Thomas Fuller

Amongst the many precious rarities in the Tower, this (as another in *Windsor-Castle*) was in my memory, shown to people. It belongs not to me to enquire, what is become of them, but rather to discuss,

1. Whether there be such a creature as an Unicorn.
2. What kind of Animal it is?
3. What the fashion and colour of his Horn.
4. What the use & effect of his Horn.

For the first, they produce a weak proof, who alledge them to be the Supporters of the *Scottish* arms, and of the arms of some *English* Gentlemen, particularly of the Family of *Paris* in *Cambridge-shire*; seeing most *Heralds* wear the addition of *Painters*, and the Fancy of Painters pretends to the priviledge of a lawlesse Liberty. But, besides that it is uncivil to give the lye to a common Tradition, the former existence of such a creature (and surely no *Species* is wholly lost) is cleared from several places of Scripture, *God hath as it were the strength of an Unicorn*. *Will the Unicorn be willing to serve thee?* *My Horn shalt thou exalt like the Horn of an Unicorn*, &c. True it is, the Word in the Original importeth nothing of any Horn therein (as doth the Latin *Unicornis*, and the Greek *Monoceros*) Yet I am confident it is right rendred, because it is so rendred. Such was the Learning and Piety of the persons imployed in that Translation.

Proceed we now to the second *Quære* about the kind thereof. Surely it is distinct from the *Rhinoceros* (carrying a Horn not on his Forehead but on his Nose) because the Exaltation of his Horn is not considerable, as not bunching forth much above a Foot in the prominency thereof. He is commonly pictured, bodyed like a *Buck*, with a Horn advanced out of his Forehead, some *two Yards* in proportion, and this his Picture confuteth his Picture, seeing generally he is held to be no *Beast* of *Prey*, but which feedeth on the *grass*, and is so, his Mouth cannot meet the Ground; the Interposition of his *Horn* so fancifully fixed, making so great distance betwixt them.

The plain Truth is, I, who first questioned whether there were any Unicorns, am since convinced that there are so many sorts of them, The *Indian Oxe*, the *Indian Asse*, the *Oryx*, &c. famous for carrying one Horn, but which is the *prize* in this *Lottery* I cannot decide, seeing none alive in our Land have seen a four footer Beast of that kind, and *Julius Scaliger* saith truly,

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> Ex libris is colligere quæ prodiderunt Authores longe est periculosissimum; Rerum ipsarum cognition vera è rebus ipsis est.
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Olaus Worme, One no lesse a curious Inquirer into the Mysteries, then careful preserver of the Rarities of Nature, Physician at this day to the King of *Denmark*, in a Learned Work which he lately set forth endevoureth to prove all under a general mistake, who fancy a Unicorn a four footed Beast, proving the same to be a Fish in the Northern Seas, of 22. Foot in Length, a long horn in his Forehead (no more cumberstone in the portage, then East are to other Beasts) with which Horn he tilteth at his prey, and having pierced it through, doth afterward feed upon it.

If it be objected to the contrary, that in Scripture he is ranked amongst the *Quadrupedes*; *And the Unicorns shall come down with them, and the Bullocks with the Bulls, and their Land shall be soaked with blood, and their Dust made Fat with Fatnesse*; It will be answered, that *Unicorns* there are not real, but metaphorical (rendred appellatively *Robusti* in some Translations) importing that strong Enemies both by Water and Land, shall invade *Idumæa* to the utter destruction thereof.

Come we now to the *fashion* and *colour* of the Horn, conceiving it no considerable controversie concerning the length and bignesse thereof, quantity not varying the kind in such cases. Some are plain, as that in St. *Marks* in *Venice*; others wreathed about, as that at St. *Dyonis* neer *Paris*, with anfractuous spires, and cocleary turnings about it, which probably is the effect of age, those Wreaths being but the wrinkles of most vivacious Unicorns. The same may be said of the *colour*, *white*, when newly taken from his Head; *Yellow*, like that lately in the *Tower* of some hundred years *seniority*, but whether or no it will ever turn *black*, as that of *Ælians* and *Plinies* Description, let others decide.

The last *Quære* remains of the virtue of this Horn, which some exalt so high, that it is not only *antidotal* to several Venomes, and substances destructive by their qualities, which we can command our selves to believe; but also that it resisteth poysons which kill by second qualities, that is, by corrosion of parts; wherein I concur with my learned Author, and doubt such exceed *the properties of its nature, and the promises of experiment will not secure the adventure*; and I believe few *Mountebanks* will be so daring as to poison themselves on the Security of such an *Alexipharmacon*.

I have done Reader with this Subject, when I have told thee that two of my worthy friends (yea, the Friends to Mankind by their general generosity) Dr. *Baldwin Hamey* and Sir *Francis Prugean*, the one had the *Horn it self* (which to my dim eyes at some distance seemed like a *Taper* of *wreathed Waxe*) the other hath the Socket (as I may term it) of the Fish, into which this Horn was fixed. I have heard, that upon Experiment, a great cure against poison hath been dome with some Grains thereof; and it is improbable that the Vigour of the vigour of Nature, should extrude that so specious to Sight, which is not also Soveraign to Service. Since I am informed that the same Dr. *Hamey*, hath parted with the Propriety thereof to the *Colledge of Physicians*, and they have solemnly presented this *Unicorns Horn* to his Majesty, to supply the place of that in the *Tower*, which our Civil wars have embeseled.

1. ↑ Num. 23. 22.
2. ↑ Job 39. 9.
3. ↑ Psal. 22. 10.
4. ↑ ראם. Reem.
5. ↑ Isa. 34. 7.
6. ↑ *Tho. Browne* Dr. of Physick in his Enquiries into vulgar Errors 3. cap. 23.