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Search - List of Books by Edward Topsell

Edward Topsell (c. 1572 — 1625) was an English cleric and author best remembered for his bestiary.

Topsell attended Christ's College, Cambridge, earned his B.A. and probably an M.A. as well, before beginning a career in the Church of England. He served as the first rector of East Hoathly, and subsequently became the perpetual curate of St. Botolph's in Aldersgate (1604). He was the author of books on religious and moral themes, including The Reward of Religion (1596) and Time's Lamentation (1599), among others.

Topsell's The History of Four-footed Beasts (1607) and The History of Serpents (1608), both published by William Jaggard, were reprinted together as The History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents in 1658. An eleven-hundred-page treatise on zoology, Topsell's work repeats ancient and fantastic legends about actual animals as well as reports of mythical animals. Topsell, not a naturalist himself, relied on earlier authorities, most notably the Historiae animalium of the Swiss scholar Conrad Gessner. "I would not have the Reader," Topsell writes, "... imagine I have ... related all that is ever said of these Beasts, but only [what] is said by many."[1]

Topsell's work is remembered chiefly for its detailed and vigorous illustrations, including the famous image known as Dürer's Rhinoceros. The illustrations have been widely reproduced in many contexts, and Topsell's bestiary has been reprinted in various modern editions, usually in greatly reduced form.

Superstitions About Actual Animals   more

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This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Edward Topsell", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Total Books: 9
Elizabethan Zoo Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic
Elizabethan Zoo Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic [Nonpareil books] (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780879233006
ISBN-10: 0879233001
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The Fowles of Heaven or History of Birdes
The Fowles of Heaven or History of Birdes (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780292724068
ISBN-10: 0292724063
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The Fowles of Heaven or History of Birds
The Fowles of Heaven or History of Birds (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780879590673
ISBN-10: 087959067X
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History of Four Footed Beasts
History of Four Footed Beasts (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780714615899
ISBN-10: 0714615897
Genres: History, Reference
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History of FourFooted Beasts and Serpents and Insects
History of Fourfooted Beasts and Serpents and Insects (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780306709234
ISBN-10: 0306709236
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The Reward of Religion
The Reward of Religion (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781936473021
ISBN-10: 193647302X
Genres: Reference, Christian Books & Bibles
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Topsell's Histories of Beasts
Topsell's Histories of Beasts (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9780882296425
ISBN-10: 0882296426
Genres: Nonfiction, Science & Math
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