fowle, somewhat bigger than the largest turkey-cock, and so legged and footed, but shorter and thicker, and of a more erect shape, coulourd before like the breast of yong cock fesan, and on the back of dunn or deare coulour. The keeper called it a Dodo, and in the ende of a chimney in the chamber there lay an heap of large pebble stones, whereof hee gave it many in our sight, some as bigg as nutmegs, and the keeper told us shee eate them, conducing unto digestion; and though I remember not how far the keeper was questioned herein, yet I am confident that afterwards he cast them all agayne." He goes on to mention other instances of birds swallowing stones, &c. for the same purpose-which he concludes to be the most probable solution of the alleged fact that the ostrich (or estridge, as he calls it,) swallowing iron, pp. 8-12. Then follows a lengthened notice of the five kinds of one-horned animals noticed by Browne ;-the Indian ox and ass, the oryx, rhinoceros, and monoceros. His opinion is that three " might exist; some one or more of several sorts of monsters in nature, through some errour or vitiosity in generation or conception, which might bear one horne; and such a creature once seen might multiply fast enough in report, and (ex traduce) naturalists readily follow one another, as wild geese flye." He concludes the unicorn of Job to be the rhinoceros, after many pages of careful and argumentative examination of his "" shape and strength, and the seate, position, and portage of his horne," pp. 13-26. At p. 27, we find the notice (adverted to in his letter to Browne) of the whale, beginning thus: "In June, 1626, a whale was cast up upon my shoare or sea liberty, sometyme parcel of the possessions of the abbey of Ramsey, &c.' Notices of the dolphin, the toad and spider, seal, dottrel, basilisk, swallows in mud, &c. occupy from p. 28 to p. 46-from the last of which I must extract the following very lively incident-" About 16 or 20 years since, upon a hot, bright, and cleare daye, (a little before noone,) hapning in the midst of March, as I leaned over my garden wall, and looking steadfastly into my mote, (which is on that syde very cleare, leane, and hungry water,) I espied sundry small creatures (of a dark or dusky coulour, longwise shaped, and of forme of beetle or scarabee) to rise out of the mud from the bottom of the mote to the topp of the water, and some of them to settle themselves speedily downe againe into the mud, others to rayse themselves above the water five or six inches, others a foote, others more, and some some yards, with a slanting or sloaping mount, and a like descent and falling downe hastened to the bottome; and being much pleased with this speculation, I hastily rann unto mine house, and called out mine eldest sonne, (then a man growne and of yeares,) both to participate and bee a witnesse of this discovery; wee observed againe as before, and att last (among sundry essayes of many of these creatures, we perceived

I must suspect that the Knight was deceived, probably by reflection, as to "these creatures" (which must be supposed the larvæ of libellulæ, or dragon flies,) having mounted out of the water before they acquired their wings-or having returned into the water after they had once taken their leave of it.

one of them to rise from the bottom to the top of the water, and found itselfe so full sunned and perfected as it raysed it selfe above the water, and after two or three turnes and circinations in the ayre, it mounted cleane out of sight," p. 40. He proceeds to remark on the passenger falcon, (p. 42, 43,) toads found in oaks, shell stones, (Pholas,) p. 44, St. Hierome, p. 46, and last, but not least, Pope Joan, whose existence he believes, and devotes the remaining forty pages of his paper to a most learned and ingenious examination of the arguments for and against the story-and still further to a discussion of the sense in which those Apocalyptic passages are to be understood-in which the whore of Babylon is foretold and denounced, concluded by a courteous expression of personal respect to many who are of that faith, pp. 47-85.

TO THE READER.

WOULD truth dispense, we could be content, with Plato, that knowledge were but remembrance; that intellectual acquisition were but reminiscential evocation, and new impressions but the colourishing of old stamps which stood pale in the soul before. For (what is worse) knowledge is made by oblivion, and, to purchase a clear and warrantable body of truth, we must forget and part with much we know; -our tender enquiries taking up learning at large, and, together with true and assured notions, receiving many, wherein our reviewing judgments do find no satisfaction. And, therefore, in this encyclopædie and round of knowledge, like the great and exemplary wheels of heaven, we must observe two circles; that, while we are daily carried about and whirled on by the swing and rapt of the one, we may maintain a natural and proper course in the slow and sober wheel of the other. And this we shall more readily perform, if we timely survey our knowledge; impartially singling out those encroachments which junior compliance and popular credulity hath admitted. Whereof at present we have endeavoured a long and serious adviso; proposing not only a large and copious list, but from experience and reason attempting their decisions.

