THere is nothing more miraculous in nāture as the shalow search of humane apprehension, then the workes of the diuinitie specified in the Creation, being a worke beautified with distinction, order and measure, and sifted from all confusion: yet if we more nar­rowly vnrip the natures and qualities of the creatures, leauing the vnsearchable depth of Gods essence beyond the shoomakers last of capacitie to himselfe, we shall finde that there is sufficient cause for our weake admirations: And though all things were at the first created good and seruicable to man, because God is not the author of a­ny euill; yet since euill sprung from the ill of Eue, many miseries haue (as his cursse) falne to man, euen by those creatures which were his companions in Paradice, and made to his great blessing and benefit, Insomuch that the Serpent which first was familiar with Eue, & seruiceable [Page] to mans vse, is now turned a deadly and fatall enemy to all his posteritie, frighting the earth with monstrous and prodigious shapes: and no doubt, in these new and presaging formes, are sent to punish our new inuentions of sinne, according to the saying of a reuerend Father: Quia deliquimus in multis, August. punimur in multis: Because we haue offended in many things, we are punished in many.

But to omit the Sanctuary of vnfurnisht wits, being a fugitiue and tedious circuler questions, we will apply our briefe abstract, to the causes and originall of these hi­deous Creatures, for the vnderstanding and capacitie of the simple; seeing, that as a learned man saith; that Sci­re est per causas scire. Plato. The best way of knowledge is to know by the causes: And first of their originall.

First it is Oraculous and plaine in Genesis, that God by his word created all things sensible and insensible: Fishes, Foules, Beasts, and creeping things, and among them Serpents: But since the great worke of the Creati­on, they are ingendred either naturally or prodigiously: Naturally, as saith Macrobius, Macrob. as in Egipt Frogs and Mice, are ingendered by raine and shewres, so also are Serpents: But I am of Aristotles opinion, which also Pliny confirmeth, that Serpents arise not from putrifac­tion, but by the naturall act of generation. It is a gene­rall rule, that all Beasts wanting feet, and hauing long bodies; Elianus. performe their carnall copulation, by the mutuall imbracing of one another: as Lampreies and Serpents: And it is certaine, that two Serpents in this action, séeme to be one body and two heads: for they are so indiuisibly vnited together, and the frame of their body vnapt for a­ny other manner of Copulation. The gene­ration of Serpents. And although like to Fishes, they want floure to elaborate the sperme, yet haue they two open passages wherein lyeth their generatiue seed; which being spread, procureth their veneriall lusts: which seed being ciaculated from the Male, into Cels and [Page] receptacles of the Female, it is framed into an Egge, which she hydeth in the earth, a hundreth in a cluster, a­bout the quantitie of a birds Egge: And this is the natu­rall proceeding of all Serpents, except Vipers, who lay no Egges, but hatch their young ones in their wombe; but for their prodigious generation, as it is rare, A wo­man that brought forth a Ser­pent. Prodigious dreames of Dragons. so is it also horrible to our nature. It is reported, that when Lucius Scipio, and Caius Norbanus were Consuls, that the mother of Claudius in Hytruria, brought forth a Ser­pent in steade of a Childe.

And Faustina the Empresse dreamed, when she was with childe but very prodigiously, that she brought forth two Serpents, and one of them seemed to be more fiercer then the other, which proued allegorically true: for Co­modus afterwards her youngest sonne was so tiranicall and barbarous, that he seemed to be borne a prodigie to the destruction of mankinde: and thus much for their originall, naturall and prodigious.

The Irish ground is most happie, The Irish ground happie. and it séemeth lesse sinnefull, that are frée from contagion of these venomous Creatures: but as it is true, that Non omnis fert omnia tellus, Euery ground brings not forth all kind of fruites: for this Land were happie if it were lesse fertile in these contagious kind of Serpents, which I ascribe not to the nature of the earth, but the sinfull nature of men.

In Phrigia and Ethiopia are many Dragons, and Ser­pents, and these were as Augustine affirmeth in the hol­low places of the earth: and not onely in forraine and farre remote-countries: but also in neighboring and nere adioyning nations: A Dragon brought to the French King. Stiria a Towne in Germanie. and first of all there was a Serpent or winged Dragon brought vnto Francis the French-King: when he lay at Sancton, Sancton. by a country-man: who had slaine the same Serpent with a spade: Chisuen also saith that in the yeare of our Lord, 1543 there came many Ser­pents with féete, and winges, neere Stiria: who wounded the inhabitants incurably.

