The history of four-footed beasts and serpents describing at large their true and lively figure, their several names, conditions, kinds, virtues ... countries of their breed, their love and hatred to mankind, and the wonderful work by Edward Topsell ; whereunto is now added, The theater of insects, or, Lesser living creatures ... by T. Muffet ...

Of the use of Butterflies.

He that beholds the forms, clothing, elegancy, and rich habits of the Butterflies, how canhe choose but admire the bountisul God, who is the Author and giver of so rich treasure? where∣fore art thou proud in decking thy self, and takest so much delight in thy own beauty? possess thy temporary fading goods without envie, for know that there is no Butterfly but is as beautiful and pleasing, and for the length of their life they have a more constan•• comeliness than thou hast: thou hast it may be an incredible agility of body, and numbleness in running, but yet O man if thou shouldest exceed all men, thou canst not equall a Butterfly. But you will reply that your cloathing is incomparable, and that you can boast of the Persian and Tyrian silk, of the best pur∣ple dyes, brought unto you by shipping: truly should you but see the rich robes of any Butter-fly, besides their purple dyes, and the rowes of pearls, and the borders set with diamonds, rubies, the pyropus, opals, emrods; if you did but see and consider seriously the elaborate composition of their futures and joynts and the imbroidered work here and there, of fine divers coloured twine silk set with studs and eyes of gold and silver, thou wouldst let fall thy painted tail like the Peacock, and casting thy eyes down to the ground from whence thou wert made, thou wouldst learn to be more wise. It may be thou wert born at first in a house of clay and mud walls, or else in a pa∣lace built of polished stones; but some Butterflies are born in their houses that are the Aureliae like to pure gold, and exceed Attalus for the excellency of their birth, and delicacy of their ap∣parel. Learn therefore O mortal Man, who ever thou art, that God that is best and greatest of all, made the butterfly to pull down thy pride, and by the shorrness of their life (which is of no great continuance) be thou mindful of thy own failing condition. We••t thou as strong as Milo or Hercules, and wert fenced or guarded about with an host of Giants for force and valour; remember that such an Army was put to the worst by an army of Butterflies flying in Troops in the air, in the year 1104. and they hid the light of the Sun like a cloud. Licosthenes relates, that on the third day of August, 1543. that no hea••b was left by reason of their multitudes, and they had cevoured all the sweet dew and natural moisture, and they had burn'd up the very grasle that was consumed with their dry dung. Also in the year 1553. as Sleidanus reports, a little before the death of Mauritius

the Duke of Saxony, an infinite Army of Butterflies flew through great part of Germany, and did in∣fect the grasse, herbs, trees, houses and garments of men with bloudy drops, as though it had rai∣ned bloud. But it may be thou art in love with some female beauty, and desirest to please her; O fool, remember the fate of the Phalena Butterfly, which being invited by the light of the can∣dle, as by a fair beauty, is consumed by the flame it fell in love withall: and rejoycing like the Pyrausta bred in the fire, removing but a little from it is presently dead. And thou great Astro∣loger, who makest Aries to be the forerunner of the Spring, rather adore the Butterfly that is a certain messenger of the Spring, and a more sure prophet than your horned Ram. Would you al∣lure fish to your hook, and catch them? hear what gallant baits are made, as we finde it in the Tarentine Geopon. Take 1 ounce of the venomous dung of Butterflies, Anniseed, Goats-milk cheese, Hogs bloud, Galbanum, of each half an ounce, Opopanax 2 drams, beat them all diligently, and powring on good sharp Wine, make Troches, dry them in the Sun and keep them for your use. Castrels, and almost all birds of prey are freed from consumptions by feeding on Butterflies, and grow very fat thereby. Nicolaus in a composition of some powder, makes mention of burnt Butterflies; by which words Turnebus understands Butterflies that fly to the candles: they cause urine exceedingly, as almost all Insects do, but with less danger: moreover, since they feed on dew alone, as do snails, and abhor to meddle with sharp corroding or stinking things, or such as have any venomous or malignant quality in them; truly the Colledge of Physicians are too wayward that dare prescribe a Spanish fly inwardly, yet never made an essay to know what force there is in Butterflies. Plinius saith wisely; That our greatest knowledge is very small compared to that we are ignorant of: for some small creatures upon the earth are despised, whose force, if we did know it, we should praise to the skies. You therefore sons of Aesculapius, search out the vertues of But∣terflies to be used inwardly and outwardly, for the health of the body; for had Butterflies been useless, surely God would never have set them forth, bestowing so great liberality upon them. But since they are not only for a remedy for us, but may do us much hurt, being inwardly taken in too great a quantity, as being poyson; I shall shew how that may be prevented, and driven off, if Ardoynus deceive me not. Phalenae or night Butterflies, such as fly at candles at night, it may be were accounted of ancient time amongst dangerous medicaments, for the same reason that Toads, Bats, Owls, Howlets and Gnats were; for they held that all living creatures that labour in the day were safe to be used; but night-workers most unhappy and accursed. Pliny com∣mends a Goats liver to drive them away, yet he shews not the means to use it. But if night Mothes go into a Bee-hive and trouble Bees in the night, bury dung mingled with the marrow of an Oxe, and by the smell thereof these unquiet disturbers will presently fall down. Columella. Palladius, in April, (for then they commonly do most hurt) places a brass vessel between▪ the hives, that is high and narrow, and puts a lighted candle in the bottom of it, and they will come in there for love of the light, and there they are half burnt, or choaked by the smoak in the nar∣row vessel. Bitter vetches are held amongst edible herbs, to prevail most against Butterflies; others drive them away with smoak of ••ith and Hemlock, as Rhasis: others hang a horse tail pulled off, upon the door, and they wittily believe that Moths are kept away thereby. Thus much I had to say of the divers use of Butterflies; who though some despise them, yet are they of great use and admirable.