TheTYG MI ES of the Ancients. 31 



when they are, they often appear fingle, or but a few. Now Homer's^ 

 and the Cranes of the Ancients, are always reprefented in Flocks. Thus 

 Of plan (s) as I find him tranflated into Latin Verfe : . • 



Etvelut lEthiopum venmnt, Nilique fimnta 

 TnrmatJm Palamedk Avesy celfaque per alttim 

 Aera labentes fngittnt Athlanta mvojtim^ 

 Vygmaos imhelle Genus^ parvumqiiefatigant, 

 Jyon perturbato procednnt ordine denfk 

 Injir/i^fs volucres obfcurant aera Tjtrttik. 



To imagine thefe Gr«ej a fingle Gigantick Bird, would much leflen the 

 Beauty of Homer's Simile^ and would not. have ferved his turn ^ and there 

 are none who have borrowed Homers fancy, but have thought fo. I 

 will only farther inftancc in Baptijia Mantuan : 



Pj/gm£z breve vulgus^ iners Vlebecula^ quando 

 Conveners Grues longk in pr^lia ro^rky 

 Sublato clamore fremunty dumque agmine magna 

 Hojtibus occurrit^ tellus tremit Indka, clamant 

 Lit t or a ^ ar en arum nimbis abfconditur a'er^ 

 Omnis d^ involvit Piilvkfolemqae, Poliimque, 

 Et Genus hoc Hominum natur^ imbelle , quietum^ 

 Mite^ Jacit Mavors pugnax^ immane Crnentnm. 



Having now confidered and examined the various Opinions of thefe 

 learned Men concerning this Pygm£omachia , and reprefented the Rea- 

 fons they give for maintaining their Conjeftures ;I (ball beg leave to fub- 

 joyn my own : and if what at prefent I offer, may feem more probable, 

 or account for this Story with more likelyhood, than what hath hitherto 

 been advanced, I (hall not think my time altogether mifpent : But if this 

 will not do, I (hall never trouble my head more about them , nor think 

 my felf any ways concerned to write on this Argument again. And I 

 had not done it now, but upon the occafion of Diffecling this OrangT 

 Outang, or ivild Man, which being a Native of Afiica,3.nd. brought from 

 Angola, tho firfl: taken higher up in the Country , as i was informed by 

 the Relation given me 5 and obferving fo great a Refemblance, both 

 in the outward (hape, and, what furprized me more, in the Strudture 

 likewife of the inward Parts, to a Man 5 this Thought was eafily fug- 

 gefted to me. That very probably this Animal, or fome other fuch of 

 the fame Species, might give the firft rife and occafion to the Stories of the 

 Pygmies. What has been the TrpwW i6^^@v, and rendered this Storj' fo 

 difficult to be believed, I find hath been the Opinion that has generally 



( s ) Oif.iW. lib, I . di Pijc'iltn, 



■obtained* 



