True and Wonderful. A Discourse relating a strange and monstrous Serpent (or Dragon) lately discovered, and yet living, to the great annoyance and divers slaughters both of Men and cattle, by his strong and violent poison, In Sussex two miles from Horsam, in a wood called S. leonard's Forrest, and thirty miles from London, this present month of August. 1614 With the true Generation of Serpents.   depiction of a fire-breathing dragon facing a crouching cat, next to a man, woman, and dog or cow lying on the ground 
Printed at London by john Trundle.   

To the Reader.  
THe just Reward of him that is accustomed to lie, is, not to be believed when he speaketh the truth: So just an occasion may sometime be imposed upon the Pamphleting, press, and therefore if we receive the same rewards we cannot much blame our accusers, which often falls out either by our forward credulity to but seeming true reports, or by false Copies translated from other Languages, which (though we beget not) we foster, and our shame little the less. But passing by what's past, let not our present truth blush for any former falsehood sake: The Country is near us, Sussex; The Time present, August; The Subject, a Serpent; strange, yet now a neighbour to us: and it were more than impudence to forge a lie so near home, that every man might turn in our throats; believe it, or read it not, or read it (doubting) for I believe  thou hast read this little All, thou wilt not doubt of one, but believe there are many Serpents in England; farewell.  
By A. R. He that would send better news if he had it.   

True and Wonderful: A Discourse relating a strange & monstrous Serpent (or Dragon) lately discovered and yet living, to the great annoyance (and divers slaughters) both of Men and cattle, by his strong & violent Poison.  
THere is nothing more miraculous in nanture as the shallow search of human apprehension, than the works of the divinity specified in the Creation, being a work beautified with distinction, order and measure, and sifted from all confusion: yet if we more narrowly unrip the natures and qualities of the creatures, leaving the unsearchable depth of God's essence beyond the shoemakers last of capacity to himself, we shall find that there is sufficient cause for our weak admirations: And though all things were at the first created good and serviceable to man, because God is not the author of any evil; yet since evil sprung from the ill of Eve, many miseries have (as his curse) fallen to man, even by those creatures which were his companions in Paradise, and made to his great blessing and benefit, Insomuch that the Serpent which first was familiar with Eve, & serviceable to man's use, is now turned a deadly and fatal enemy to all his posterity, frighting the earth with monstrous and prodigious shapes: and no doubt, in these new and presaging forms, are sent to punish our new inventions of sin, according to the saying of a reverend Father: Quia deliquimus in multis, 
August.  punimur in multis: Because we have offended in many things, we are punished in many.  
But to omit the Sanctuary of unfurnished wits, being a fugitive and tedious circular questions, we will apply our brief abstract, to the causes and original of these hideous Creatures, for the understanding and capacity 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 original.  
First it is Oraculous and plain 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 work of the Creation, they are engendered either naturally or prodigiously: Naturally, as saith Macrobius, 
Macrob.  as in Egypt Frogs and Mice, are engendered by rain and shewres, so also are Serpents: But I am of Aristotle's opinion, which also Pliny confirmeth, that Serpents arise not from putrefaction, but by the natural act of generation. It is a general rule, that all Beasts wanting feet, and having long bodies; 
Elianus.  perform their carnal copulation, by the mutual embracing of one another: as Lampreys and Serpents: And it is certain, that two Serpents in this action, seem to be one body and two heads: for they are so indivisibly united together, and the frame of their body unapt for any other manner of Copulation. 
The generation of Serpents.  And although like to Fishes, they want flower to elaborate the sperm, yet have they two open passages wherein lieth their generative seed; which being spread, procureth their venerial lusts: which seed being ciaculated from the Male, into Cells and receptacles of the Female, it is framed into an Egg, which she hideth in the earth, a hundredth in a cluster, about the quantity of a birds Egg: And this is the natural proceeding of all Serpents, except Vipers, who lay no Eggs, but hatch their young ones in their womb; but for their prodigious generation, as it is rare, 

A woman that brought forth a Serpent.  
Prodigious dreams 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 stead of a Child.  
