A TRUE NARRATIVE Of a strange Prodigious TOAD For Size and Shape full Fourteen Inches Long, and Ten over: the Back on the Hinder-parts: with a Tail Three times as long as his Body, with a Forked Sting at the end.  
SEEN BY SEVERAL LATELY AT A HUNTING ABOUT THE Devils-Arse-oth-Peak in DERBYSHIRE.  
The Sculpture of which, in Copper, will shortly be Published, And Examined as to both more Narrowly by some who are now in the City, and whose usual Curiosity in things so rare, led them to this Exactness of Observation.  
With Allowance; Ro. L'Estrange.  
Printed in the Year, MDCLXXVII.   

A True Narrative of a Prodigious Toad, seen at the Devils-Arse-o'th- Peak, in Derbyshire.  
THere is nothing so common as Nature's variation through luxury or poverty of matter, and some concurrent accidents, which taking the opportunity of time and place, assist in producing such an Animal Mineral, or Vegetine, as because of its rarity will seem strange to the world.  
For Barnacles some years ago, nay now, are not believed by the ninth part of ten of the Nation, though several Authors have writ, and many thousands seen the manner nature has contrived for them; they therefore that can have little belief for any thing, of which they have not had an ocular demonstration are not expected to give credit to this ensuing Relation.  
HAlf a Dozen of the meaner sort of Darbyshire designed a Hunting, Coursing or Potching rather, having for that purpose got Beagles, Greyhounds, and a Piece or two, thus furnished, they beat about the Peak, where they started a Hare as some held, others a Rabbit, which they eagerly followed, until that frighted Creature ran into a hollow in the earth; at the entrance of which stood the Dogs, not daring to go in; but when the company came together, and had consulted a while, they resolved to enter and drive out the prey, the cavity being large enough, the most courageous went in a good way, but one whose heart or weariness had caused to stay behind, sat him down on a great stone loose and movable; and whether by fitting down he stirred the Stone, he presently conceived his fellows were gone too far, he called them back, telling them, that what they looked for was under the stone he sat on: upon which they returned, carrying a Beagle or two in, which durst not voluntarily approach, than very circumspectly they turned the stone, but found their expectations jilted, for which they called the Informer a silly Coxcomb, who had hindered their further search; but he confidently averred he perceived something move, and laying his hands angrily upon the stone, laid his fingers upon a round hole in't, into which he tried to thrust his hand, but failing, cried, he would lay his Soul to a Pot of Darby-Ale, that the prey got in at that hole, upon which they all tried, and one whose hand was slenderer, thrust it in, arm and all, and finding his utmost finger to touch a hairy live body, swore bloodily, and cursed himself to the Devil, it was a Rabbit, for he felt it; upon which the Inventor replied, I knew I could not be deceived, than they all agreed to roll the stone out, being near to the mouth, but they were never the better to further their design.  
The most ingenious of them cut a Briar, slitting the end of it a cross, and afterwards cut it to point towards the middle, and gently thrust it in, until he found it stopped upon something that was soft, than he began tenderly to turn it, and drew out a hoary fur, which they concluded to be the belly of the Rabbit; after many essays, finding themselves disappointed, they resolved rather than lose their expectations, to get some Iron Mawls and Barrs, and so break the stones to pieces; which they borrowed, and presently fell to Work, and after considerable pains they split the stone, in the midst of which to their amazement and great disappointment, they found a Toad of prodigious shape and size.  
After their astonishment was something over, their anger took place, which they intended to vent against the innocent poor creature; when by mere accident a Stranger came by, and seeing in what confusion they stood, drew near and was equally surprised, but finding that they had prepared to brain the poor Creature with part of his own Castle, entreated them to forbear, and to recompense their pains in some measure, he would gratify their Civility with a Dozen of Ale, which they gladly accepted of, and immediately went to Drink, whilst he had the liberty of viewing this monstrous creature, which he found to have all the parts of a Toad and more; therefore having competent skill in Limning, and having the advantage of Pencil and Paper about him, did with all exactness Draw this strange Animal, which from his own hands came to mine, whose Description you shall now have, and when the Engraver with whom the figure is, has finished it, that shall be also presented to you.  
