A Philological Efjay concerning 



fiat and low, and leflened the grandieur of the Battle. But this Peyi/'/j;'<2- 

 fis of them, av^pj; rmXiMZiQiy raifes the Reader's Phancy, and furprifes 

 him, and is more becoming the Language of an Heroic Pcau, 



But how came the Cranes and Fjigmes to fall out ? What may be the 

 Caufe of this Mortal Feud, and conftant War between them } Foi-Brntes^ 

 like Me«, don't war upon one another, to raife and encreafe their Glo- 

 ry, or to enlarge their Empire. Unlefs I can acquit my felf herein, and 

 afHgn fome probable Caufe hereof, I may incur the fame Cenfure as Straho 

 (e) pafled on feveral of the Indian Hifloriajis^ dtix^'mmv § si, rlta 'Ofm^j.- 

 }tluj T^ ThlfAzticinv yi^vQ^AM^Qdv r^icsnd^clju&ii mTTvvlig, for reviewing the 

 Homerical Fight of the Cranes and Pygmies, which he looks upon only 

 as a fiftion of the Poet. But this had been very unbecoming Homer to 

 take a Simile (which is defigned for illuftration) from what had no 

 Foundation in Nature. His Betrachomyomachia , 'tis true, was a meer 

 Invention, and never otherwife efteemed : But his Geranomachia hath all 

 the likelyhood of a true Story. And therefore I ihail enquire now what 

 may be the juft Occafion of this Quarrel. 



Atheneeus (f) out of 'Philochorus^zn^ fo likewife JElian (g) , tell us a 

 Story, That in the Nation of the Pygmies the Male-line failing, one 

 Gerana was their Queen 3 a Woman of an admired Beauty , and whom 

 the Citizens worfhipped as a Goddefs 5 but (he became fo vain and proud, 

 as to prefer her own, before the Beauty of all the other Goddejfes , at 

 which they grew enraged 5 and to punifh her for her Infolence, Athe- 

 n£i0 tells us that 'twas Diana,h\xt JElian faith 'twas Juno that transform- 

 ed her into a Crane, and made her an Enemy to the Pygmies that wor- 

 Ihipped her before. But iince they are not agreed which Goddefs 'twas, I 

 flball let this pafs. 



Pomponius' Mela will have it , and I think fome others, that thefe 

 cruel Engagements ufe to happen, upon the Cranes coming to devour the 

 Corn the Pygmies had fowed 3 and that at lafl: they became fo vidtori- 

 ous,as not only to deftroy their Corn,but them alfo : For he tells us?(f ), 

 Fttere interius Pjigm^i , minntum genus , d^ quod fro fatis fiugibus contra, 

 Grues dimicando, defecit. This may feem a reafonable Caufe of a Quar- 

 rel 3 but it not being certain that the Pygmies ufed to fow Corn, I will 

 not infift on this neither. 



Now v;hat feems raoft likely to me, is the account that Pliny out of 

 Megajihenes, and Strabo from Qnejicritm give us 3 and , provided I be 

 not obliged to believe or juftifie aU that they fay, I could reft fatisfied in - 

 great part of their Relation : For Pliny (h) tells \xs,Verfs tempore univerfo 



(e) Siraba Oeografb. lib. 2. p. m. 48. (f ) Athend Deipnofoph. lib. p, p. m. 3P5. f g ) Mian. 

 Hift. Animal, lib. 15, cap. sp. (f) Pomp. Mela defipu OrbH, lib". 3. cap. 8. (h) Plinij Hift. Nat, 

 lib. 7. cap. 2. p.in. 13 



agmine 