And Faustina the Empress dreamt, when she was with child but very prodigiously, that she brought forth two Serpents, and one of them seemed to be more fiercer than the other, which proved allegorically true: for Comodus afterwards her youngest son was so tyrannical and barbarous, that he seemed to be borne a prodigy to the destruction of mankind: and thus much for their original, natural and prodigious.  
The Irish ground is most happy, 
The Irish ground happy.  and it seemeth less sinful, that are free from contagion of these venomous Creatures: but as it is true, that Non omnis fert omnia tellus, Every ground brings not forth all kind of fruits: for this Land were happy if it were less fertile in these contagious kind of Serpents, which I ascribe not to the nature of the earth, but the sinful 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 only in foreign and far remote-countries: but also in neighbouring and near adjoining nations: 
A Dragon brought to the French King. Stiria a Town in Germany.  and first of all there was a Serpent or winged Dragon brought unto Francis the French-King: when he lay at Sancton, 
Sancton.  by a countryman: who had slain the same Serpent with a spade: Chisuen also saith that in the year of our Lord, 1543 there came many Serpents with feet, and wings, near Stiria: who wounded the inhabitants incurably.  

Paris a City in France Stumphus.  Cardan writeth that at Paris in France he himself saw certain Serpents with wings: when the river Tiber overflowed the banks many Serpents were discovered.  
As also in the time of Mauritius the Emperor, at what time a Dragon came over the City after which prodigy ensued a great pestilence. Now as these hideous creatures are hurtful to man, so also are they most enamoured of man: and if there be any truth or verity to be ascribed to Histories: they have been most passionately affected to man woman and child: which shows that it is a work of divinity as a just punishment of our sins, to turn their affable natures to a most ravenous and devouring cruelty,  

Elianus.  And to instance this with examples, Elianus reports, that their was one Iliava a Thesalian neat-heard, that kept Oxen in Ossa, 
Dragons in love with Men.  hard by the Fountain Hemonius, that a Dragon fell in love with, for that his yellow hair, which seemed in his amiable colour to resemble Gold, and often come creeping unto him like an amorous lover, licking his hair and face so gently, as the man professing he never felt the like.  
The like is reported of Pindus the son of Macedo King of Emuthia, who was a man of honest disposition and a great Hunter: having lost his company in his wonted sport in a thick and unfrequented desert, met with a Dragon of great stature, who came towards Pindus: with the greatest part of his body except his neck lifted up: who at the first was much amazed at so horrid a spectacle, but after remembering himself of certain birds and pieces of sacrifices which he had about him, he gave part to the dragon, and so mitigated the fury of the Serpent, who being smoothed with these gifts, and as it were overtaken with the liberality of Pindus, was so enamoured of his liberal nature, that he forsook his desert habitation, and followed Pindus like an ordinary Spaniel.  
There was also a Dragon the lover of Artheolis, as plutarch 
Plutarch.  writeth, who came to her every night and did her no harm, but gently sliding over her played with her till morning, departing away assoon as light appeared, lest he should be discovered.  
Moreover it is observed that those Serpents are so far from doing harm, except by some supernatural power destinate to our severe punishment for our sins, that they have often been the preventing causes of sin, and instruments of preservation of many men and women.  
When Messalina the wife of Claudius did send certain men to take away the life of Nero, 
Nero saved by a Dragon.  who was a Rival of Britanicus, a Dragon appeared out of the earth, terrifying the murderers with such fury, that they ran away and spared Nero's life.  
Again, Suetonius reports of one Telephus, 
Suetonius, Incest prevented by a Dragon.  who had committed incest with his mother, had not a Dragon by divine providence frighted the incestudus son, 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 proverb, through the smallest hole spies day light.  
