BOOK III.] History of Nature. 153 



Salarius and the Cliffs of the Oretanes, Carpetanes, and 

 Asturians. 



Bcetica, so called from the River Bcetis, that cutteth it in 

 the midst, excelleth all the other Provinces in Produce, arid 

 a certain plentiful and peculiar Beauty. Therein are held 

 four judicial Assemblies; the Gaditan, Cordubian, Astigitan, 

 and Hispalensian. All the Towns in it are in (Oppida) Num- 

 ber 175; whereof eight are Colonies; free Boroughs (Muni- 

 cipia), eight ; Towns endued with the ancient Franchises of 

 Latiuni, twenty-nine : with Freedom, six; Confederate, four; 

 Tributary, 120. Of which those that be worth the naming, 

 or are more current in the Latin Tongue, be these under- 

 written : from the River Ana the Coast of the Ocean, the 

 Town (Oppidum) Ossonoba, surnamed also Lusturia. Two 

 Rivers, Luxia and Urium 1 , run between the Mountains Ariani : 

 the River Bretis: the Shore Corense : with a winding Creek. 

 Over against which lieth Gades, to be spoken of among the 

 Islands. The Promontory of Juno : the Haven Besippo. 

 The Towns Belon and Mellaria. The Straits out of the 

 Atlantic Sea. Carteia, called Tertessos by the Greeks ; and 

 the Mountain Calpe. Then, within the Shore, the Town 

 Barbesula, with the River. Also, the Town Salbula ; Suel- 

 Malacha, with the River of the Confederates. Next to these, 

 Menoba, with a River: Sexi-firmum, surnamed Jiilium : 

 Selaubina, Abdera, and Murgis, the Frontier of Boetica. All 

 that Coast M. Agrippa thought to have had their Beginning 

 from the Carthaginians (Poeni). From Ana there lieth 

 against the Atlantic Ocean, the Region of the Bastuli and 

 the Turduli. 



M. Varro saith, that there entered into all Parts of Spain, 

 the Iberians, Persians, Phoenicians, Celts, and Carthaginians 

 (Posni) : for Lusus, the Companion of Father Liber, or 

 Lyssa, (which signifieth the frantic Fury of those that raged 

 with him), gave the Name to Lusitania; and Pan was the 

 Governor of it all. But those Things which are reported of 

 Hercules and Perene, or of Saturn, I think to be fabulous 



1 These rivers are now called Oilier and Tin to. 



