My Design is not to justifie all the Relations that have been given of this _Animal_, even by Authors of reputed Credit; but, as far as I can, to distinguish Truth from Fable; and herein, if what I assert amounts to a Probability, 'tis all I pretend to. I shall accordingly endeavour to make it appear, that not only the _Pygmies_ of the Ancients, but also the _Cynocephali_, and _Satyrs_ and _Sphinges_ were only _Apes_ or _Monkeys_, not _Men_, as they have been represented. But the Story of the _Pygmies_ being the greatest Imposture, I shall chiefly concern my self about them, and shall be more concise on the others, since they will not need so strict an Examination. We will begin with the Poet _Homer_, who is generally owned as the first Inventor of the Fable of the _Pygmies_, if it be a Fable, and not a true Story, as I believe will appear in the Account I shall give of them. Now _Homer_ only mentions them in a _Simile_, wherein he compares the Shouts that the _Trojans_ made, when they were going to joyn Battle with the _Græcians_, to the great Noise of the _Cranes_, going to fight the _Pygmies_: he saith,[A] [Greek: Ai t' epei oun cheimona phygon, kai athesphaton ombron Klangae tai ge petontai ep' okeanoio rhoaon 'Andrasi pygmaioisi phonon kai kaera pherousai.] i.e. _Quæ simul ac fugere Imbres, Hyememque Nivalem Cum magno Oceani clangore ferantur ad undas Pygmæis pugnamque Viris, cædesque ferentes._ [Footnote A: _Homer. Iliad_. lib. 3. ver. 4.] Or as _Helius Eobanus Hessus_ paraphrases the whole.[A] _Postquam sub Ducibus digesta per agmina stabant Quæque fuis, Equitum turmæ, Peditumque Cohortes, Obvia torquentes Danais vestigia Troës Ibant, sublato Campum clamore replentes: Non secus ac cuneata Gruum sublime volantum Agmina, dum fugiunt Imbres, ac frigora Brumæ, Per Coelum matutino clangore feruntur, Oceanumque petunt, mortem exitiumque cruentum Irrita Pigmæis moturis arma ferentes._ [Footnote A: _Homeri Ilias Latino Carmine reddita ab Helio Eobano Hesso_.]