But these examples do not conclude, but that there is a secret Antipathy and enmity betwixt Man kind & these Serpentine creatures: who indeed after the relapse and fall of our first Parents, as a curse from God were marked out for most noisome and infectious creatures to man and the woman's seed & posterity: & therefore I could wish that the remedy of this our home bred monster (which hereafter we shall more largely express) were purged with as much brevity as the contents of Caesar's Letter to the Senate, Veni, vidi, vici: I came, I saw, and I overcame: vox Dei, it were the word God, and not of man: Many are the deplorable dangers writ with a tragical pen of famous Historians, which have ensued to the sad inhabitants of many famous places by these prodigious Monsters, when the region of Heluctia began first to be purged from these noisome beasts, 
Gellius. A murderer fight with the Dragon.  there was a horrible Dragon found near a Country Town called Wilfer, who destroyed both men and beasts by his monstrous and insatiate hunger, insomuch that that town was called Deidwiler, that is, a Village of the Wilderness: 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 Town (which I will rehearse for the strangeness of the accident) that was banished for manslaughter, who promised for his pardon to combat with the same Dragon, which being granted, with much joy he was called home, and in the presence of many people went out to fight with the Dragon, whom he slew and overcame with divine assistance, where for joy he lifted up his sword imbrued in the Dragon's blood in token of victory, which blood distilled from his sword, and caused him instantly to fall down dead. A heavy judgement of God to punish murder in the same kind, that he who like Cyrus 
Cirus.  delighted in blood, should feel the curse of Tomiris, 
Divine justice miraculously shown.  and be choked with blood. Strange that this man who was pardoned for killing of the Dragon, was killed by the Dragon after the Dragon was slain.  
Thus blood was the sin, because it brought death, and death again brought blood to be the revenger of the first, that the blood of man might be washed away by the blood of man: the blood of the Dragon being umpire betwixt, that I may say truly, as the Poet saith in another case, Sanguine succrevit, Sanguine finis erit: as it grew so shall it end in blood. One example more, and I will conclude this general 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 poisons, whose Story deserves more lamentable tears and speedy extirpation than the flourishinges of Oratory, or Pen and Inkhorn cordial. 
Aristotle. Philip of Maceden.   
To note further the contagion of these Creatures by the noisome evaporation of their noisome breath. In the days of Philip King of Macedon, and father to the great Alexander, whose Tutor Aristotle was, there was a way into a mountain to Armenia, over which the King had prayed that never man might go that way but he might die. Wherefore Socrates to see the effect of the King's prayer, set his Optic Philosophical glass, such as now a days we use to apprehend things far distant plainly visible, to see what was in the way, and presently he perceived two Dragons that by their breath infected the Region of the air. Thus we set the obnoxious nature of these Serpents to Mankind, which often in our soul's best meditation receive their birth, according to the saying of holy Augustine, that Deus exaudit ad penam cum petunt peccatoris fomitem, that our blessings are turned into cursings, and our paternosters to punishments, when we pray fui suis, and our petitions to predictions, when our Christianity is poisoned with sin: and therefore now leaving this Serpentine circuit of this general discourse, and now come to that particular and lamentable Story of our yet green calamity, as Aeneas said to Dido, Infandum Regina jubes renovare dolorem.  
Misery is not without a fatal echo, whose imperfect syllables in formation thus miserably redoubles.  Veritas non quaerit angulos. 
Let Truth go unmasked because her face is unpainted, plainly and truly then: thus, there is discovered in our neighbour County of Sussex, a strange and monstrous Serpent (a thing most noisome and dreadful to the Inhabitants adjoining, and may with pious compassion let in remorse at our ears, to have a fellow feeling of our neighbour's misery, still remembering this, that sin pulls down punishment, and yet there were in jerusalem as great sins as those on whom The Tower of Siloam fell, 
Luke 13.  if we search our own bosoms 'tis to be feared there will be found both cause and effect, Sin and Serpent, but leaving our moral Serpents, let us return to the description of our Historical one.  
This Serpent (or Dragon as some call it) is reputed to be nine foot or rather more in length, and shaped almost in the form of an axletree of a Cart, a quantity of thickness in the midst, and somewhat smaller at both ends, The former part which he shoots forth (as a neck) is supposed to be an elle long, with a white ring (as it were) of scales about it, The scales along his back seems to be blackish, and so much as is descoured under his belly appeareth to be red, for I speak of no nearer description then of a reasonable ocular distance, for coming too near it, hath already been too dearly paid for, as you shall hear hereafter.  
