Legendary beasts, generally as described by authors willing to admit their existence.
The History of Brutes; or, a Description of Living Creatures. By Wolfgangus Franzius, D. D. And now rendered into English, by N.W. London: Francis Haley, 1670. —Included here because it has a chapter on the unicorn, which is mentioned in Scripture and therefore exists, Q.E.D.
Exercitatio de unicornu. In alma Philureà Inclutae Facultatis Philosophicae permissu E.P.P. M. Joh. Christianus Stolbergk, Gaud. Misnicus respondente Christiano Sagittario, Rochlicensi, philosoph. candidat. ad 14. Kal. Octobr. a. 1652. H.L.Q.S. —More graduate students should write their dissertations on the unicorn.
Johannis Sperlingi Witteb. quondam phys. P. P. celeberrimi, Zoologia physica posth. brevi & perspicuo ordine, ab ipso, cùm in vivis esset, autore adornata… Accessit in fine, disputationum zoolog. hexas, De Basilisco, Unicornu, Phoenice, Behemoth & Leviathan, Dracone ac Araneâ, M. Georgi Casp. Kirchmaieri, Franci, Facult. Philof. Witteb. Adjuncti. Lipsiae: Impensis Haeredum Joh. Bergeri, Lityeria Baueruanis, 1661.
Histoires prodigieuses, extraictes de plusieurs fameux autheurs, grecs & latins, sacrez & prophanes, diuisees en trois tomes. Le premier mis en lumiere par P. Boaistuau le second par Claude de Tesserant & le troisiesme par François de Belle-Forest. Plus sont adioustees six histoires par B. G. Auec les pourtraicts & figures. A Paris, Chez Gabriel Buon, au clos Bruneau, a l’enseigne sainct Claude. 1578. —Includes all manner of odd creatures, in addition to demons and other prodigies, with prodigious woodcuts. “Prodigious history of a Bird that has no feet, and lives in the air, and is never found on land or sea unless dead.”—“Monstrous serpent [it has seven heads] purchased by the Venetians in Africa, then sent embalmed to France, as certain moderns have written.” This book will even explain “The general causes of the generation of Monsters, with a number of memorable Histories on this same subject.”
The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes. Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in theircreation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell. London, Printed by William Iaggard, 1607. —“Largely a translation of book 1 of Gesner's Historia animalium, with additions by Topsell,” says the librarian. Numerous cuts, and includes some mythological beasts such as the unicorn, which of course exists because it is mentioned by David, and the Gorgon of Libya, a feareful and terrible beast to behold, whose image adorns the title page.