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 ...

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Lord Marquesse OF DORCHESTER, Earl of KINGSTONE, Vicount NEW ARKE, &c.

My very Noble LORD,

YOur Lordship well knows that Honour attends upon Virtue, as the shadow doth upon the substance; there is such a magnetick force in Goodness, that it draws the hearts of men after it. The world observes that Your Honour is a great Lover of the works of Learned Writers, which is an infalliable argument of an excellent mind residing in You. Wherefore I here humbly offer unto Your Noble Patronage the most Famous and Incomparable History of CONRADUS GESNER, a great Philosopher and Physitian, who by his vast expences, and indefatigable pains, Collected and Digested into two Volums, what ever he found scattered here and there in almost infinite Authors, concerning Fourfooted-Beasts and Serpents, adding also what he could possibly attain to by his own experience, and correspondence held with other famous Scholars every where. After him Mr. Edward Topsel a Learned Divine, Revised and Augmented the same History; as it is not altogether so difficult to add something to what is first begun, and to build upon such a foundation which was before so artificially laid. He hath deserved well of our English Nation in so doing; and the more, that he doth with so much modesty attribute the praise of the whole work to the Master-workman to whom it was chiefly due. The same Gesner, after Mr. Edward Wotton had begun, undertook to compose the History of Insects; which as it is a business of more curiosity and difficulty to write exactly of; so all things considered, they serve as much to set forth the Wisdom and Power of God as the greatest Creatures he hath made, and are as beneficial to Mankind, not only for dainty Food, but for the many Physical uses that arise from them. John Baptist fed upon Locusts and

wilde Honey, and we read that our Saviour eat a piece of a Honey comb. These little Insects are not so contemptible as the World generally thinks they are, for they can do as much by their multitudes, as the other can by their magnitude, when as one Hornet shall be able suddenly to kill a Horse, and Gnats, Ants and Wasps to bid resistance to Bears, Lions and Elephants, and to depopulate whole Countries. The Frogs, Locusts, and Lice, were none of the least Judgements in the Land of Egypt. Mr. Thomas Pennius, another Physitian, lighting his Candle by the former lights, succeeded them in this great undertaking. But all these vigilant and painful Men never could bring it to perfection, being every one of them pre∣vented by death. And indeed, things of deep search, and high concernment, are very seldom begun and ended by the same persons. Hippocrates gives the reason for it, that Art is long, Life short, Experience difficult, occasion precipitate, Judge∣ment uncertain. I may say farther, which he also comprehends in the close of that Aphorism, that all must perform their several offices; which is not often done, but ingenious men frequently labour under the want of means, and find small encourage∣ment to proceed in their great designs, especially in this latter age of the World. Gesner makes a sad complaint in behalf of himself, and Topsel doth the like, and so do all the rest who spent their Estates, and wasted their Spirits for the common good. Which is sufficient proof to convince many rich men of blindness and ingratitude, and confirms that truth the Poet speaks;

Haud facilè em••rguunt, quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi—

Good and well meaning men cannot proceed, Virtue is crusht by want, opprest by need.

After the death of the forementioned four Worthies of their times, Mr. Thomas Muffet a noted English Physitian undertook the same task, and compleated it; whose Encomium is excellently well penned by the late Honourable Doctor of Physick Sir Theodore Mayerne, in his Epistle to Doctor William Paddy of famous me∣mory, premised to this Book; wherein to his own immortal praise, he hath so Anato∣mically dissected many of the chiefest Insects, even to admiration, that he hath let the World understand by it, that he was a deep Philosopher, and a most accurate sear∣cher into the secrets of Nature, and worthy of those places of Honour he enjoyed in Great Princes Courts. This large History is not, nor could possibly be the pro∣duction of one Age; both able Divines, and Physitians-contributed what they had, and employed their Talents, and greatest studies, for many years in their severall generations, to bring it forth; whereby it may appear how necessary this Work is for the souls and bodies of Men, to teach them to know the Wisdom and Omnipo∣tence of God in the Creation of these Creatures, and Goodness to bestow them upon Man, both for profit and delight; and though mony of them be Dangerous and Venomous, yet they were not so when God first made them. For the Wiseman saith, That God made not death, neither takes he pleasure in the destructi∣on of the living, for he created all things that they mighe have their being, and the Generations of the World were healthful, and there was no poison of destruction in them, no Kingdom of death upon the earth, but ungodly