It is likewise discovered to have large feet, but the eye may be there deceived, for some suppose that Serpents have no feet, but glide upon certain ribs and scales which both defend him from the upper part of his throat unto the lower part of his belly, and also cause them to move 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 and at the sight or hearing of men or cattle, will raise his neck upright, and seem to listen and look about with great arrogancy: There are likewise on either side of it discovered two great bunches so big as a large football, and (as some think) will in time grow to wings, but God (I hope) in their and our assistance will so instruct and defend us that he shall be destroyed before he grow so fledge.   depiction of a fire-breathing dragon facing a crouching cat, next to a man, woman, and dog or cow lying on the ground 
IN Sussex there is a pretty Market Town called Horsam, near unto it a Forest called S. leonard's Forrest, and there in a vast and unfrequented place, heathie, vaulty, full of unwholesome shades, and overgrown hollows it is thought to be bred, but wheresoever bred, certain and too true it is that there it yet lives, so within three or four mile's compass are his usual haunts, oftentimes at a place called Faygate, and he hath been seen within half a mile of Horsam, a wonder no doubt most terrible and noisome to the Inhabitants thereabouts, there is always in his track or path left a glutinous and filmie matter (as by a small similitude we may perceive in a snails) which is very corrupt and offensive to the scent, insomuch that they perceive the air to be putrefied withal, which must needs be very dangerous, for though the corruption of it cannot strike the outward part of a man, unless heated into his blood, yet by receiving of it in at any of our breathing Organs, (the Mouth or Nose) it is by authority of all Authors (writing in that kind) mortal and deadly, as one thus saith, Noxia serpentum est admixto sanguine pectis. 
Lucanus.   
Neither is this Serpent (in my opinion) literal to be received, as when it shall please God that he shall be destroyed, that then it may be presently forgotten, but rather to be feared as an Eclipse or fearful Comet, whose prodigious effects do always follow, for we know the our Country being temperate, & rather more cold than hot, doth not naturally breed them, but rather that it is sent amongst us to give us warning of some Serpentine sins that live amongst us, which will (without penitent prevention and constant amendment) destroy us faster and farther, than this Serpent doth or can: 
Holendshed.  we may read in our English Chronicle of the prodigy in the three and twentieth year of Edward the Third, and in the year of our redemption 1349.  
In Oxfordshire near a place called Chippingnorton, 
At Chippingnorton in Oxfordshire.  there was a Serpent was found with two faces and two heads like women, the one having the shape of the new Periwig and attire of that time, and another in the fashion of the old attire, and it had also wings after the manner of our Rear-mices or Bats: this was a dreadful aparition no doubt, and it is to be doubted that we are not short of that sin of newfangled Tires now: nay, do we not lay it in deeper colors, and lay on painting too, which perhaps they had not? may we not fear such another Serpent's appearance, or rather be blasted without the warning piece: it were so much the happier if we were sure of warning: and certainly it may thence be gathered, that sin was then corrected and amended: for not many ages since our fashions were all plain and decent, yet safely (I suppose) we may conclude of that mutable sin of head-tyring (which hath faster new forms, and more number than Hydra had heads) as sometime Seneca did of covetousness, Etiam fuerint Antiqui.  
And now speaking of covetousness, extortions, cruelty and the like, & what sin may this prodigious Serpent be applied more aptly to them, that poisonous devouring Serpentine son of covetousness: Let these Cormorants, but look upon this Dragon, and they shall as apparently behold themselves in it as in those times aforesaid the woman did in the Perewig-Serpents, they enclose grounds where the true owner, dare not set foot in, on pain of their remaining estates: so doth this Serpent, for none dare approach his abidings, (though none of his own) but 'tis the danger of their lives, he poisons four rod from him, and there the Miser exceeds the Serpent, for he poisons many acres distant: The Serpent devours poor men's cattle, so doth the covetous wretch, both cattle, and chattel, goods, houses and all, his scales of defence are said to be black and reddish, and doth it not resemble the Ink & Wax, wherein gentlemen's lands are mortgaged, which afterwards turns offensive to themselves? his neck is long to overlook much, and doth not the Miser so? 'tis said likewise, to pray upon Coneys, and do we not in this age of ours call those silly men that fall into their snares, Coneys? and the poor Mastiffs that were poisoned, may they not be properly figured by poor men's curses barked out and sent against them? but alas, they move them not, but are beaten down and poisoned with their stronger venom.  
