Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 247 



readily difcerned by the eye, becaufe the old 

 members of his body have been either broken off 

 or crufhed, and in every way marred by the action 

 of the waves ; and becaufe extraneous fubftances 

 like oyfters, and fea- weeds, and ftones have 

 attached themfelves to him, fo that he refembles 

 any other monfter than his natural fhape : fo with 

 refpect to the foul, we behold it affected by ten 

 thoufand evils." And he continues : " We muft 

 look at its philofophical nature, and muft confider 

 to what it clings and what company it longs for, 

 inafmuch as it is kindred with the Divine, and the 

 Immortal, and the Ever-exifting ; and what it 

 would become were it wholly to follow thefe 

 attributes, and by this impulfe be borne upwards 

 out of the iea in which it now lies, and dif- 

 encumbered of the ftones and oyfters, and the 

 many earthy, ftony, and harm fubftances, which 

 have clung to it in confequence of its feafting 

 upon earth, at thofe banquetings which are deemed 

 fo happy." 1 



Pliny difregards the oyfter in comparifon with 

 its parafite, the pearl. It furnifhes him with 

 forrowful reflections upon the luxury of his age, 

 the coftlinefs and hazard with which it is fought 

 for : " Principium culmenque omnium rerum 

 pretii margaritas tenent." Fine pearls are fupplied 

 by the Indian Ocean ; " and yet, to come by 

 them, we muft go and fearch among thofe huge 

 and terrible monfters of the fea which we have 

 fpoken of before. We muft pafs over fo many 

 1 Plato, "Repub.," 611 D. 



