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 theircreation, 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.

  • Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?
Date:
1607
  • Books
  • Online

Available online

view 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 theircreation, 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.

Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

You can use this work for any purpose, including commercial uses, without restriction under copyright law. You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence. Read more about this licence.

Credit

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 theircreation, 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. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 8 images

About this work

Also known as

Historie of fovre-footed beastes

Publication/Creation

London : Printed by William Iaggard, 1607.

Physical description

44 unnumbered pages, 757 pages, 15 unnumbered pages : illustrations (woodcuts) ; 32 cm (folio)

References note

STC (2nd. ed.), 24123
ESTC, S122276
ESTC S122276
STC (2nd ed.), 24123

Notes

First word of title ("The") is xylographic.
"A table of the names of all the beastes contayned in this hystory, in divers languages": 10 pages at end
Error in pagination: page 56 mis-numbered 59.
Signatures: A6 [par.]6 2[par.]8 *2 B-2V6 3A-3X6 3Y8.
The first and last leaf are blank.
Largely a translation of book 1 of Gesner's Historia animalium, with additions by Topsell
Title page varies: with cut of hyena (used for sea wolf on p. 749) or of gorgon (most copies; not illustrated in the text pp. 262-3); examples of both at British Library. B1, 2, 5, 6 in 2 settings; B2r catchword: 'they'; B6r line 1: 'crowne' (Huntington Library) or 'gers' and 'Crowne' (Harvard). In some copies (one of the British Library copies, for example) there is an extra leaf after F4 with heading: 'The Picture of the vulger Bugill Folio 57.' (STC).
Copy 1. Title vignette is gorgon; B2r catchword 'gers', B6r line 1 'Crowne'; without extra leaf after F4. First and last leaves (blank) missing. Binding: 20th century blind tooled calf. Erased inscription on title page.

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores
    EPB/D/6323/1

Permanent link