And lastly (if they change not the copy of their Serpentine condition) they will leave behind them at their return from this world such as the track of the Serpent is, when he shifts his ground, a stench and unwholesome steam: neither the sweet odour of poor men's prayers, nor the happy farewell of a blessed memory, their farewells will be both a like, good for the world when they are both gone out of it.  avarus nisi cum moritur, nil rectè facit. 
Seneca.  
Might I not go further and apply this Serpent to the stinging tongues of calumnious backe-biters and slanderers? do 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 tracked left after them wheresoever they go? nay, do they not daily throw forth their venom? vomits not only in the fields, but in the streets, yea, the houses, nay, their very friends bosoms are often made the receptacles of their o'ercharged stomachs.  
Me thinks in two words more I could here aptly apply this Serpent to the most common kind of Creatures, (I do not mean the Commonwealth, but the common poverty rather) to the Serpentine sisterhood of Brotherly, the diseased strumpetrie of the Suburbs: (oh that the City were not free of, but free from that Company:) is not our Serpent deciphered by a white Ring about his neck? How think you when you see only a white Tiffanie about the neck of one of those tugging Galleyslaves of Damnation, and all the rest poison? May they not make themselves ready by looking into this mirror? I dare go no further in application, and bootless it were unless 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 seek to set them out, that the wicked thereby may know what they themselves are, when bruit beasts shall set them all to school.  
There was a man (as Pliny 
Pliny.  writeth) which fostered up a young Dragon, 
Thankfulness of a Dragon to his Master.  who seeing the same beast to wax wonderful great, feared to keep his Dragon any longer within his house, and therefore he put him out into a wild Forest. It happened afterward that the same man travailing on his journey through the Forest, was beset with thieves. And now being in this distress, and looking for no other end but death, made (as loath to departed) a great shout and an outcry: strait upon whose noise, and at the knowledge of his voice, the Dragon came to him in all the hast possible. Whereupon the thieves being greatly afraid, ran clean away to save themselves harmless. Then the Dragon conducted his Master safe out of the danger homewards, and returned to the Forest again.  

Thankfulness of a Dog to his Master.  The Dog of the Roman Fuluius is more wonderful. This Fuluius travailing by the way, was slain with slaves that lay in wait for him. His Dog seeing his Master dead, lay by him for the space of two days. Whereupon when the man was missing, and search made for him: they found him dead, with his Dog lying by him. Some marveling to see the Dog lie there by his dead Master, struck him, and would have driven him from the dead corpse, and could not: some seeing such kindness in the Dog, and pitying him that he should lie there without meat two or three days before: cast him a piece of flesh, whereupon the Dog strait carried the meat to his masters mouth, and would not eat any whit himself, though he had forborn meat so long before. And last of all, when this dead body should be cast into the river, (according to the manner of the Romans') the Dog leapt in after, and holding up his Master so long as he could, did choose rather to die with him, then to live without him.  
I would with my conclusion I could have concluded with the death of this terrible and noisome Creature, and that (from that general good to our Country) I might have returned into every man's particular bosom to have destroyed the homebred Serpents, which are indeed rather our Penates or household Gods, than any annoyance to us, for 'tis our miserable estate (heaven revert it) rather to adore then abhor our sins and iniquities. 
Revelat.  The Dragon's tail hath drawn after it most part of the stars of Heaven: as reverend Bernard saith, hat, Magnitudo penarum, facit multitudo peccatorum, from the monsters of our sins, the monsters of our punishment increaseth.  
These persons whose names are hereunder printed, have seen this Serpent, besides divers others as the Carrier of Horsam, who lieth at the white Horse in Southwark, can certify the truth of all. john Steel, Christopher Holder, And a widow woman dwelling near Faygate.  
FINIS.