An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Yet there want not those who make doubt whether there be, yea who deny that there is any such beast in the compass of nature, as is commonly called an Unicorn, having such a medicinal horn as is asserted; and therefore all those Scriptures, wherein this ⟨p. 348⟩word (Reem) in the Text translated Unicorn, is used, They who are of that opinion, translate Rhinoceros, as not being satisfied that there is such a creature as that other in the world. One of the Rabbins collects an objection against him from that of Moses (Deut. 33.17.¹) where speaking of this beast (Reem) he seems to say that he hath more horns than one, therefore no Unicorn; for there describing the flourishing and powerful estate of the Tribe of Joseph, he saith, his horns are like the horns of an Unicorn; as if that beast (whatsoever it is which is signified by that Hebrew word) had more horns than one. We indeed translate both words plurally, not the horns of an Unicorn, but the horns of Unicorns, yet the Hebrew is singular. However I conceive this objection is of no weight, to the denial of any such creature as the Unicorn, it being frequent in Scripture to put the singular number for the plural, as there Unicorn for Unicorns; and therefore that Text hath little or no force in it to invalidate their opinion, who assert that there is such an one horned animal.

Yet there want not those who make doubt whether there be, ye who deny that there is any such beast in the compass of nature, as is commonly called an Vnicorn, having such a medicinal horn as is asserted; and therefore all those Scriptures, wherein this ⟨p. 348⟩word (Reem) in the Text translated Vnicorn, is used, They who are of that opinion, translate Rhinocerote, as not being satisfied that there is such a creature as that other in the world. One of the Rabbines collects an objection against him from that of Moses (Deut. 33.17.¹) where speaking of this beast (Reem) he seems to say that he hath more horns than one, therefore no Unicorn; for there describing the flourishing and powerful estate of the Tribe of Joseph, he saith, his horns are like the horns of an Vnicorn; as if that beast (whatsoever it is which is signified by that Hebrew word) had more horns than one. We indeed translate both words plurally, not the horns of an Vnicorn, but the horns of Ʋnicorns, yet the Hebrew is singular. However I conceive this objection is of no weight, to the denial of any such creature as the Unicorn, it being frequent in Scripture to put the singular number for the plural, as there Unicorn for Unicorns; and therefore that Text hath little or no force in it to invalidate their opinion, who assert that there is such an one horned animal.