BOOK I.] Pliny s Epistle to T. Vespasian. 21 



to choose rather to be taken in a Theft, than to bring Home 

 borrowed Goods, or to repay a due Debt ; especially when 

 the Interest thereof hath gained a Man as much as the 

 Principal. 



In the Titles and Inscriptions of Books, the Greeks have 

 a happy Art. Thus one has been entitled Kj/ov, whereby 

 they would give us to understand of a Honeycomb: others 1 

 Kygag A^aXSs/ag, that is to say, the Horn of Plenty ; so that 

 whosoever readeth these goodly Titles must hope for some 

 great Matters ; and as the Proverb goes, look to drink there 

 a Draught of Hen's Milk 2 . You shall have, moreover, their 

 Books set out with these glorious Inscriptions ! The Muses, 

 The Pandects 3 , Enchiridion 4 , As/^wv 5 , r/vax/<rr/oi/ 6 : so that one 

 might even consent to forfeit a Recognisance or Obligation 

 in a Court of Law, to turn over the Leaf. But let a Man 

 enter into them, and behold, what a Nothing shall he find 

 within ! As for our Countrymen, they are gross in Compa- 

 rison of them in giving Titles to their Books : for they come 

 with their Antiquities, Examples, and Arts ; and those also 

 be such Authors as are of finest Invention amongst them. 

 Valerius, who (as I take it) was named AntiaSj both for that 

 he was a Citizen of Antium, and also because his Ancestors 

 were so called, was the first that gave to a Book the Title of 

 Lucubratio, or Night Study. Varro terms some of his Satires 

 Sesculyxes and Flex'ibulce. Diodorus, among the Greeks, 

 laid aside such empty Titles, and entitled his Book, JBiblio- 

 theca, or, a Library. Apion 7 , the Grammarian, whom Tiberius 



1 To wit, Helius Melissus. 



3 " Lac gallinaceum summa felicitate olim usurpabatur." STBABO, lib. 

 xiv. " Eos, qui Sami fcecunditatem laudabant, ei proverbium accommo- 

 dasse tradit, quo aiunt <p'.gi*> ogvduv ><>.." DAUBCHAMPIUS. Wern. Club. 



" Proverbium de re singular! et admodum rara." Note in Valpy, p. 18. 

 Wern. Club. 



3 Containing all things, as Tyro Tuttius did. 



4 A Manual to be carried always in Hand. 



5 Meadow. 6 A Table or Index. 



7 Apion, sometimes called Appion, was an Egyptian, but he had a 

 great desire to be regarded as of Greek extraction. His works were 

 numerous, and among them was one on all the wonders he had seen or 



