The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

A catalogue of part of those rarities collected in thirty years time with a great deal of pains (1669)
Robert Hubert Brent Nelson editor Meghan Witzel XML markup Ann Kelly transcription Jon DeTombe proofing
Wing H3245. Copy text: EEBO reproduction of Bodleian Library copy.
Robert Hubert A catalogue of part of those rarities collected in thirty years time with a great deal of pains and industry, by one of His Majesties sworn servants. R. H. aliàs Forges, Gentleman. They are to be seen at the place formerly called the Musique House at the West end of Pauls [London][1669]
A
CATALOGUE
Of part of those
RARITIES
Collected in thirty years
time with a great deal
of Pains and Industry,
by one of his Majes-
ties sworn Servants.
R.H. aliàs Forges,
Gentleman.
They are to be seen at the place
formerly called the Musique-
House at the West end of Pauls. 1 The Names of the RARITIES that are to be seen at that place, formerly called the Musique House near the West end of Pauls; You may see every afternoon, that which hath been seen by those that are Admirours of Gods Works in Nature, with other things that hath been seen by Emperours, Empresses, Kings and Queens, and many other Soveraign Princes. First of Fishes Heads, the least of these Heads are as big as a mans Head. A Sea Elephants head as big as a Bushel. A Sea sheeps head of Cape de Vert in Africa. 2 A Crack shell-Fishes head of America. A Sea Cats head of China. A great Sturgions head. A great head of a true Dolphin. A great Sword-fish head, and sword of the black Sea. A Morse skull of Greenland. A strange Fishes head of the Germany Sea. A Fishes head called the sea-glutton, it did belong to the King of the Romans and Bohemia. An extraordinary great Turtles head of East India, it is a kind of Sea Tortus. A great and strange Dog-fish head, in shape like to a Toad or Serpents head. Of whole Fishes. A Shoveller or blew Shark very perfect and great, given by Doctor Escate Physitian in Popler. A Monk-Fish shark. A Shovel Fish, given by his Highnesse the Duke of Hosteene. 3 A great Frog-Fish of the Baltick sea; it is as big as a great Hog. A sea Otter as big as a great Otter, it is Amphibbium. A sea Leapord, it is also Amphibbium. A little sea Calf, or Seal, it is likewise Amphibbium. A sea Wolf, it is a Creature that for his bigness bites the hardest of any Creature. A sea Ape for his form, but of a very strange Nature, it is of Brasil. A great sea Tortus. Another sort called the Hawks bill Tortus. A large sea-Coney of the West-Indies. A Fish called the sea-Pellican for his head, and sea dart for his tayl. A great sea Porcupine of the Indies. A Hedghog Fish, given by the Duke of Holsteene. A sea Rat-Fish. A great horned Soul-Fish, so called for having one horn, it is of the West-Indies. 4 A Saw-Fish, which by some Authors is falsly called the sword-fish, and is not, it was given by Doctor Vanderlingen, Physitian in Utrick. A little prickled Dog-Fish. A Sturgion. A Parret Fish of Brasil. A sucking Fish. A poyson Fish, it is so venomous that 13 men in one ship have dyed, by eating of one of them. A very great Souldier Fish, it is a Creature that liveth upon Land, but once a year cometh to the sea, marcheth in company as an Army. A Woodcock Fish of the Baltick sea. A Toad Fish. A four prickle Fish of the East-indies, all other Fishes although greater are afraid of him, therefore will not come near him. An angel-Fish of the west-indies. A great flying Fish or sea-Swallow. A Trumpet Fish of the Baltick sea. A Smith Fish, it was given by his Highness the Landgrave of Hesson. 5 A Wave-Fish, so called for the manner of the growing of his scales. A weapon-Fish of Burmodus. A Fish called the sea-Cock of the Spanish sea. A little Fish called Boydret, that hath two prickles before that are venomous. A Hermit Fish. A Sun-Fish for his Nature, and Moons-Fish for part of his form, and for shining in the Night to the amazement of Seamen that see it in the Night, almost as large as half a Bushel. A Netted great star-Fish, that was given by the Governour of St. Christophers Island, Sir Thomas Wardner. A very rare and great star-Fish of the Indies. A large Comet or five-Finger Fish of the East-indies. A little Crowned star-Fish of the German Ocean. A flat flowred star-Fish. A five-pointed little star Fish. A sea-Spider or prickled Crab, given by the Learned Petrus Careshious 6 the King of Denmark, Resident in the United Provinces. A great Crab. A Land Crab or Fidler Crab, it is like a Death-head, and lives in the ground like Coneys in a burrow, they are in some Islands in the West-indies. A