GUests, Fish, and news grow stale in three days time, and no­thing delights an English-Mans fancy so much as new novelties, for like the Athenians we have still itching Ears after News, which once told we soon grow weary of it and hearken after more; being still desirous of that which is new, which makes so many tauto­ligies in the title of Books; some stiling them new news, whereas if it be news it must needs be new; so also a new Almanack for the Year, 1669. Whereas an Almanack for such a year were as proper, if not properer; or if it be only for that year it can neither be new nor old for any other. But this news which I shall now relate, as it is certain; being attested by many credible persons, so it is also new, the veno­mous creature being still living though oftentimes attempted by the inhabitants to be killed.

The place of his abode and where he hath been oftentimes seen, is called He [...]ham, but most commonly Hc [...]ham on the Mount, the Town standing upon a Hill, having many fair Farms and Granges belonging to it, in one of which named the Lodge, near to a VVood called Bir [...]h-Wood, by reason of the many Birches growing there, in a pasture ground close by the same, hath this monstrous Serpent been often seen as he hath lain upon the sides of a Bank, beaking and stretching himself out upon the same, at such time as Sel did parch the earth with his r [...]fulgent beams.

The first time that he was seen was about the 27 or 28 of May last a Gentlemans way lying by the place where this Serpent keeps hi [...] station, as he rid carelesly on, expecting to receive no hurt as he intend­ed none, on a sudden this Serpent assailed his Horse, affirighting the Rider so much with his monstrous proportion and bold courage to give such an onset, that all in a maze he spurred his Horse, who al­most as much affraid as his Master, with winged speed hasted away, glad that they had escaped such an eminent danger.

Being come home he acquaints his Friends and Neighbors with what he had seen of this monstrous Serpent, especially makes it known to a Neighbour in whose grounds this Serpent doth lurk, wish­ing him to beware of his Cattle, and to use his best indeavour for de­stroying it, least by protraction of time it might do much mischief when had I wist would be but small comfort to him for the losses he might sustain.

Not long after two men of the same Parish walking that way, espy'd this Serpent as he lay on a Hillock beaking himself against the Sun, where they beheld his full proportion, being as near as they could guess 8 or 9 foot long, the smallest part of him about the bigness of a Mans Leg, on the middle as big as a Mans Thigh, his eyes were very large and piercing, about the bigness of a Sheeps eye, in his mouth he had two row of Teeth which appeared to their sight very White and sharp, and on his back he had two wings indifferent large▪ but not pro­portionable to the rest of his body, they judging them not to be above two handfulls long, and when spreaded, not to extend from the top of one wing to the utmost end of the other above two foot at the most, and therefore altogether too weak to carry such an unweildy body. These Men though armed with clubs and staves, yet durst not approach to strike this Serpent, neither it seems was the Serpent afraid of them, for raising himself upon his breast about the heighth of two foot, he stood looking on them as daring them to the encounter, like [Page] to that of the Theban Serpent, of which thus the Poet.

Not knowing on a sudden what to do, at last it was resolved by them that the one should go to the Lodge (which was not far off) to fetch a Gun, and the other in the mean time to watch the Serpent, who still stood facing them as though he dreaded no danger that could happen to him; being as fierce and undaunted as that Serpent of which the Divine Du-Bartas giveth us this description.

But whilst the one was thus gone for the Gun, the Serpent as if he had waited long enough, folds himself up, and darting forth returns to the Wood, making such a rustling noise in the hedge as if some wild Boar, or other large Beast had been breaking thorow it.

About 2 days after the same Serpent was seen by another, who gave the same description of it with the two former as is above written.

Since which time it hath been seen by divers who have fruitlesly at­tempted to kill it; for now upon the sight of a man, it presently betakes its self to the Wood, where he remains safe, none daring to come nigh it with Clubs, and for their Guns in that place where he can hide him­self in Bushes, and Bents, they are altogether useless; yet has there been and is still continued to this day, great watching by several Persons with Musquets and Fowling-peices and such like to shoot it but as yet it hath been no Mans good fortune to light on him.

The report of this Serpent is so terrible to the inhabitants thereabout that no women, children, nay nor a great many men durst not go near the place where he lurks, yet we hear not of any mischief that he hath yet done, though it be a wonder to most people on what he subsists, [Page] and that hunger does not compell him to range f [...]rther abroad, seeing he wants not for courage, as may be evidenced in his so facing of the two men aforesaid.

