The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.

Of the seuerall diseases of Horsses and their cures.

[ 50] SEeing in this discourse I haue principally aymed at the pleasure, delight, and profitte of Englishmen, I haue thought good to discource of the diseases of horsses and their cures in the words of our owne countrymen M. Blundevile, and M. Markham, whose works of these matters are to be recorded like the Il∣liads of Homer in many places and seuerall Monumentes, to the the entent that enuy or Barbarisme may neuer be able to burie them in obliuion, or neglect to root them out of the world, without the losse of other memorable labors.

Wherefore good Reader, for the ensuing Tractate of diseases and cure; compiled by them, after that I had read ouer the labors of C. Gesner, and compared it with them, find∣ing nothing of substance in him, which is not more materially, perspicuously, profitably, and familiarly, either extracted or expressed by them, in a method most fitting this Hy∣story, I haue thoght good to follow thē in the description of the disease and the remedy, first (according to time) declaring them in the words of M. Blund. and afterwards in the words of M. Markam methodically one after the other in the same place: wherwithal I trust the liuing authors will not be displeased, that so you may with one labour examin both; and I hope, that neither they nor any of their friends or Schollers shall receiue any iuste [ 10] cause of offence, by adding this part of their studies to our labors, neither their bookes imprinted, be any way disgraced or hindered, but rather reuiued, renobled, and honou∣red. To beginne therefore (saith Maister Blundeuill) after the discourse of the nature of a horsse followeth those things which are against nature, the knowledge whereof is as need fully profitable as the other. Things against nature be those whereby the heathfull estate of a horsse-body is decayed, which are in number three. That is, the causes, the sicknes, and the accidentes; of the two first in order, and the other promiscuously as neede re∣quireth.