Plinies Naturall Hiftorie, 25 
pa anRrusnanrRanea naar 
a : Keay ore we Ra eoKsy 
“THE HISTORIE OF NATVRE, 
F WRITTEN..BY CuRLINIVS 0c) 
SEC VIN D VG} (os 9722 
The Proce ines ; | Li a Da c] 
~ 
FS Sa | Bee we are cone thus farre,asto treat of theereateft and principall worke of Na- 
i eS |} txre,we will begin from hence forward at the very meats which mew pat intotbeir 
B\ YR || mouths and conveigh into their flomickes, and urge them to confefe atruth,that 
SVEN Atherto they have not well knowne thofe ordinarie meanes whereby they lve. And 
Se Ey || let 29 man sa the meane time thinke thisto bee a fimple or (wsall peece of knowledge 
oS and learning, going by the bafe titleand bare.name thatacarierh : for {2 hee may 
be fone deceived.For in the par{ute and di{courfe of this argument, wee fhalltakg occaftente enter into 
alerze field ss touching the peace and warréin nature ,we {hall handle 1 {ay a deepefccreteventhe nae 
turall batred and enmitie of dumbe deafe and fencelefe creatures, And verely, the maine point of this 
theame, ond which may ravifh us to a greater wonder and admiration of the thing,lieth herein, That 
this muinall affection which ibe Greckes call Sympathie,wherupen theframe of this world dependeth 
and whereby the cour(e of all things elfe doth fland,tendeth te the ufe and benefit. of man alone.For to 
what end elfe is it that the element of water quencheth fire? For what purpofe doth the Sunne fuck and 
D drinke up the water as it were to cosle bis heat and allay his thir/l2 and the Moone contr ariwie, breed 
humors and engender moi{t vapors? and both Planets ecliple & abridze the tight one of the otber?But 
to leave the heaven and thofe cerleftiall bodies in their majeflie ; What 1s the caufe that as the Magnet 
or load ftone draweth yron untott, fothere is another * ftone abhorreth the fame and drives yron from *Theamecks, 
it? What fhould the reafon bee of the Diamant, that peerleffe flone, the cheefe jewell wherem our rich capr6.ib36— 
worldlings repof: rbeir greatest joy and delight : a flone otherwife*suvinsiblejana which nofarce.and * whcrevpon 
wiolence befides can conquer, but that it remaineth fiillinfrangible and yet thatthe fimple bloud of it's cakd 4 
4 poore Goat is able to burft it in peeces ? Befides many other fecvetsin Nature,as firange,yea and more ene 
mircculons. All which wee pur pofetoreferve unto their feverail places and will {peake of them in or- 
der Meane while may it pleale she Reader to pardon us, and totake in good part.ihe manner of our ta- 
E trance into this matier : for albert we juall deale in the beginning with the faallef and bafcft itings 
of all otbers.yet fuch they beas are wholfomend concern much the health of wan and the maintenance 
of bislife. And ficft will wee fet in hand with the Garden,and the Hearbs that wefind there, \ 
C HAP 1, 
eee Of the wild Cucumber and the juice thereof Elateriam. 
His wild Cucumber,as we have faid heretofore, is far leffe than thatof the gar- 
den. Our of the *fruit hercof thereis a medicinable juice drawne, which the « geen pre 
Phyficianscall Elaterium. Forto getthis juice, men muftnot flay untill che frutuabufive, 
i *Cucumber befully ripe: for unleffe it bee taken betimes and cut downe the 
fooner,it will leape & flurt in the handling from the ftele whereto it hangeth, ee ‘s 
againft their faces,with no {mall danger of their cie fight. Now when it is once wena 
gathered, they keep 1t fo one whole night. The next morrow they make anincifionand{flit it with 
the edge ofacane. They ule to flrew afhes alfo thereupon,toreftraine andkeepe down the liquor 
which 