King Crab of the Morocos Islands. Another species of King Crabs or sea-Spider, but as light as a sheet of paper, although it be as big as most, or any ordinary face. A Fish called the sea-Orange, or Ecus Marenum. A sea Apple, it is another sort of Ecus Marenum. A Turpedo or benumming Fish, that taketh away the sense of feeling of all Creatures that toucheth him, it is as big as a peck, and did belong to the King of France, Lewis the 13th, A very perfect, great and true Remora of India, whose property is to endeavour to hinder or stay great Fishes as they swim. A strange black Plaise. A Globe Fish. 7 A little Globe Fish of another sort. A Hippocampos of Brasil. A Hippocampos of the Middeterianan sea. A little spouting or Fountain Fish. A strange Oyster or Century Fish. A little Star Fish with twelve points. Parts of Fishes. A Rib of a Mair-Man, taken by Captain Finney upon the shouls of Brasil, 500 leagues from the main, given by Doctor Esgate, Physitian. A Draggon Fishes Horn. A Dolphins Tayl. A great Lobsters Claw. A strange Lobsters Claw. A great Jaw of a very large Taboureyn or Sharke, it hath four or five tear of Teeth; it was sent the master of these Rarities from the west-indies by the Governour of St. Christoph. Islands, by Sir Tho. Warner. A great Tooth of a Hypopotinus A very great Jaw of a Saw-Fish. 8 A strange Round Boone, given by his Highnesse the Landsgrave of Hessen in Cassel. A Boone that the Whale spouts water withal. A Whales pizzle eight or nine foot long. A Drompan of a great Whale. A Vein of the tongue of that Whale that was taken up at Greenwitch before Cromwels death, it is like a Vine stake that is withered. A Fin of the gils of a Whale 13 or 14 foot long. A piece of a Whales skin. A pizzle of an other sort of Whale, like a Serpent. A Tayl of a sea-Cat, or poyson stingraye, which is so hard, that it can saw suddenly like a Saw. Other Rarities. A Gyants Thigh bone 4 foot long, it is an extraordinary Rarity. A Tamanduaquaca, or the Auntbear, it is as big as a Spaniel, and 9 participates of the shape of five or six Creatures; it is a very strange wild Beast in Brasil, and hard to be procured. A little Cat with one head, one body, two bellies, four hinder quarters and Legs, and two Tayls, it was presented by worthy Mr. Thornton, a Chaplain to the right Honourable the Earl of Bedford. The horns of a Dog in the Land of Mosahai near China. The hornes of a Hare, it was the Prince Elector Duke of Saxony. A Renossorus horn, that was also given by the Duke of Holsteen. A Renossorus Tayl, Scale and Claw. A black Ball with a hard shell, found in the stomach of a wild Bull in Brasil. A soft ball of hair bigger then a mans fist, found in the maw of a Calf in Holland. A little orbicular ball hard and light found in the stomach of a strange beast in India. A very long strait winding horn of a Ram. 10 The black horns of a Russia KamRam, four growing together, two strait, and two crooked. A strange horn of a Dear. Another strange horn of a Raine-Dear. Another Raindears horn. A Babarousses head, it is as big as a Swines head, it is a strange beast in the East india, that hath two tusks like a Boar in the lower Jaw, and two great tusks growing upon the Nose. A very fine perfect he Mandrake. A she Mandrake; both these were given by that skilful Physitian Doctor Esgate, near Black-wall. An Nest made like the secret parts of a man, by a little Bird in Brasil. An Nest like another thing, made by another Bird of another material, and of another Countrey. A skin of a great Bat of Ginney in Africa. A large Elphants Tayl, given by Mr. Middleguesse, Clerk to the Royal Company. A perfect Musk Rat. 11 Of Birds. An Indian Storks head. An Ibis Birds head of Egypt, it is the Bird that first taught the use of Glysters. A Toucan head of Parow, the head of that Bird is bigger then all his body; it is a very rare one, and did belong to the King of Spain. A Caswarus Leg. A very great Ostridge Leg of Numidia. A Dodos Leg, it is a bird that cannot flye, A strange sea Fowl as big as a Goofe, it is a kind of Pinguin. A sea Crow as big as a Raven, it hath feet like a Duck, and a bill like a Crow. A sea Parrot or Coppernose of Greenland. A rare Phenicupter, given by that ingenuous true lover of Rarities Mr. Powey, Treasurer to his Highnesse the Duke of York. 12 A wondering Bird erroneously called the Bird of Paradise, it is with feet. An Altionem of East-india. A sprig or large bush of black Feathers that for the Rarity; the Emperour Mattheus, gave two thousand Rich Dollers for it, which is almost five hundred l. sterling, it was taken out of the Treasury of Rarities at Prague, and