But neither ghost, nor cast iron, nor saint Leonard himself, have gained for this forest so much celebrity as its famous DRAGON, or serpent! This venemous reptile, which some persons have rendered into some obnoxious proprietor, has been honoured with a long and minute description in the following account. “True and wonderful, A discourse relating to a strange monstrous serpent or dragon, lately discovered, and yet living to the great annoyance and divers slaughters both of men and cattle by his strong and violent poyson, in St. Leonard’s forest, and thirtie miles from London, this present month of August, 1614, with the true generation of serpents. Printed at London by John Trundle 1614. In Sussex there is a pretty market towne, called Horsam, neare unto a forest called St Leonard’s forest, and there in a vast unfrequented place, heathie, vaultie, full of unwholesome shades and overgrown hollowes, where this serpent is thought to be bred; but wheresoever bred, certaine and too true it is, that there it yet lives. Within three or four miles compass are its usual haunts, oftentimes at a place called Faygate, and it hath been seene within half a mile of Horsam, a wondre no doubt most terrible and noysome to the inhabitants thereabouts. There is always in his tracke or path, left a glutinous and slimy matter (as by a small similitude we may perceive in a snail) which is very corrupt and offensive to the scent, in so much that they perceive the air to be putrified withall, which must needs be very dangerous: for though the corruption of it cannot strike the outward parts of a man, unless heated into blood, yet by receiving it in at any of our breathing organs, (the nose or mouth) it is by authority of all authors writing in that kinde, mortal and deadlie; as one thus saith, ‘Noxia serpentum est admixto sanguine pestis.—LUCAN.’