men by their wicked works and words, called it to them. This Book will plentifully furnish us with Remedies against most of these inconveniences, which is no small occasion to put us in mind how much we stand obliged to the memories of the learned Authours of it; who spared no cost nor pains that they might prove bene∣ficial to the then present, and to succeeding Ages. And the same reason is very strong in behalf of those who now have been at this vast charge to Reprint and to perfect the same, that it never should be lost by time or casualties, which consume all things; and to supply the whole Work with a double Physical Index, to ease the Readers labour, that he might not wander up and down, and lose himself in this great wilderness of Beasts and Insects, searching after that he stands in need of, but may in an instant be provided with all those known remedies these several Creatures can afford him. Should such a Fabrique as this decay and come to ruine, the dam∣mage were unspeakable and irreparable; the Mausolean Sepulchre, the Colos∣sus of Rhodes, or the Pyramids of Egypt might sooner be renewed and built again. Wherefore Men are bound in conscience, by the Laws of God, of Nature, and of Nations, to consider of the great Expence and Pains now taken in it, and to promote the Work to the best advantage of the present undertakers for the publick good, who have now brought it to this perfection, that they may say of it, what Ovid did of his Metamorphosis;

Jamque opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec ignis, Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas.

The Work is ended, which can envies fume, Nor Sword, nor Fire, nor wasting time consume.

Never was there so compleate a History of the Creatures as this is since the daies of Solomon, who writ the story of Beasts and Creeping things: and indeed it re∣quires a Kingly Treasure and Understanding to accomplish it. And Petrus Gil∣lius writes, that in former, Ages, all the Histories of Creatures were compiled by Kings, or Dedicated to them; who are bestable to bear the charge of it, and most fit be honoured with it. What would the World now give for that Book of So∣lomons, which by the negligence of ungrateful men and length of time is utterly lost? How highly then ought we to esteem of this History of Gesner and Muf∣fet, which is inferiour to none but that? For what Aristotle set forth upon this subject at the appointment of Alexander the Great, and for which he received from him 400 Talents as a Kingly reward, is all comprehended in this, with the addition of many hundreds more that have travelled in the same way. Orpheus, whom the Poets so much magnifie for drawing the Beasts after him, could do no more with all his melodious harmony, then these famous and ingenious Men have done. And because I cannot but think, what the Poets fancied concerning him, was but an Hieroglyphical representation (according to the dim light they had) of all the Crea∣tures coming to Noah into the Ark, this History seems to me to be like another Ark of Noah, wherein the several kinds of beasts are once again met together, for their better preservation in the understanding of Man; & however there were multitudes of Birds in the Ark which are not here (it may be because Aldrovandus and others have

written largely to that purpose) yet here are abundance of Insects that never were in Noahs Ark, and whereof we never had, or we can find extant, any compleate History untill this was made; which is like to another Paradise, where the Beasts, as they were brought to Adam, are again described by their Natures, and named in most Languages; which serves to make some reparation for the great loss of that excellent knowledge of the Creature, which our first Parents brought upon their posterity when they fell from God. We read in the 10^th. of the Acts, that when a vessel was let down from heaven, wherein there were all manner of Fourfooted-Beasts and Creeping things, that St. Peter wondered at it: who then can choose but ad∣mire to see so many living Creatures that Nature hath divided and scattered in Woods, Mountains and Vallies, over the face of the whole earth, to come all together to a general muster, and to act their several parts in order upon the same Theater? I confess there are many Men so barbarous, that they make no account of this kind of learning, but think all charge and pains fruitless that is imployed this way; shew∣ing themselves herein more unreasonable and brutish then the irrational Beasts. For next unto Man are these Creatures rankt in dignity, and they were ordained by God to live upon the same earth, and to be Fellow-commoners with Man; having all the Plants and Vegetables appointed them for their food as well as Man had; and have obtained one priviledge beyond us, in that they were created before Man was; and ever since they are obnoxious to the same casualties, and have the same coming into the World, and going out that we have; For that which befals the Sons of Men befals Beasts, even one thing befals them both, as the one dyeth, so dyeth the other; so that Man hath no preeminence above the Beasts. All go unto one place, all are of the dust, and all return to dust again: Eccles. 3. 19, 20. And the Prophet David dobuts not to compare Man being in honour, and having no understanding, unto the Beasts that perish. As for Mi∣nerals, they are yet another degree below Beasts, all the Gold, Jewels, and Diamonds in the World, are not comparable to any one of the meanest Creatures that hath within it the breath of life. God hath bountifully bestowed them all on Man, whom he hath advanced above them all, for food, and raiment, and other necessary uses; also for his pleasure and recreation: and so long as we use them with Sobriety and Thankfulness, we shall finde an infinite benefit and advantage by them; but when we prove ungratefull unto God, they become so many Instruments of his vengeance against sinners, to make up that fourfold Judgement, with the Sword, Famine, and Pestilence, the Prophet threatens the Jews with. I fear to be tedious, therefore I beseech Your Honour to accept this History in good part from him who humbly prayeth for Your Lordships temporal and eternal happiness, and who is

Your Honours most affectionately humble Servant JOHN ROVVLAND.