween the Main and the Tail avfiwersto the kight, or thereabout. If much 
under, his hinder Feet will want their full ficope : if much over, there will 
be more weight to be moved with the fame force, as if the weight were lefi. 
But he that would have one for Draught, looks not that the Limbs be fien- 
der, if they are firong 5 ejpecial/y thoje behind. For though the fore Legs 
