188 History of Nature. [BOOK III. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

 Italy beyond Padus, the eleventh Region. 



NEXT to it is the Region called Transpadana, the eleventh 1 

 in Number ; and all in the Midland Part ; into which the 

 Seas bring all Things with fruitful Channel. The Towns 

 therein be, Vibi-Forum, and Segusius. The Colonies from 

 the Foot of the Alps, Augusta of the Taurini, an ancient 

 Descent from the Liguri : from whence Padus is navigable. 

 Then, Augusta Prsetoria, of the Salassi, near the two-fold 

 Passages of the Alps, Graijae and Peninse : for it is recorded, 

 that the Carthaginians (Pseni) came through the one, and 

 Hercules in at the other, named Graijae. There standeth the 

 Town, Eporedia, built by the People of Rome by direction 

 of the Books of the Sibyls. The Gauls, in their Tongue, call 

 good Horse-breakers Eporedicse. Also, Vercella of the 

 Lybici, descended from the Sallii : Novaria, from the Verta- 

 comacori ; which at this Day is a Village of the Vocontii, 

 and not, as Cato thinketh, of the Liguri ; of whom the Levi 

 and Marici built Ticinum, not far from the Padus : like as 

 the Boii coming over the Alps, founded Laus Pompeia ; arid 

 the Insubrias, Mediorlapum. That Comus and Bergomus, 

 and Licini- Forum, with other People thereabout, were of the 

 Orobian Race, Cato hath reported : but the Original of that 

 Nation, he confesseth that he knoweth not. Which Corne- 

 lius Alexander sheweth to have descended from the Greeks; 

 and this by the Interpretation of their Name, which signi- 

 fieth, Men living in Mountains. In this Tract, Barra, a 

 Town of the Orobians, is perished ; from whence, Cato saith, 

 the Bergomates took their Beginning ; discovering by their 

 Name, that they were seated more highly than happily. 

 There are perished also the Caturiges, banished Persons of 



1 Pliny says, the eleventh region; and he may be accurate according 

 to his original authority: which was a survey ordered by Augustus 

 Caesar, and in some measure equivalent to the English Domesday survey. 

 This measure of the emperor may be, perhaps, the same that is referred 

 to by St. Luke, ii. 1. But in Pliny's order of reckoning it is only the 

 ninth region. Wern. Club. 



