Natural history, lore and legend : $b Being some few examples of quaint and by-gone beliefs gathered in from divers authorities, ancient and mediæval, of varying degrees of reliability
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"Natural history, lore and legend" by F. Edward Hulme is a historical survey written in the late 19th century. It explores how ancient and medieval writers understood animals and nature—balancing medical uses, moral symbolism, and travellers’ reports—alongside legends of real and mythical creatures. Expect respectful reassessment of “travellers’ tales,” bestiaries, and heraldic lore, with frequent citations from Pliny, Aristotle, Maundevile, and other authorities.
The opening of this survey argues that medieval naturalists were honest seekers after truth, even if credulous, and notes how later discoveries have vindicated some disputed reports. Hulme contrasts modern, descriptive zoology with earlier aims—healing the body and saving the soul—illustrated by moral readings of animals from works like the Speculum Mundi (e.g., the crafty polypus, the mole that “opens its eyes” at death). He samples astrological medicine and bizarre recipes (protective staves, “Venice treacle”), then shows
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