20 A Philological Ejjay concerning 



than to Brutes or Plants. The Dinienfions of them all , according to the 

 Climate^ may differ. If we confult the Original , viz. Homer that firft 

 mentioned the Pygmies^ there are only thefe two Chara^erijiics he gives 

 of them. That they are UvyfAMTbifett CubHales ^ and that the Cranes did 

 ufe to fight them. Tis true, as a Poet^ he calls them a^'^p^?, which I 

 have accounted for before. Now if there cannot be found fuch Men as 

 are CubHales, that the Cranes might probably fight with, notwithftanding 

 all the Romances of the Indian Hiflorians, I cannot think thefe Pygmies 

 to be Me^,but they muft be fome other Animals, or the whole muft be a 

 Fiftion. 



Having premifed this, we will now enquire into their Aflertion that 

 maintain the Pygmies to be a Race of Me». Now becaufe there have been 

 Giants formerly, that have fo much exceeded the ufual Stature of Man, 

 that there muft be likewife Pygmies as defective in the other extream from 

 this Standard, I think is no conclufive Argument, tho' made ufe of by 

 fome. Old Cajpar Bartholine (ti) tells us, that becaufe J. Cajfanim and 

 others had wrote de Gygantibus , fince no Body elfe had undertaken it, 

 he would give us a Book de Pygmak 5 and fince he makes it his defign to 

 prove the Exiftence of Pygmies, and that the Pygmies were Men, I muft 

 confefs I expedted great Matters from him. 



But I do not find he has informed us of any thing more of them , 

 than what Jo. Talent oni us, a Profcffor formerly at Parma, had told us be- 

 fore in his Variarnm d" Reconditarum Rerum Thefaurus ( <?) , from whom 

 he has borrowed moft of this Tra^. He has made it a little more for- 

 mal indeed, by dividing it into Chapters-^ of which I will give you the 

 Titles 5 and as I fee occafion , fome Remarks thereon : They will not 

 be many, becaufe I have prevented my felf already. The/ri? Chapter is, 

 De Homiincionibus & Pnmilionibus feit Nank a Pygm£is dijiiniik. The 

 fecond Chapter, De Pygw£i nominibus & Etymologia. The third Chapter, 

 Duplex ejje Pygm£oriim Genus 5 €^ primum Genus aliquando dari. He 

 means Droarfs, that are no Pygmies at all. The fourth Chapter is , Alte- 

 rum Genus, nempe Gentem Pygmsorum eJJe, autfaltem aliquando fuijfe Au- 

 toritatibus Htimank, fide tamen dignorum ajjeritur. 'Tis as I find it prin- 

 ted j and no doubt an Error in the printing. The Authorities he gives, 

 are. Homer, Ctefias, Arifiotle, Philofiratus, Pliny, Juvenal, Oppian, Bap- 

 tifta Mantuan, St.AuJiin and his Scholiajl. Lndovic. Fives, Jo. Laurentius 

 Anania, Joh. Cajfanius, Job. Talentonius, GeUius, Pomp. Mela, and Olam 

 Magnus. I have taken notice of moft of them already, as I fliall of 

 St. Atijlin and Ludovicus Fives by and by. Jo.JLaurentius Anania (p) ex 

 Mercatorum relatione tradit ({3.1th Bartholine") eos (Jf. Pygm£os) in Sep' 

 tentrionali Thracis Parte reperiri, (^qu£ Scythia esi proximo) atque ihi aim 

 Gruibus pugnare. And Joh. Cajjanius (q) ( as he is here quoted ) faith, 



(n) Cafpar. Bartholin, OpHfcuhmde Pygm&k. (o) Jo.Talentoni] Variar.fy recondit.Rerum Thefauruf. 

 lib. 3. cap. 2 r. (p) jfoh. Laurent. Anania frope finem traltatm pimi fua Geograph, (q) Joh. Caf- 

 faniHS libetlo tie Gygantibm, p. 73. 



De 



