PLINY: NATURAL HISTORY 



transalpina Gallia herbis Tyria atque ^ conchylia 

 tinguit et omnes alios colores. nec quaerit in pro- 

 fundis murices, seque obiciendo escam, dum praeripit, 

 beluis marinis, intacta etiam ancoris scrutatur 

 vada, ut inveniat per quod faciHus matrona adultero 



4 placeat, corruptor insidietur nuptae. stans et in 

 sicco carpit quo frugem modo, sed culpant ablui 

 usu, alioqui fulgentius instrui poterat luxuria, certe 

 innocentius. non est nunc propositum ista con- 

 sectari, nec omittemus ^ ut subieiendo viliora luxuriam 

 utihtate ^ circumscribamus dicturi et alias herbis 

 tingui parietes nec lapide pingi.^ nec tinguendi 

 tamen rationem omisissemus. si umquam ea liberal- 



5 ium artium fuisset. interim fortius agetur, auctori- 

 tasque quanta debet etiam surdis hoc est ignobiUbus 

 herbis perhibebitur, siquidem auctores imperii Ro- 

 mani conditoresque immensum quiddam et hine 

 sumpsere, quoniam non aliunde sagmina in remediis 

 publicis fuere et in sacris legationibusque verbenae. 



^ atque] aeque coni. Warmington. 



* nec omittemus cum codd. Detlefsen : nec committemus 

 Mayhoff. 



^ viliora . . . utilitate Mayhoff: utiliora . . . vilitate Det- 



Itfsen. 



* parietes nec pingi lapide Mayhoff: lapides, parietes 

 pingi Detlefsen. 



" In reality the coccum was the kermes insect, and not a 

 plant-product. 



' As " Tyrian purple " and " oyster purple " are practically 

 the same things, Warmington for atqae suggests aeque, 

 "Tyrian oyster-purple juat as wel! as it can all other 

 colours." 



' Detlefsen'8 readings would give : " so that I may, by 

 suggesting more useful materials, curb luxury by cheapening 

 it, as elsewhere I shall tell how stones are dyed and walls 

 painted." With Mayhoff's we must translate : " and I shall 

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