doth exceed that which the Master of the Rarities did see of the great Turks at Constantinople. An Acquoras head and bill of Brasil. A Ginny wakes foretop and part of the bill. Of Serpents. A Serpent of 22 foot long of East-India, it hath in the upper Chap four rows of teeth; this Serpent can swallow man or beast. A Serpent Hebeboca of Brasil, some 12 foot long. 13 A spotted Serpent some 13 foot long, this with the three following Serpents was presented to the encrease of these Rarities, by that Honourable Mr. Povey, one of the Royal society of Philosophers, and Treasurer to his Royal Highnesse the Duke of York. A long narrow Serpent, like a piece of narrow hair-coloured Satten, edg’d with white Satten. A Silver coloured Serpent. A Gold coloured Serpent. A black Serpent, that is eaten for good meat in Virginia. A little Serpent of Germany. Another sort of little Serpent. A Rattle Snake. A very intire Viper of Italy. A Viper of Germany. An Adder of England. An Aspe. A great Tatoo of the Duke of Orleance, it lives under ground like a Mole it is as big as a good big Dog, it is a great Rarity of the East-india, and a noble present of so great a Prince. 14 An Armodilly of the West-india. A poysoned Armodilly of East-india. A little Alligaitor of Brasil. A little spotted Crocadile of Egypt. A little Crocadile, at first coming out of his Egg. A Gueana of America, it is a sort of Lissard, and good to eat. A very great Lissard of Africa. A spotted great Lissards skin, of his Highnesse the Lonsgrave of Hesson. A great Lissard of Numedia, it is called the Land Crocadile. A Land Tortus. Another Land Tortus with little specks. A little Land Tortus of New-England. A fair Skincus of Egypt. A Cammelion of Barbery. A most rare Sallamander of India. A Bugeluge of Africa, it is a kind of great Lissard, and with great scales like a Fish. 15 Of Fruits, and such things A Rose of Jerico about 100 yeares old, and as big as half a mans fist, and will open so wide, that it will not go into ones Hat, and will close again the next day. Another sort of Rose that is bigger, of Jericho. A Gourd in the form of a Pear. A red Gourd of Ginney. Another pretty shap’d Gourd. A great and strange Callibas of India, in the shape of a great scull of a man. A Callibas of the west india. A Ganobany Fruit. A Backbob, or great Ganobany, presented by the King of Sweeds Physitian, Doctor House-wettle. A Tomaras Fruit of Binney. A strange Fruit of Brasil, that groweth with a cover, and within it several good Kernels, the Apes have the skill to open the Fruit to eat the Kernels. 16 A Cocus Fruit whole, the Fruit and Tree affords several necessary things for the benefit of man; as Milk, Wine, Water, Oyle, Vinegar, Needles, Thred, Boards, Cordage, Sails, and other necessary things. A Cocus Fruit that is something round, and represents a Face. A long Cocus Fruit, something like a Fish in shape. A Pine Apple. A prickle Apple of India. A Cedar Fruit of Mount Lebanon. A large Carab, it is a Fruit of the Carebies, the shell of it burnt, it smels like Perfume, and the inward part tastes like dry Spice-bread. A loaf of Bread made of the Casado Root, the sap or moisture of that Root is deadly poyson, yet makes good Bread. A silk Cotten Cod, such as in China they make their fine paper of. Another speces of Cotten in a Cod, as it groweth. A long ear of Corn of a strange sort in a part of Africa, one grain17 produceth severall thousands. A Fruit like a Lemon but of a strange operation for the Goyse, is as clear as water, but a little of it on ones hand dyeth it of a purple colour; but to redouble it with more of the same liquor, it makes the place as black as Jet, and no art of man can fetch it out, but it groweth out of it self in nine dayes, and if the Hogs doth eat of it it doth not endanger them, but makes their fat of a purple colour. A Palm branch of the Jews Land. A stick like a Net of Brasil, that Prince Morice of Nasson brought over for a Rarity. A sugar Blossom. A thing that groweth like a Hypocrice bag, and like wooven Tiffany. A strange stick of wood, or strange pipe, grown by Nature in a strange form, it did belong to the Duke of Bavere. A Cross of wood grown by Nature in Bohemia given by Doctor Moretus, professor in the Mathematicks in the University of Prague. 