186 History of Nature. [BooK III. 



Regienses a Lepido, Solonates : also the Forests Galliani, 

 surnamed Aquinates ; Tanetani, Veliates, surnamed Vecteri, 

 Regiates and Umbranates. In this Tract the Boii have 

 perished; who had 112 Tribes, as Cato maketh Report. 

 Likewise the Senones, who took Rome. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

 Of the River Padus. 



PADUS issuing out of the Bosom of the Mountain Vesulus, 

 bearing up his Head into a very lofty Height, runneth from 

 a Spring 1 worth the seeing, in the Borders of the Ligurian 

 Vagienni ; and hiding itself within a narrow Passage under 

 the Ground, and rising up again in the Territory of the Foro- 

 vibians, is inferior to no other Rivers in Excellency. By the 

 Greeks it was called Eridanus, and well known for the 

 Punishment of Phaeton. It increaseth about the Rising of 

 the Dog-star, by Reason of the melting Snow : more violent 

 to the Fields thereby, than to the Vessels : nevertheless, 

 nothing is stolen away to itself; but when it hath left the 

 Fields, its Bounty is more abundant by their Fruitfulness : 

 from its Head it holdeth on its Course 300 Miles, adding, for 

 its meandering, 88 Miles. It receiveth not only the navi- 

 gable Rivers of the Apennines and the Alps, but large Lakes 

 also that discharge themselves into it : so that in all it car- 

 rieth into the Adriatic Sea, 30 Rivers. The most celebrated 

 of them are these, sent out of the Side of Apennine : Tanarus, 

 Trebia, Placentinus, Tarus, Nicia, Gabellus, Scultenna, Rhe- 

 nus. But running out of the Alps, Stura, Morgns, two 

 Duriae, Sessites, Ticinus, Lambrus, Addua, Olius, and Min- 

 cius. And there is no River that in so little Way groweth to 

 a greater Stream ; because it is driven on with the Mass of 

 Water, and stirred to the Bottom, heavy to the Earth, al- 

 though it be drawn into Rivers and Trenches between Ra- 

 venna and Ativum, for 120 Miles : yet because it casteth 

 them out in great Abundance, it is said to make seven 



1 Pliny tells us (lib. ii. 106) that this wonderful spring ceased to flow 

 at mid-day in the summer season. Under the modern name of Po, this 

 river is not less celebrated than in ancient times. Wern. Club. 