Paris a Cit­tie in France Stumphus. Cardan writeth that at Paris in France hée himselfe saw certaine Serpents with winges: when the riuer Tiber o­uerflowed the banckes many Serpents were discouered.

As also in the time of Mauritius the Emperour, at what time a Dragon came ouer the Citty after which prodigie insued a great pestilence. Now as these hidious creatures are hurtfull to man, so also are they most inamored of man: and if there be any truth or veritie to be ascribed to Histo­ries: they haue béen most passionately affected to man wo­man and child: which showes that it is a worke of diuini­tie as a iust punishment of our sinnes, to turne their affa­ble natures to a most rauenous and deuouring crueltie,

Elianus.And to instance this with examples, Elianus reports, that their was one Iliaua a Thesalian Neatheard, that kept Oxen in Ossa, Dragons in loue with Men. hard by the Fountaine Hemonius, that a Dragon fell in loue with, for that his yellow haire, which séemed in his amiable colour to resemble Gold, and often come créeping vnto him like an amorous louer, licking his haire and face so gentlie, as the man professing he neuer felt the like.

The like is reported of Pindus the sonne of Macedo King of Emuthia, who was a man of honest disposition and a great Hunter: hauing lost his company in his woonted sport in a thick and vnfrequented desert, met with a Dra­gon of great stature, who came towards Pindus: with the greatest part of his body except his neck lifted vp: who at the first was much amazed at so horride a spectacle, but af­ter remembring himselfe of certaine birds and pieces of sacrifices which he had about him, he gaue part to the dra­gon, and so mittigated the furie of the Serpent, who being smoothed with these guifts, and as it were ouertaken with the liberality of Pindus, was so inamoured of his liberall nature, that he forsooke his desert habitation, and followed Pindus like an ordinarie Spaniell.

There was also a Dragon the louer of Artheolis, as Plutarche Plutarch. writeth, who came to her euery night and did [Page] her no harme, but gently sliding ouer her playd with her till morning, departing away assoone as light appeared, least he should be discouered.

Moreouer it is obserued that those Serpents are so far from doing harme, except by some supernaturall power destinate to our seuere punishment for our sinnes, that they haue often béen the preuenting causes of sinne, and instruments of preseruation of many men and women.

When Messalina the wife of Claudius did send certaine men to take away the life of Nero, Nero saued by a Dra­gon. who was a Riuall of Britanicus, a Dragon appeared out of the earth, terrifying the murderers with such furie, that they ranne away and spared Neroes life.

Againe, Suetonius reports of one Telephus, Suetonius, Incest pre­uented by a Dragon. who had committed incest with his mother, had not a Dragon by diuine prouidence frighted the incestudus sonne, and par­ted them asunder. Therefore saith the same Author, that Draconi similis est vertus indagatrix, quae diligenter omnia perscrutatur rimuturque studiocissime, that perfect discreti­on & knowledge is allegorically said to be like the Dragon, because it diligently searcheth the secret crannies of all things, and according to the common prouerbe, thorough the smallest hole spies day light.

But these examples doe not conclude, but that there is a secret Antipathie and enmitie betwixt Man kind & these Serpentine creatures: who indéed after the relapse and fal of our first Parents, as a curse from God were marked out for most noisome and infectious creatures to man and the womans seed & posteritie: & therfore I could wish that the remedy of this our home bred monster (which hereafter we shall more largely expresse) were purged with as much breuity as the contents of Caesars Letter to the Senate, Veni, vidi, vici: I came, I sawe, and I ouercame: vox Dei, it were the word God, and not of man: Many are the deplorable dangers writ with a tragicall pen of fa­mous Historians, which haue insued to the sad inhabitants [Page] of many famous places by these prodigious Monsters, when the region of Heluctia began first to be purged from these noysome beasts, Gellius. A murderer fighting with the Dragon. there was a horrible Dragon found néere a Countrey Towne called Wilfer, who destroyed both men and beasts by his monstrous and insatiate hun­ger, insomuch that that towne was called Deidwiler, that is, a Village of the Wildernesse: for all the Inhabitants had forsaken the same and fled to other places.