18 A Cross of wood, growing in the form of Saint Andrews Cross, given by Doctor Pinker, one of the privy Council to the Prince Elector of Sax. A piece of wood growing in the form of a Serpent, all wrinkled up together. An excrescent of wood, in the form of a rubbing Brush. A piece of wood that turneth water into two colours at once. A stinging long Bean of Brasil. A Fruit, or great Beam like a Hart. A strange plant with prikles of Africa, it is said that the Juyce called sanguis draconisgroweth in it. A strange Cod or Blossom of the species of a Palm-tree of St. Polo de Lavando in Africa. A Purse woven without a seam of the Cogus fruit. A square thing made of Cogus bark to cover the secret parts of men or women, and it is also in that Country there ready money. A larger or long Cassa Fruit of Ægypt. 19 A Lemon that represents the secret parts, a Hermophredite. A piece of wood, part stone, and part wood, King Charles the first did try it, and gave it the owner of these Rarities: Of Stones, or things turned into Stone. A Piece of wood turned into stone. A piece of an old branch of Oak in stone, but the bark is turned into Iron; and was given by that studious Mr. Thornton, Chaplain to the Right Honourable Earl of Bedford. A Cake in stone. A Rock of Mosse in stone, belonging to the Emperour Fardinandus the third. A stone like a great piece of Wax or Rosin. A great black flat-stone, with the impression of a sea Fish like a Plaise, and did belong also to the Emperor. 20 Another black stone or slate with the impression of another Fish. Another flare-stone, with an impression of a red Herring. A great flat and broad Tooth in stone. A great Oyster shell in stone. A piece of wood, and a Barnacles Nest or shell, grown together. A Rock of Vitriol. A Rock of Copper and Chrystal together. A glittering Rock like Silver. A Rock of a kind of Emerald and Amethists minerals together. A strange Portugal Rock. A Rock with Muscel-shells. A Rock like a bunch of Grapes of the Cardinal Richelieu. A great Bohemian Topas on a black Ebony Pedistal, and did belong to the King of Hungary. A right Eagle stone that is of Calcedonian, and was the Kings of Morocco and Fess, it is a precious stone & very rare, for that the King permits none in his Country to have any of 21 them but himself, as a token of his reality, but gives them to eminent persons as a mark of his great favour. A great Triangler stone, that hath a representation of Trees and Bushes. A Bracelet of natural Beads, belonging to the King of Morocco. A rare great Lapis Amonis, of the Kind of France. A great Jasper stone in a Frame, and doth represent Moorish ground with Rivers, Trees, and Bushes. A Marble stone in a Frame, the Emperour Ferdinando the third confessed that he never saw a Rarer, it represents a Bridge, a old ruinous Tower, a Tree with the bark and Birds flying in the ayr, it was the great Duke of Florences Rarity. Another stone pictured like the arm of the Sea, with Cottage houses, and a Church by the water side, or shore. Another stone like the picture of a fine Town on a Hill. Another stone of the same Nature. Another very Rare stone, pictured like a City all on fire; the Master of 22 these Rarities, had it as a Rare Thing of the Prince Elector of Cullin. An extraordinary Rare Calcedonian stone picture, it is like a piece of Ice on the ground. A piece of Chrystal, like a Town builded on a Hill, it is much esteemed by ingenuous Spirits. A quoagulation of several stones together of the sand. A quoagulation of stones and Iron together, of the Sea. A stone of the Sea like a face. A large piece of Ice Glass, it is a kind of Gipps. Several other sorts of strange stones of Sea and Land. Corals and Sea-Plants. A Branch of the right solid white Coral. A Tree of rough, white Coral, it is called the bush Coral, and it is very perfect and Rare. A white Coral with little double shells-fishes, that grew in each part of 23 it; it is a Rarity that was much esteemed of by the Emperour in his Room of Rarities. A red Coral on the Rock as it groweth. A plant growing on a white Coral. A white Coral growing on a plant. A plant Rock and shall fastened, or grown altogether. A very great Trumpet plant. A very large fair sea Feather of a purple colour. A large yellowish sea Feather. A fine yellow coloured sea Feather. A deep yellow coloured sea Feather, grown to a great pebble-stone. An Iron coloured sea Feather, and stiff like Iron Wyre. A plant or little Tree of a black Horn, for the branches being burnt, they stink and wrinkle like Horn, but the Root is of a hard white stone. A purple Sea plant of Dr. Towers, in Hamburgh. A fine Sea plant of two colours. A fine yellow Sea plant, like a branch of small Birch. 24 A Sea plant like Heath. A Sea plant like the hair of ones Beard. A Sea plant like a kind of spunge. A Spunge in shape, almost like a Hedg-Hog. A strange Sea plant, called the transparent Coral. A very Rare Sea plant with shell-Fishes, grown by nature like fruits on a Tree. Several sorts of Rare shells of great Princes: as of the Emperour, the Queen of Sweeds, and of other Kings and Soveraigns. 