The historie of serpents. Or, The second booke of liuing creatures wherein is contained their diuine, naturall, and morall descriptions, with their liuely figures, names, conditions, kindes and natures of all venemous beasts: with their seuerall poysons and antidotes; their deepe hatred to mankind, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, and destruction. Necessary and profitable to all sorts of men: collected out of diuine scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: amplified with sundry accidentall histories, hierogliphicks, epigrams, emblems, and ænigmaticall obseruations. By Edvvard Topsell.

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Author:	Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?
Title:	The historie of serpents. Or, The second booke of liuing creatures wherein is contained their diuine, naturall, and morall descriptions, with their liuely figures, names, conditions, kindes and natures of all venemous beasts: with their seuerall poysons and antidotes; their deepe hatred to mankind, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, and destruction. Necessary and profitable to all sorts of men: collected out of diuine scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: amplified with sundry accidentall histories, hierogliphicks, epigrams, emblems, and ænigmaticall obseruations. By Edvvard Topsell.
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Print source:	The historie of serpents. Or, The second booke of liuing creatures wherein is contained their diuine, naturall, and morall descriptions, with their liuely figures, names, conditions, kindes and natures of all venemous beasts: with their seuerall poysons and antidotes; their deepe hatred to mankind, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, and destruction. Necessary and profitable to all sorts of men: collected out of diuine scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: amplified with sundry accidentall histories, hierogliphicks, epigrams, emblems, and ænigmaticall obseruations. By Edvvard Topsell. Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625? London: Printed by William Jaggard, 1608.
Subject terms:	Reptiles -- Early works to 1800. Zoology -- Pre-Linnean works -- Early works to 1800.
URL:	https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A13821.0001.001
How to cite:	For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents

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title page

TO THE REVEREND AND RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL RICHARD NEILE, D. of DIVINITY, Deane of VVestminster, Maister of the SAVOY, and Clearke of the King his most excellent Maiesties Closet, all felicitie Temporall, Spirituall, and Eternall.

To the Reader.

A Table of the seuerall Serpents, as they are rehearsed and described in this Treatise following.

Of the Creation and first beginning of SERPENTES.

Of the naturall Generation of SERPENTS, and their seuerall Originalls.

Of the Names of Serpents, and their seuerall parts or Anatomie.

Of the quantitie of Serpents, and theyr abode, foode, and other accidents.

Of the inward disposition of Serpents, and of their concord and discord with other Creatures.

Of the friendship and enmitie which Serpents keepe with other Creatures.

Of the Medicines made and taken out of SERPENTS.

Of the way to driue away Serpents. Of their poison and bytings.

The Conclusion of this generall Discourse of SERPENTS.

OF THE ADDER.

OF THE AMMODYTE.

OF THE ARGES AND ARGOLAE.

OF ASPES.

❧ Of the Description and differences of BEES.

❧ Of Bees called Drones and THEEVES.

OF VVASPES.

OF HORNETS.

❧ OF CANTHARIDES or Spanish Flyes.

OF CATERPILLERS, OR PALMER Wormes, called of some Cankers.

❧ OF THE BOAS.

OF THE CHAMAELEON.

OF THE COCKATRICE.

OF THE CORDYLL.

OF THE CROCODILE.

OF THE ARABIAN OR AEGYPTIAN Land-Crocodile.

OF THE LAND CROCODIE of Bresilia.

OF THE CROCODILE OF THE earth, called Scincus: a Scinke.

OF THE DART.

OF THE DIPSAS.

OF THE DOVBLE-HEAD.

OF THE DRAGON.

OF THE WINGED DRAGON.

OF THE DRYINE.

OF THE SERPENTS CALLED Elephants.

OF FROGGES.

OF THE GREENE FROG.

OF THE PADDCKE OR CROOKED backe Frogge.

OF THE TOADE.

OF THE GREENE SERPENT.

OF THE HAEMORRHE.

OF THE HORNED SERPENT.

OF THE HYAENA.

OF THE HYDRA, SVPPOSED TO be killed by Hercules.

OF INNOCENT SERPENTS.

OF THE LIZARD.

OF THE GREENE LIZARD.

OF THE MYLLETT OR Cenchrine.

OF THE NEVTE OR WATER Lizard.

OF THE PELIAS.

OF THE PORPHYRE.

OF THE PRESTER.

OF THE RED SERPENT.

OF THE SALAMANDER.

OF THE SCORPION.

OF THE SCYTALL.

OF THE SEA-SERPENTS.

OF THE SEPS OR SEPEDON.

OF THE SLOVV-VVORME.

OF THE SNAKE.

¶ Of Spyders and their seuerall sorts: And first of those that are commonly called Phalangies.

Inward Medicines out of Dioscorides.

Medicines out of Galen.

Remedies out of Apollodorus.

Out of Aetius, and Paulus Aegeneta.

Out of Nicander.

Out of Auicenna.

Certaine other selected Medicines out of Absyrtus, Albuca∣sis, Lullus, Rhazes and Ponzettus.

Out of Pliny, Celsus, and Scaliger.

OF THE TAME OR HOVSE▪ Spyder.

OF THE STELLION.

OF THE TYRE.

OF THE TORTEYSE.

OF THE TORTOYCE OF THE earth, whose shell is onely figured.

OF THE TORTOYCE OF THE sweete-water.

OF THE TORTOYCE OF the Sea.

OF THE VIPER.

Of the Medicines which may be made of the Uiper.

Of Triacle and Trochuks of Uipers.

OF EARTH-WORMES.

EPILOGUS GRATVLATORIUS HONORANDO ATQVE IN OMNI ARTE, & MARTE, CVMVLATISSIMO VIRO, D: LVDOVICO LEWRNORO, EQVITI AVRATO, ET AVLICARVM CERE∣MONIARVM MAGISTRO PRINCIPALI.

A Table of the names of all the Foure-footed-Serpents.

A Table of all the Latine names of Serpents without legges, as well corrupted as those in vse.