PLINY. ^ THE EARTH. 341 



On the insecure vessels Avhich ventured into the open 

 sea in ancient times man was much more at tlic morc\' 

 of the waves than now. And we can understand the teehngs 

 whicli prompted Plim,- to write as he did in praise of the 

 eartli. "Riglitly do wc call thee Mother, O Earth, for thou 

 o\'erwhelmest us with benehts. As the Heavens belonir to 

 the (rods, so art thoLi ours. Thou takest us under th^• 

 care from our birth, providest ior our wants, retainest us 

 under th_y protection, and, when the rest ol Nature for- 

 sakes us, thou receivest us back into th\' maternal bosom. 

 Blessed be thou, hoh* benefactress, doubh' blessed, for 

 thou permittest us td share in thA* sacredness. For thou 

 bearest our memorials and inscriptions, and dost perpet- 

 uate our names far Ije^'ond our sliort span of hie. ^^ Liter 

 falls upon thee as rain or hardened into hail ; it washes 

 up in waves and rushes back in mad torrents. ^Fhe air con- 

 denses into clouds which burst in stiirms over thee. Hut 

 tliou, O Eartli, remaincst e\er kind ajid indulgent. E\'er 

 read\- to minister mito mortals, thoir permittest unt(jld 

 \\-ealth to be \\'rcsted from thee or often squanderest it 

 upon us unasked. How man\' arc the perfumes \\'hich thou 

 cliffusest ; what delicacies tliou providest and what am- 

 brosial draugbts ! How ricli art thou in form and col<iur ! 

 What we entrust to thee thou gi\'cst us back with interest. 

 Hcn'^' man\- creatures chjst tliou nourish to be of ser\'ice 

 to us!" Carried awa\' hv his unbounded admiration for 

 tlie muniticent benefactress, I-'lin\- goes on to sa\' that the 

 earth herself produces poisons onh' out of s\'mpath\- for 

 men, for she \\'Ould not ]ia\'e those who are weari,- of life 

 endure a painful deatli b)" star\ation. She therefore yields 