Also there is a memorable History of a man in the same Towne (which I will rehearse for the strangenesse of the accident) that was banished for man-slaughter, who pro­mised for his pardon to combate with the same Dragon, which being granted, with much ioye he was called home, and in the presence of many people went out to fight with the Dragon, whome hee slewe and ouercame with diuine assistance, where for ioy he lifted vp his sword imbrued in the Dragons blood in token of victorie, which bloud distil­led from his sword, and caused him instantly to fall down dead. A heauie iudgement of God to punish murder in the same kind, that he who like Cyrus Cirus. delighted in blood, should féele the curse of Tomiris, Diuine Iu­stice mira­culouslie showne. and bee choaked with bloud. Strange that this man who was pardoned for killing of the Dragon, was killed by the Dragon after the Dragon was slaine.

Thus bloud was the sinne, because it brought death, and death againe brought blood to bee the reuenger of the first, that the bloud of man might be washed away by the bloud of man: the bloud of the Dragon being vmpire be­twixt, that I may say truely, as the Poet saith in another case, Sanguine succreuit, Sanguine finis erit: as it grew so shall it end in bloud. One example more, and I will conclude this generall discodrse of Serpents, and come to the particular description of our Sussexan Serpent.

Now to the terror of the póore Inhabitants, breathing forth his noisome poysons, whose Storie deserues more lamentable teares and spéedie extirpation then the flouri­shinges of Oratorie, or Penne and Inke-horne cordiall. Aristotle. Philip of Maceden.

To note further the contagion of these Creatures by the noysome euaporation of their noysome breath. In the dayes of Philip King of Macedon, and father to the great Alexander, whose Tutor Aristotle was, there was a way into a mountaine to Armenia, ouer which the King had prayed that neuer man might goe that way but hee might die. Wherefore Socrates to sée the effect of the Kings prai­er, set his Opticke Philosophicall glasse, such as now a daies we vse to apprehend things farre distant plainely visible, to see what was in the way, and presently he perceiued two Dragons that by their breath infected the Region of the aire. Thus wee set the obnoxious nature of these Serpents to Mankinde, which of­ten in our soules best meditation receiue their birth, according to the saying of holie Augustine, that Deus exaudit ad penam cum petunt peccatoris fomitem, that our blessings are turned into cursings, and our Pa­ter-nosters to punishments, when we pray fui suis, and our petitions to predictions, when our Christianity is poi­sond with sinne: and therefore now leauing this Serpen­tine circute of this generall discourse, and now come to that particular and lamentable Storie of our yet gréene calamitie, as Aeneas said to Dido, ‘Infandum Regina iubes renouare dolorem.’

Miserie is not without a fatall eccho, whose imperfect sillables in formation thus miserably redoubles.

Let Truth goe vnmask't because her face is vnpainted, plainely and truely then: thus, there is discouer'd in our neighbour Countie of Sussex, a strange and monstrous Serpent (a thing most noysome and dreadfull to the In­habitants adioyning, and may with pious compassion let in remorse at our eares, to haue a fellow feeling of our neighbours miserie, still remembring this, that sinne puls downe punishment, and yet there were in Ierusalem as great sinnes as those on whome The Tower of Siloam fell, Luke 13. if we search our owne bosomes 'tis to be fear'd there will bee found both cause and effect, Sinne and Serpent, but leauing our morrall Serpents, let vs returne to the description of our Historicall one.

This Serpent (or Dragon as some call it) is reputed to be nine foote or rather more in length, and shap't almost in the forme of an Axeltrée of a Cart, a quantity of thick­nesse in the middest, and somewhat smaller at both ends, The former part which he shootes forth (as a necke) is sup­pos'd to be an elle long, with a white ring (as it were) of scales about it, The scales along his backe séemes to bée blackish, and so much as is descoured vnder his bellie ap­peareth to be red, for I speake of no nearer description then of a reasonable ocular distance, for comming too neare it, hath already béene too dearely payd for, as you shall heare hereafter.

It is likewise discouered to haue large féete, but the eye may bee there deceaued, for some suppose that Serpents haue no féete, but glide vppon certaine ribbes and scales which both defend him from the vpper part of his throat vnto the lower part of his bellie, and also cause them to moue much more the faster, for so doth this by first draw­ing together & then shooting forth, rids way (as we call it) as fast as a man can run. It is of countenance very proud [Page] and at the sight or hearing of men or Cattell, will raise his necke vpright, and séeme to listen and looke about with great arrogancy: There are likewise on either side of it dis­couer'd two great bunches so big as a large foote-ball, and (as some thinke) will in time grow to wings, but God (I hope) in their and our assistance will so instruct and defend vs that hée shall bée destroy'd before hee growe so fledge.