We read in antient Histories of a Serpent in Tripoli a Country in Asia that was one hundred twenty and five paces in length, he had a mouth so wide, that he could swallow a man on horseback, and each of his Scales were as big as a large sheild.

They also tell us of Hydra, a monstrous serpent on the Lake of Ler­na who having one head cut off, immediately had two other Heads grew up in the same place; this Serpent was at last slain by Hercules.

Pliny tells us of the Rinocerote a small Serpent which winds him­self about the leg of an Elephant, who with his Trunk seeking to rid him, when forthwith, the Serpent creeps into the Trunk, and so kills the Elephant, but long he injoys not the conquest, for the Elephant kills the Rinocerote with his fall.

He also tells us of the Scorpion a venemous Serpent with 7 feet his sting is in his Tayl; sometimes they eat their young ones, and are of divers colours; the Female is the biggest and hath the sharpest sting The Arcadian Scorpion will not hurt their Countrymen, nor the Syrian Snakes, nor Tyrinthian Serpent.

We also read of a Serpent named Amphisbona, who had a head at both ends, as also of a Serpent called Boas, of that bigness, that being found dead, there was a whole Child in his Belly.

The Asp is a very venemous Serpent, they always go two and two together, and if one of them be slain, the other will pursue him ea­gerly that slew him, and if a man chance to be bitten by this Serpent it is present death if he cut not off the member so bitten. Cleopatra Queen of Egypt being taken by Caesar applying these Serpents to her body wilfully slew her self.

Nor can we here forget the Viper, a most venemous Serpent, the Male hath but one Tooth of each side, the Female more, when they engender, the Male putteth his Head in the Females Mouth, which she biteth off, and their young do gnaw their dams belly, and kill her to get out the sooner.

But of all Serpents, the Basalisk or Cockatrice is the most vene­mous [Page] of all other; It breaketh stones, blasteth all Plants with his breath, it burneth every thing it goeth over; no Herb can grow near the place of his abode, it is poison to poison, and frighteth away all other Serpents, only with hissing. If a man touch it though with a long pole it kills him, and if it see a man a far off it destroys him with his looks. It is not above a foot in length, of colour between black and yellow, having very red eyes, a sharp head and a white spot thereon like a Crown. It goeth not winding like other Serpents but upright on his breast. One of these most venemous Serpents in former time lurked about the Meads near Saffron-Walden in Ess [...]x, who by his very sight, killed so many as the Town become almost depopulated, when a valerous Knight making him a Coat of Christal Glass, boldly went to assail this Cockatrice, but her venemous Nature not able to indure the purity of that fine mettle, she suddenly dyed in memory where of his Sword was hung up in Walden Church, the effiigies of the Cockatrice set up in Brass, and a Table hanged close by wherein was continued all the story of the adventure; but in these late times of Rebellion, it being taken for a monument of superstiti­on was by the lawless Souldiers broken in peices, to show they were also of a venemous Nature as well as the Cockatrice.

We read that in the Reign of King Edward the third, Anno 135. near Chipping-Norton in Oxford-shire, was found a Serpent having two heads, and two faces like Women, one face attired of the new fashi­on of Womens attire, the other face like the old attire, and had wings like a bat.

Therefore Serpents in this Kingdom are no new thing, and those far more monstrous and prodigious then this, though this be one of the greatest that we have heard of in this latter age. Nor is there any Countries in the whole World exempted from them, saving only Creta or Candy an Island of Greece, for which now there is so much stir betwixt the Christians and Turks, and the Country of Ireland, which two places do neither breed any venemous Worms, nor hurt­ful Creatures, nor will any live there if they be brought thither from Forraign Countries.

And to this purpose I shall tell you a story and so draw towards [Page] a conclusion. A certain Countryman coming up to London, a friend of his shewed him all the rarities of the City, amongst others one was Westminster-Hall, which his friend told him was s [...]iled with Irish Wood, the Nature of which is such as it would indure [...]o venemous Creature nigh it. Ah (said the Countryman) if the seats and bars were made of that Wood, the Lawyers must find some other place to plead in.

And now for a Corollary to the whole, I shall insert some Verse made by an excellent Poet upon a Serpent found near Millain in Italy.