PLINY: NATURAL HISTORY 



42 In pergulis vero seruntur escariae appellatae e 

 duracinis, albae nigraeque, et bumasti totidem colori- 

 bus, ac nondum dictae Aegia et Rhodia et uncialis, 

 velut a pondere acini, item picina omnium nigerrima, 

 et coronario naturae lusu stephanitis, acinos foliis 

 intercursantibus, et quae forenses vocantur, celeres 

 proventu, vendibiles aspectu, portatu faciles. contra 

 damnantur etiam visu cinerea et rabuscula ^ et asinus- 

 ca, minus tamen caudas vulpium imitata alopecis. 



43 Alexandrina appellatur vitis circa Phalacram brevis, 

 ramis cubitaUbus, acino nigro fabae magnitudine, 

 nucleo molU et minimo, obUquis racemis praedulcibus, 

 foUo parvo et rotundo, sine divisuris. septem his 

 annis in Narbonensis provinciae Alba Hehda inventa 

 est vitis uno die deflorescens, ob id tutissima; 

 carbonicam ^ vocant, quam nunc tota provincia 

 conserit. 



44 V. Catonum ille primus, triimipho et censura super 

 cetera insignis, magis tamen etiamnum claritate 

 Utterarum praeceptisque omnium rermxi expeten- 

 darum datis generi Romano, inter prima vero agrum 

 colendi, iUe aevi confessione optimus ac sine aemulo 



1 rubuscula ('Uttle bramble-grape') ? W armington. 

 * Edd. {aut Narbonicam) : carbunican. 



• Perhaps so called from its grey colour. 



* *AXa)TTr)i, *fox.' 



' M. Porcius Cato, whose De re rustica (or De agri cultura) 

 is quoted below, celebrated a triumph in 194 b.c. for his 

 victories in Spain, and was censor in 184 b.c. The capture 

 and destruction of Carthage and Corinth took place in 146 b.c, 

 three years after his death. 



214 