He will cast his venome about foure rodde from him, as by woefull experience it was proued on the bodie of a man and a woman comming that way, who afterward was found dead, being poyson'd and very much sweld, but

[Page] not prayd vpon. Likewise a man going to chase it, and as he imagin'd to destroy it with two Mastiue Dogs, (as yet not knowing the great danger of it) his Dogs were both kild, and he himselfe glad to returne with hurt to preserue his owne life. Yet this is to be noted, that neither the man nor the Dogs were prayd vpon, but slaine and left whole, for his food is thought most part of it to be in a Conie­warren, which hée much frequents, and it is found much scanted & impaired in the encrease it had woont to affoord: and now speaking of a place it will be necessarie for me to shew where that place is, least my truth be repulst and not receiued for her selfe.

IN Sussex there is a pretty Market Towne cal'd Hor­sam, neare vnto it a Forrest cal'd S. Leonards Forrest, and there in a vast and vnfrequented place, heathie, vaul­tie, full of vnholesome shades, and ouer-growne hollowes it is thought to bee bred, but wheresoeuer bred, certaine and too true it is that there it yet liues, so within thrée or foure miles compasse are his vsuall haunts, oftentimes at a place cal'd Faygate, and he hath béen séene within halfe a mile of Horsam, a wonder no doubt most terrible and noi­some to the Inhabitants thereabouts, there is alwaies in his tracke or path left a glutinous and filmie matter (as by a smal similitude we may perceiue in a snailes) which is very corrupt and offensiue to the scent, insomuch that they perceiue the aire to bée putrified withall, which must néedes be very dangerous, for though the corruption of it cannot strike the outward part of a man, vnlesse heated into his blood, yet by receauing of it in at any of our brea­thing Organs, (the Mouth or Nose) it is by authority of all Authors (writing in that kind) mortall and deadly, as one thus saith, [Page] ‘Noxia serpentum est admixto sanguine pectis. Lucanus.’

Neither is this Serpent (in my opinion) litterall to be receiued, as when it shall please God that he shall bee destroyed, that then it may bee presentlie forgotten, but rather to be fear'd as an Eclips or fearefull Comet, whose prodigious effects do alwaies follow, for wee know y ^e our Countrie being temperate, & rather more colde then hot, doth not naturally breede them, but ra­ther that it is sent amongst vs to giue vs warning of some Serpentine sinnes that liue amongst vs, which will (without penitent preuention and constant amend­ment) destroy vs faster and farther, then this Serpent doth or can: Holendshed. wee may reade in our English Chronicle of the prodegie in the three and twentith yeare of Ed­ward the Third, and in the yeare of our redemption 1349.

In Oxford-shire neere a place cal'd Chippingnorton, At Chip­pingnorton in Oxford-shire. there was a Serpent was found with two faces and two heads like women, the one hauing the shape of the new Perewig and attire of that time, and another in the fashion of the old attire, and it had also wings after the manner of our Rere-Mice or Bats: this was a dreadfull aparition no doubt, and it is to be doubted that wee are not short of that sinne of new-fangled Tyres now: nay, doe wee not lay it in deeper coulers, and lay on painting too, which perhaps they had not? may we not feare such another Serpents appearance, or rather be blasted without the warning peece: it were so much the happier if wee were sure of warning: and certainlie it may thence be gathered, that sinne was then corrected and amended: for not many ages since [Page] our fashions were all plaine and decent, yet safely (I suppose) wee may conclude of that mutable sinne of head-tyring (which hath faster new formes, and more number then Hydra had heads) as sometime Seneca did of couetousnes, ‘Etiam fuerint Antiqui.’

And now speaking of couetousnes, extortions, cru­eltie and the like, & what sin may this prodigious Ser­pent be applyed more aptlie to them, that poysonous de­uouring Serpentine son of couetousnes: Let these Cor­morants, but looke vpon this Dragon, and they shall as apparantly behold themselues in it as in those times aforesaid the woman did in the Perewig-Serpents, they enclose grounds where the true owner, dare not set foote in, on paine of their remaining estates: so doth this Serpent, for none dare approach his abidings, (though none of his owne) but tis the danger of their liues, hee poysons foure rod from him, and there the Miser exceedes the Serpent, for hee poysons many acres distant: The Serpent deuours poore mens cat­tell, so doth the couetous wretch, both cattell, and chat­tell, goods, houses and all, his scales of defence are said to be blacke and reddish, and doth it not resemble the Inke & Waxe, wherein gentlemens lands are mor­gagde, which afterwards turnes offensiue to them­selues? his necke is long to ouerlooke much, and doth not the Miser so? Tis said likewise, to prey vpon Co­nies, and doe wee not in this age of ours call those fillie men that fall into their snares, Connies? and the poore Mastiffes that were poysond, may they not bee properly figur'd by poore mens cursses bark't out and [Page] sent against them? but alas, they mooue them not, but are beaten downe and poyson'd with their stronger venome.

