198 History of Nature. [BooK VII. 



quin ac lenta Natura, in Lacu Judaese (qui vocatur Asphal- 

 tites), certo tempore anni supernatans, nequit sibi avelli, ad 

 omnein contactum adhserens, praeterquam filo quod tale 

 virus infecerit. Etiam formicis animali minimo, inesse sen- 

 sum ejus ferunt; abjicique gustatas fruges, nee postea repeti. 

 Et hoc tale tantumque omnibus tricenis diebus malum in 

 muliere exsistit, et trimestri spatio largius. Quibusdam vero 

 saepius mense; sicut aliquibus nunquam ; sed tales non gig- 

 nunt, quando hsec est generando homini rnateria semine e 

 maribus coaguli modo hoc in sese glomerante, quod deinde 

 tempore ipso animatur, corporaturque. Ergo cum gravidis 

 fluxit, invalidi aut non vitales partus eduntur, aut saniosi, ut 

 autor est Negidius. 1 



CAP. XVI. 

 Item de Ratione Partuum. 



IDEM, lac fbeminae non corrumpi alenti partum si ex 

 eodem viro rursus conceperit, arbitratur. Incipiente autem 

 hoc statu, aut desinente, conceptus facillimi traduntur. 

 Faecunditatis in fceminis praerogativam accepimus, inunctis 

 medicamine oculis, salivam infici. Caeterum editis primores 

 septimo mense gigni dentes priusque in supera fere parte,haud 

 dubium est. Septimo eosdem decidere anno, aliosque suffici. 

 Quosdam et cum dentibus nasci, 2 sicut M. Curium, quod ob 

 id Dentatus cognominatus est, et Cn. Papyrium Carbonem, 

 praeclaros viros. In Women the same thing was counted 

 inauspicious in the times of the Kings, for when Valeria 

 was born toothed in this manner, the Augurs (Aruspices) 

 being consulted about it, answered by way of Prophecy, 

 that she would be the ruin of that City to which she might 

 be conveyed ; whereupon she was conveyed to Suessa Pometia, 



1 Much that is here stated is erroneous, and mere fable ; the recondite 

 subject of generation abounding in the marvellous. Wern. Club. 



2 However this might have been regarded in ancient times, on a super- 

 stitious account, it is not an uncommon circumstance. The editor is 

 acquainted with the fact, that in an instance of three children being born 

 at one birth, all of them were furnished with teeth.- Wern. Club. 



