The c Preface. 
i „. than the fucceeding 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 fruit left and end- 
leg Difqm(itions and Contefts. It were certainly a Thing both in it fclf 
Defirable, and of much Conference 5 To have fitch an Inventory of Nature, 
wherein, as on the one hand, nothing Jhmld be Wanting ; fo nothing Re¬ 
peated or Confounded, on the other. For which, there is no way without 
a cleer and full Defcription of Things. 
Befules, that in fitch Dejcriptions, many Particulars relating to the Na¬ 
ture and Vfie of Things, will occur to the Authors mind, which otherwife 
he would never have thought of. And may give occafion to his Readers, for 
the conflderation of many more. And therefore it were alfii very proper, I hat 
not only Things Jlrange and rare, but the mofi by own and common am on oft 
ns, were thus defirib’d. Not meerly, for that what is common in one Conn- 
trey, is rare in another: but beamfie, hkewifie, it would yield agreat aboun- 
dance of matter for any Man s Reafon to work. upon. He that notes. That 
a Grey hound hath pricked Ears, but that thofe of a Hound hang down ; 
may alfio the Reafon of both: fir that the former hunts with his Ears; the 
the latter, only with his Noler So that as a blind Man, minds nothing but 
what he Hears: fo a Hound, having his Ears half Stopd with the Flaps , 
minds nothing but what he Smells. He that fall obferve. That aHorfi, 
which ought to have many and Jlrong Teeth , and large and thief Hoofes 
hath no Horns: and that an Ox, with Horns, hath fewer Teeth and 
weaker Hoofs : cannot but at the fame time fee the Providence of Nature, 
In difbofing of the fame Excrementitious parts of the Blood, either way, as 
is mo (l fait able to the Animal, One that considers the Teeth of a Horje,fees 
the reafon, why he hath fo long an upper Lip ; which is his Hand, and in 
fame fort anjwers to the Probofcis of an Elephant ; whereby he nimbly winds 
the Graf in great quantities at once into his Mouth. So that for Nature 
to have made''him aJhort 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 
fir him to have a broad Breaft, weU bowed Ribs, and wide Nofinls to give 
them flay f That being much pejlerd with Tlys, hejhonld have a long brt/Jb 
Tail to whisk, them off. Whereas the A fa which either for the hardneff and 
drynefa of his Skin, or other Confer is left anoyd with them, hath no need of 
ftah an one. That being 'heavy, he jhonld not Tread or Leap ft iff, as a Manj 
but have a Paslern 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 pac’d Horfe, would tread fo 
hard that as it were impojfiblefor any man to endure long upon his Back : 
fo his Joynts would be much chafed, and he muft needs prefently tyre. 2 et 
if it be too long by yielding over much , it makes every step fomewhat more 
laborious, and to loofie fame ground. He that would have one fir Carriage, 
will chafe him Jhort , and high Baclfd. For Runmg long, and clean or 
(lender Limb’d: another , were like a Man that Jhouldrun a Race m his 
Boots. And a due length is as necejfary : which is, when the Meafure be¬ 
tween the Main and the Tail anfwersto the high, or thereabout. If much 
under, his hinder Feet will want their full fcope : if much over, there will 
be more weight to be moved with the fame force, as if the weight were loff. 
But he that would have one far Draught, looks not that the Limbs be fen¬ 
der, if they are jlrong’■) effe dally thofe behind. For though the fore Legs 
