61. Chap. 40. ,a/jnExpofition Upon the Book of Jos. .Verf. Elephant, and Leviathan the Whale; this beingwithout contro- `verfie the greatenAnimal that lives in the waters, and that the `greaten that lives upon the Land.To. whofe Judgement I fhouid have willingly affented, but that confidering the matter more `narrowly, I Caw many things fpoken of them, even in approved `verfions, which no wayagree with the nature of the Elephant `and the Whale. I (hall not fay that Interpreters preponèff:d with this opinion, have wrened fome things another way, which if they were rightly unfolded according to the Hebrearo,it would `appear asclear as the light, that under there names Behemoth and `Leviathan, two animals arc chara&eriz'd extreamly different ` from the Elephant and the Whale ; but which they are, is not ` eate to determine. Yet it loth not a little pleafe : me, .that Reza and Diidate, menof a mon clear judgement, and of no ordinary ` learning, doconclude Leviathan to be the Crocodile of Nilar, Whence I have a nrong conjeEure, that Behemoth is an animal of thefame neighbourhood , even an Inhabitant of Ni/etc, cal- ` led Hippopotamus (ór the Raver horfe.) I would have none trou- ` bled with the newnefs-of this opinion ,_ but fits weigh my rea `fons ;, whereof let this be the fire : That, as upon the former flage, in the dole of the 38th, and throughout the 3 9th Chap- ' ter, only terrenrial animals were prefenced ; fo it feems mon `congruous, that upon this only aquatical or water-animals (hould be prefenced, lea the.courfe of proceeding fhould be diforder- `ed. So that, Leviathan (as all agree) being: a creature that lives in the water,'fis probable Behemoth loth Co too, both being-de- s fcribed in the fame feries of dircourfe. That the ancient pws ' were of this opinion, may be colleEted out of the fecond Book K of Efdras, Chap. 6, verf.47i 48, 49. where Behemoth isplaced á among the aquatical Animals, created the fifth day. Further, the `F'ippopotameand the Crocodile, are-fitly jóyned together, beceufe ° there is agreat likenefs of nature between there two, for both arevery big and her ce,and amphibious,and four-footed,and both have one, common habitation, the River Nilaes ; which 'Pliny al- ` fo takes notice of (lib. 28. cap. 8.) and therefore moll Writers ` handle them together.. Nor doth the name Behemoth unfit the Ï-1 ppopotame, feting the He brewword Behcma is appliable to all four-footed beans, to thofe efpecially whichare, of greater silk, as is the Eippoperame ; of which the Ancients fpeak vari- $ou£ly9.
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