XVI LIFE AND WRITINGS OP PLINT. 



is not a 'Natural History' in tlie modern acceptation of 

 the term, but rather a vast Encyclopaedia of ancient know- 

 ledge and belief upon almost every known subject — " not 

 less varied than Nature herself," as his nephew says. It 

 comprises, within the compass of thirty-seven books, 20,000 

 matters of importance, collected from about 2000 vohimes 

 (nearly all of which have now perished), the works, as Pliny 

 himself states, of 100 writers of authority ; together with 

 a vast number of additional matters unknovni to those au- 

 thorities, and many of them the results of his own expe- 

 rience and observation. Hardouin has drawn up a cata- 

 logue of the authors quoted by Pliny; they amount in 

 number to between 400 and 500. 



The following is a brief sketch of the plan of this wonderful 

 monument of human industry. After a dedicatory Epistle to 

 Titus, followedby a table of contents of the otherBooks, which 

 together form the Eirst Book, the author proceeds to give 

 an account of the prevailing notions as to the universe, the 

 earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the more remarkable 

 properties of the elements (^pai'tes naturce). He then passes 

 on to a geographical description of the face of the earth as 

 known to the ancients. After the Greography comes what may 

 in strict propriety be termed " Natural History," including 

 a history of man, replete indeed with marvels, but inter- 

 esting in the highest degree. Having mentioned at consi- 

 derable length the land, animals, fishes, birds, and insects, 

 he passes on to Botany, which in its various aspects oc- 

 cupies the larger portion of the work. At the same time, 

 in accordance with his comprehensive plan, this part 

 includes a vast amount of information on numerous subjects, 

 the culture of the cereals and the manufacture of oil, wine, 

 paper {'papyrus), and numerous other articles of daily use. 

 After treating at considerable length of Medical Botany, 

 he proceeds to speak of medicaments derived from the human 

 body, from which he branches off into discussions on the 

 history of medicine, and magic, which last he looks upon as 

 an offshoot from the medical art ; and he takes this oppor- 

 tunity of touching upon many of the then current supersti- 

 tions and notions on astrology. He concludes this portion 

 of his work with an account of the medicinal properties of 

 various waters, and of those of fishes and other aquatic animals. 



