TOPSELL, Edward.

by Edward Topsell

£29,500 · Offered by Sokol Books

A very good, fresh copy, in a charming contemporary English binding, of the first editions of two attractively illustrated early English works of natural history. They are translations, with significant additions by Edward Topsell (1572-1625), of Books I (on quadrupeds) and V (on snakes and scorpions) of Conrad Gesner’s (1516-65) ‘Historiae animalium’ (1551-87), a very influential compendium of zoology. An epitome of all available knowledge on the animal kingdom, the ‘Historiae’ combined fabulous and real animals, and literary (proverbs, etymology) and scientific (behaviour, physical features, medical uses) material. Topsell adapted Gesner’s work to entice a young English readership, becoming a key source for later children’s educational books. It was first and foremost an encyclopaedia of zoology, teaching which animals were useful and friendly to humans, as well as their traditional symbolism (e.g., rats are lustful and much more poisonous during copulation). Each section includes a zoological woodcut, a history of the animal’s name, anecdotes pertaining to its nature, habitat and character, and medical uses. E.g., the dried heart of an ape strengthens the heart; an antidote drawn from beavers helps against epilepsy. Topsell’s chapter on the horse is much longer and more detailed than Gesner’s. The work concludes with useful lexica of Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, German and Greek names for each of the beasts featured. The history of serpents, scorpions, lizards and inse

• Binding: Hardcover

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