Authorship disputed, though authorities agree that the first part of the work was written by Marana and first pub. in Paris, 1684. The remainder has been ascribed to several different Englishmen, among them Dr. Robert Midgley and William Bradshaw. It is probable, however, that Midgley simply edited the English translation, made by Bradshaw, of the original Italian manuscript. cf. Gentleman's magazine, 1840-41; also Dict. of nat. biog., v. 6, p. 185; v. 37, p. 366-367.