25 Moreover, The Gentleman of these Rarities can shew thousands of other Rarities of Nature besides the things aforementioned, to those that are more curious, and will be at some more Charge. The manner of shewing as followeth. On Mondayes and Thursdayes, things of the Sea: as, several sorts of Sea-plants, Zoophyts, Rare stones of the Sea, strange Corals, 26 and things of two or three Natures growing together, and likewise beautifull Rare Shels. On Tuesdayes and Fridayes things of the Land; as Metals, Minerals, Transmutations, or things turned into stones: stones of Rare shapes, Chrystals and precious stones, as they are natural in ther mines; strange Fruits and Excrescents, and things of strange nature and operation. On Wednesdayes and Saturdayes, things of the Sea, Land, and Ayre: as strange Bones, and Teeth of divers Creatures, several Eges of Fowls and Serpents, several small Creatures of the Sea, several small creeping or venomous Creatures of the Land; 200 or 300 species of Insects, or Flies of the land or ayr, several pieces of Amber with Flyes or Insects, involved in the transparent Amber. 27 Be pleased to note further, that if any Nobleman or person of quality be desirous to see alone with their Families and Friends, all, or most of them: The owner of them will endeavour to give satisfaction for half a day together, so that the noble minded person be pleased to give the Master of the Rarities notice a day before by some sufficient party, to put by the great Concourse of people for that day. SsoSo likewise, if any forraign Ambassadours be pleased to do the same, the Gentleman that owneth the above-mentioned things, will do his best to declare them to their Excellencies content in three or four Languages, if they please to repair to his dwelling, which hath been formerly the Musique-house at the West end of S. Pauls. 28 A Catalogue of the Names of those great Princes and Persons, as a remembrance of their love to Vertue, Learning, and wonderful Rarities of Nature. Charles the first of great Britain, France and and Ireland, King, &c. Charles the second of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, &c. Ferdinandus the third, Emperour of Germany, of Hungary King, Arch Duke of Austria, &. 29 Ellionora Empresse of the House of Gunsago, Dutchess of Mantua, &. Ferdinandus the fourth, of the Romanes, and Bohemia, King, &. Ellionora Queen Dowager of Sweeds, and of the Electoral House of Brandenburg. Christena of the Sweeds, Gothes and Vandal Queen Regent, &.c John Philips Arch-Bishop of Menz, Duke of East France, Chancellor of Germany, and Prince Elector. Charles Lodowick, Palsgrave of the Reyne, Prince Elector, and Duke of Bavere. John George, Prince Elector, Duke of Saxony, and Markgrave of Myson. 30 Christian Lodowick, Duke of Brunswick and Lunamburgh. Frederick of the Crown or Kingdom of Norway, Duke of Sloyswick, Holstene, &.c William Londsgrave of Hesson, Prince of Hearsfil’d, &c. Gaston Duke of Orleance, Brother to Lewis the 13th. of France, &c. Mounsieur de Belyever, high or great president of France. The Honourable Sir Thomas Row, his Majesties Ambassadour to the great Magore in India, and also Ambassadour for the Kings Majesty of great Brittain to the Emperour of the Turks at Constantinople, and to the Emperour of Germany, and also to divers other Kings, Princes and free States. 31 Sir. Thomas Wardner, General and Governour of St. Christophers, one of the Gentlemen of the privy Chamber to King Charles the first. Frederick Shink, privy Counsellor to the Duke of Brunswick, &c. The Learned Petrus Carisius, resident for the King of Denmark in the united Provinces. Theodor Demiron, Physitian to her Majesty Henereta Maria Queen of England. Doctor Saltman Physitian, and professor in the University of Straisbrook. Doctor Fosious, Physick professor in the University of Hidleberg, and Physitian to his Highness the Prince Elector. Doctor Beasler, chief Physitian in Nurham-burgh. 32 Doctor Moretus, professor in Astronomy and Mathematicks in the University of Prague. Doctor Dewhit, Physitian in the Country of Leife-land. Doctor Brown, Physitian in Augsburgh. Doctor Cornelius Vander-lingen, Physitian in the University of Utricke. Doctor Housewette, Physitian to the King of Sweeds, and chief Physitian in Hamburgh. Doctor Easgate, a good Physitian in Popler by Black-wall. Mr. Thornton, Chaplain to the Right Honourable the Earl of Bedford. 33 Mr. Cornelius Middlegest, Clerk to the Company of Royal Adventurers of England Trading into Africa. FINIS.