This Creature was in Length exactly Fourteen Inches: as it Sat it was Ten Inches and a Half over; upon the hinder parts of his Back, and the forepart eight and a Barley Corn, how high it might stand he knew not, for it sat all the while crooling down; its nose was as black as jet, proportionable to the rest of its body, and of each side adorned with Bristles; under his Eyes was a perfect Seaming made Cistern-fashion, of a Green colour, whilst his eyes most delicately beautiful, seemed to drop that way; over which were placed bristles of a muddy green; under his Gills were Flapps like two scollop shells, of the Colour of a Gurnet's fins, admirably blue and shining, & always expanded; under them were two Pouches or Bladders, of a deep Orange colour, larger than the Fins, being a big as ordinary Pear-plumbs, and something of that figure▪ the head had a Sea-Green scaly Armour on, which ran along its back within four Inches of its tail; the hinder-part was covered with perfect Hair, but dusky, hoary coloured, of the same manner was that as went along the sides and feet. But what is yet most strange, is his Tail, which was thrice as long as its body, which it wore on its back, something like the True-Loves-knot, and tho' it seemed so intricate, yet when he offered to turn this creature on its back to view its belly, it flung its Tail as sudden as the jirk of a Coachman's Whip, & had not he stood sideways, he might have had too much cause to have repent his curiosity; but as it happened its tail fell into a slit of that stone which was its former Mansion, and though the poor Creature strove hard, yet it could not release it thus engaged; upon which there appeared as close as might be, only reckonable, a hundred ninety seven scaly rings, jetty, black, and shining, which he made a shift by this means to reckon, and may be guessed to be the indications of its Annual extension; at the end of the Tail was a forked sting, within an Inch of which was a small Pouch, of the colour of Gum Bugiae.  
The Gentleman finding his Overgrown Toad in this posture, would have gagged the Toad, but no sooner had he touched its Nose, but it recoiled backwards, even off the Stone, which it seemed so to Hatch, and Cherish before. But there being an unfortunate hollow or miss of ground, where this rare Animal falling, & not coming quick enough to the ground, the said Satchel or Pouch near the sting broke, out of which there issued the most Diaphanous Yellow Liquor as ever was seen, deeply staining the stone, upon which the Toad that then hung aboveground fell down, his Tail freely coming to him; which he had not enjoyed above three Minutes ere he departed this scurvy world: but before it received its change, it gave three such shrieks that the stranger was not only forced to stop his ears: But this Lamentable Dirge, forced the Neighbour's out of their Houses: He perceiving the Creature quite dead, took a fresh resolution, and turned it upon its back, and found its belly to be as white as the driven snow; covered with a most delightful down: about that time when he was busy viewing this pleasing Object, his Nose was surprised with a most ungrateful Stench, which he found to proceed from that Limpid Yellow substance that the Toad had spilt, in which (it seems) its Seal of Life was placed. Just at its Departure its Head moved, and it vomited forth a Triangular Stone, being an Inch from each Angle, and in Depth according, which he drew to him with a Staff, keeping his Fingers upon his Nose: and when he had got it at a Convenient Distance, he Doubled some Paper and took it up, folding it in several folds of the same Paper, and after leapt it carefully in his Handkerchief, and presented it me, with the Figure: And tho' before, I was in the number of the Incredulous, and so far from giving credit to the many Excellencies of this Stone, that I questioned its Existence, and guessed it to be only the offspring of some pregnant, yet imposing fancy: Yet now upon my short experience, I dare assure the World, that the virtues ascribed by Authors to it, come far short of its performance: And questionless had some curious Virtuosus of our times been present at this Prodigious Accident, they might have prepared Medicines of equal Memory with their Fame.  
FINIS.