# THE HISTORY OF MONSTERS

*BY ULISSE ALDROVANDI, NOBLEMAN OF BOLOGNA*

THE RATIONALE FOR THE ARRANGEMENT

Now that the common behaviors and natures of all living creatures have been published, those physical wonders commonly known as "monsters" are ready to be brought before the public eye. Proven truth confirms that these occur from time to time—most notably when an alien shape or character is impressed upon the body of a species or its parts (whether we speak of humans, beasts, or plants) that does not follow nature’s usual pattern. These are not the ravings or dreams of authors who wish to sketch monsters at their own whim through deceitful persuasion; rather, daily eyewitness accounts make us certain of their existence.

Therefore, it must be affirmed as a certainty that human curiosity, wandering through the vast wilderness of created things, occasionally stumbles upon something that exceeds natural laws and gives birth to novelty. Driven then by a restless appetite for knowledge, the mind is necessarily held in deep wonder by this unknown thing. To dispel this wonder, satisfy the craving for knowledge, and ultimately feed the hunger for novelties, we have decided to open the hidden halls of nature, adorned with countless illustrations.

However, since it is said that the straight line is the measure of both itself and the crooked, it seems worthwhile to first summarize the perfect constitution of Man in a few words. This is not only so that nature’s errors may become more evident to readers, but also to ensure our histories do not lack a discussion of human prerogatives. At the very beginning of the creation of the human body, God breathed in the breath of immortal life—the soul—so that man might be governed by a rational leader, meditate on heavenly things, and master his senses.

Finally, even in inanimate things, wonders sometimes occur that do not reflect the nature of their causes, such as the various likenesses of eagles, other animals, or horsemen appearing in the air—what some have called "celestial monsters." We have decided to commit accounts of these as well to these historical records, adorned with beautiful images.