68 MEMOIR OF PLINY. 



of certain diseases, such as gout, stone, dropsy 

 " spots and wems on the visage, and for those tnat 

 bee blasted or strucken with a planet ;" how to pre- 

 serve and recover the hair, to make the breath sweet, 

 to remove moles and carbuncles, staunch blood, and 

 allay swellings. These subjects are continued to the 

 end of the thirty-second book, and give occasion to 

 the discussion of numerous topics, such as magic or 

 the black science, the origin of the art and practice 

 of physic, the nature of water salt and fresh, besides 

 " receits of medicines, taken from water-creatures, 

 digested and set in order, according to sundry dis- 

 eases." 



The last five books are occupied in describing 

 metals, mining, earth, stones ; and the employment 

 of the latter for the purposes of life, the use of the 

 arts, and the demands of luxury. Under the head 

 of colours, mention is made of the most celebrated 

 paintings ; whilst the articles of stones and marbles 

 include the most valuable gems and the finest pieces 

 of statuary. The descriptions of some of the pre- 

 cious stones in the last book, of amber and beryl for 

 example, are as good as those in many of our mo- 

 dern mineralogists. 



The books on Mining and Statuary abound with 

 curious information ; but we must be content to se- 

 lect a few anecdotes from the chapters on Painting. 

 " Concerning pictures, and the first originall of paint- 

 er's art, I am not able to resolue and set downe any 

 thing for certaine ; neither is it a question pertinent 