And lastly (if they change not the coppy of their Ser­pentine condition) they will leaue behind them at their returne from this world such as the tracke of the Ser­pent is, when he shifts his ground, a stench and vnhol­some steame: neither the sweet odour of poore mens prayers, nor the happie farewell of a blessed memorie, their farewels will bee both a like, good for the world when they are both gone out of it.

Might I not goe further and apply this Serpent to the stinging tongues of calumnious backe-biters and slanderers? doe not their breaths often poison the repu­tation and good names of honest men and women? let them listen to this larum-bell too.

What if I added Drunkards, is there not a loath­some trackt left after them wheresoeuer they goe? nay, doe they not dailie throw forth their venome? vomites not onely in the fields, but in the stréetes, yea, the hou­ses, nay, their verie friends bosomes are often made the receptacles of their ore-charged stomackes.

Me thinkes in two words more I could heere aptlie applie this Serpent to the most common kind of Crea­tures, (I doe not meane the Common-wealth, but the common pouerty rather) to the Serpentine sisterhoode of Brotherly, the diseased strumpetrie of the Suburbes: (oh that the Cittie were not frée of, but frée from that Companie:) is not our Serpent disciphered by a white Ring about his necke? How thinke you when you sée [Page] onely a white Tiffanie about the necke of one of those tugging Gally-slaues of Damnation, and all the rest poison? May they not make themselues readie by loo­king into this mirror? I dare goe no further in applica­tion, and bootelesse it were vnlesse I knew how to kill the Serpent.

But now I will set forth two notable examples, the one of a Dragon, the other of a Dog, and the rather I séeke to set them out, that the wicked thereby may know what they themselues are, when bruite beasts shall set them all to schoole.

There was a man (as Plinie Plinie. writeth) which fostered vp a young Dragon, Thanke­fulnesse of a Dragon to his Master. who séeing the same beast to waxe wonderfull great, feared to keepe his Dragon any lon­ger within his house, and therefore he put him out into a wilde Forrest. It happened afterward that the same man trauailing on his iourney through the Forrest, was beset with théeues. And now béeing in this di­stresse, and looking for no other end but death, made (as loath to depart) a great showte and an out-crie: straight vpon whose noise, and at the knowledge of his voice, the Dragon came to him in all the hast possible. Where­vpon the théeues being greatly affraid, ran cleane away to saue themselues harmelesse. Then the Dragon con­ducted his Maister safe out of the danger homewards, and returned to the Forrest againe.

Thanke­fulnesse of a Dog to his Maister.The Dog of the Romane Fuluius is more wonderful. This Fuluius trauailing by the way, was slaine with slaues that lay in waite for him. His Dogge séeing his Master dead, laye by him for the space of two daies. Whereuppon when the man was missing, and search made for him: they found him dead, with his Dog ly­ing by him. Some maruailing to sée the Dog lye there [Page] by his dead Maister, stroke him, and would haue driuen him from the dead corse, and could not: some séeing such kindnesse in the Dogge, and pittying him that he should lye there without meat two or thrée daies before: cast him a piece of flesh, wherevpon the Dog straight carried the meat to his Maisters mouth, and would not eate any whit himselfe, though he had forborne meat so long before. And last of all, when this dead body should be cast into the riuer, (according to the manner of the Romaines) the Dog leapt in after, and holding vp his Maister so long as he could, did choose rather to die with him, then to liue without him.

I would with my conclusion I could haue concluded with the death of this terrible and noisome Creature, and that (from that generall good to our Countrie) I might haue return'd into euery mans particular bosome to haue destroy'd the home-bred Serpents, which are indéed rather our Penates or houshold Gods, then any annoyance to vs, for 'tis our miserable estate (heauen reuert it) rather to adore then abhorre our sins and ini­quities. Reuelat. The Dragons taile hath drawen after it most part of the stars of Heauen: as reuerend Bernard saith, hat, Magnitudo penarum, facit multitudo peccatorum, from the monsters of our sinnes, the monsters of our punishment increaseth.