And first we crave exceeding pardon in the audacity of the attempt; humbly acknowledging a work of such concernment unto truth, and difficulty in itself, did well deserve the conjunction of many heads. And surely more advantageous had it been unto truth, to have fallen into the endeavours of the colourishing, &c.] "The pictures drawn in our minds are laid in fading colours; and if not sometimes refreshed, vanish and disappear." -Locke.

some co-operating advancers, that might have performed it to the life, and added authority thereto; which the privacy of our condition, and unequal abilities cannot expect. Whereby notwithstanding we have not been diverted; nor have our solitary attempts been so discouraged, as to despair the favourable look of learning upon our single and unsupported endeavours.

Nor have we let fall our pen upon discouragement of contradiction, unbelief, and difficulty of dissuasion from radicated beliefs, and points of high prescription; although we are very sensible how hardly teaching years do learn, what roots old age contracteth unto errors, and how such as are but acorns in our younger brows grow oaks in our elder heads, and become inflexible unto the powerfullest arm of reason. Although we have also beheld, what cold requitals others have found in their several redemptions of truth; and how their ingenuous enquiries have been dismissed with censure, and obloquy of singularities.2

Some consideration we hope from the course of our profession, which though it leadeth us into many truths that pass undiscerned by others, yet doth it disturb their communications, and much interrupt the office of our pens in their well-intended transmissions. And therefore surely in this work attempts will exceed performances; it being composed by snatches of time, as medical vacations, and the fruitless importunity of uroscopy* would permit us.3 And therefore also, perhaps it hath not found that regular and constant style, those infallible experiments, and those assured determinations, which the subject sometime requireth, and might be expected from others, whose quiet doors and unmolested hours afford no such distractions. Although whoever shall indifferently perpend the exceeding difficulty, which either the obscurity of the subject or unavoidable paradoxology must often put upon the attemptor, he will easily discern a work of this nature is not to be performed upon one legg; and should smell of oyle, if duly and deservedly handled.

* Inspection of urines.

Although we have also beheld, &c.] Nota justam Doctoris querimoniam.- Wr.

3 fruitless importunity, &c.] See book i. chap. 3.

Our first intentions, considering the common interest of truth, resolved to propose it unto the Latin republick and equal judges of Europe, but, owing in the first place this service unto our country, and therein especially unto its ingenuous gentry, we have declared ourselves in a language best conceived. Although I confess the quality of the subject will sometime carry us into expressions beyond mere English apprehensions.4 And, indeed, if elegancy still proceedeth, and English pens maintain that stream we have of late observed to flow from many, we shall, within few years, be fain to learn Latin to understand English, and a work will prove of equal facility in either. Nor have we addressed our pen or style unto the people, (whom books do not redress, and [who] are this way incapable of reduction,) but unto the knowing and leading part of learning. As well understanding (at least probably hoping) except they be watered from higher regions, and fructifying meteors of knowledge, these weeds must lose their alimental sap, and wither of themselves. Whose conserving influence could our endeavours prevent, we should trust the rest unto the scythe of time, and hopeful dominion of truth.

We hope it will not be unconsidered, that we find no open tract, or constant manuduction in this labyrinth, but are ofttimes fain to wander in the America and untravelled

parts of truth.6 For though, not many years past, Dr. Primrose hath made a learned discourse of Vulgar Errors in Physick, yet have we discussed but two or three thereof.

* expressions beyond, &c.] That our naturall English consistes for the moste parte of monosyllables, as appeares by the names of all creatures in our tounge and all our actions, and in all the parts of our bodye, except such things as wee have borrowed from other nations. Scarce one word of ten, in our common talke, is of more than one syllable. In this very shorte note which conteynes sixty words, there bee not above eleven (and those of Latin derivation) which are not (all of them) monosyllables.-Wr.

5

we shall within, &c.] To which desirable end, it must be confessed, Browne has, in this work, used his best endeavours.-Crossley, in London Mag. vol. iv. p. 436.

America, &c.] Little more than 150 years had elapsed since the discovery of America, of which many parts were still untravelled and unknown.-Br.

7 Dr. Primrose hath made, &c.] The work here alluded to is the De Vulgi Erroribus in Medicina, of which there is a translation into French,