88 Tk History Chap, i, 



asalfo the difmal Fate oi Erefichthon^ or the 

 other uncertain Stories of the Hamadryades^ 

 to whofe peculiar Care the Vegetative In- 

 habitants of thofe Nemorous Abodes were 

 committed. 



For the Imbellifhment of this Hiftory, I 

 inight have fummon'd the Panegyricks of 

 Xenophon^ Maximin Tyrius^ of Plato and 

 Cicero, of Petrarcb, of Cato and Seneca , of 

 Tihdhis and PoUtianus, and alfo have pro- 

 duc'd the Political Inftitutions of Romuhis and 

 Ntma' Pomj^ilms, and of thofe Laws that 

 confirm'd the Encouragement of Agriculture 

 and Planting by the Emperor Jiijiman and 

 Others, but that I find it already done to 

 my hand by feveral Ruftic Authors. To 

 Quintus AricinatHs, I might have added Man- 

 iius Curius Denatiis, who after he had con- 

 quered Pyrrhus^ and expell'd him out of 

 Italy ^ had feveral times triumph'd with 

 Glory and Renown, and had very much 

 enlarg'd the Roman Empire by his noble 

 Atchievements, returned with infinite Af- 

 fedion to his former Rural Exercifes, and 

 there concluded the refidue of his Days 

 with the greateft Tranquillity, Reft, and 

 Satisfaftion of Mind. To Manlius, might 

 be added Attilius Catalinusy who for his An- 

 gular Virtue, was caird from the Plough, 

 to be Diftator alfo 5 and yet afterwards, for 

 the great love he bore to Agriculture, chofe 

 rather to live privately in the Country, and 

 to weary himfelf with Digging and Plough- 

 ing 



