> Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 
A ged ina fecond degreeand next tothe Setabines forthe fine Linnenwhich they make, And in 
very truth this Faventine cloth is alwaies farre whiter than the Allian, which is ordinarily brown 
when it is newwoven,and beforeit be bleached: Likeas the Retovine is exceeding fine and thick 
woven withall and befides,not inferior in whitenefle to the Faventine;howbeit,no.nap or downe 
iccariech,a thing which astherebe fome whadoe greatly praife and, like; fo there bee ochersa- 
" gainedifcommendand diflikeasmuch . As touching the thred infelfe that shey make of theig 
Flax, itis more even(ifevener may be)than thatwhich the Spider fpigneth;; fo nervous alfo and 
flrong withall,that ifa man liftto make wiall thereof with his teeth, it will give a twang andring 
againe like a Lure-ftring sand thereforeitcarieth a doubleiprice to.other, As touching the Spa- 
- nih Flaxyland namely, thatwhich Aragonand Cartalogna.dooth yeeld, itis palling faire and 
B whie,byreafon ofa certain'brook or running water pafling under Tarracon, wherein it iswate- 
red: the nature whereofisto give ita fingular brightnes above the reft. VV onderousfine it is,and 
' gunner intoa daintiefimalkthread: for there firft was devifedthe fine Cypres oriLawne,and the 
eurtainesthéreofdt isnorlongago,fince optofthe fame parts of high Spain,there was broughs 
into Italiethe Flaxof Zoela, moft commodidusand meet for hunters to,make great.ners.and 
coile.A matitimecitiethis Zoclais,in Gallitia; firuat neare che Ocean. Thereisexceilent good 
Line alfo to bee found at Cumes in Campainewithin Italie, which ferveth very well for {nares 
and {mall netsto take fifhes,and catch birds with; The fame alfo yeeldeth matcerjand ftutic. for 
the greatcord-nets abovefaid . For wote well this, that Flax fitteth our tutnes,.as well rof{nare 
and entrapail other beafts,as it dorh to endaunger our ownefelves [upon the fea.] But of all o- 
C_ thers, the toile made of Cumes Flaxen cords, are fo firong that the wild Bore falling into it,will 
beecaught: and no marvaile, for thefekind ef nets will checke thewery edgt of afword, or fitch 
lke weapon,>Imy felfe have feene fo fine and fmallathred; thata whole net knit thereof, toge- 
ther withthecordsand {tringscatled Courants , running along the edges to draw it in andlet.te 
ouaawould paffe al] through the ring ofa mans finger.1 have knowne one man alfocarie fo many 
bas 
ofthem (ealily) aswould goe abou: and compafiea whole forreft, Butthacisnotthe ereatett 
wonder of tient: for more than fo, every one of those threds that went to the making of che 
mathes, wastwifled.150 doublezand evenot late daies, Jebus Lupus, who died Jord Deputie or 
Governour of ZEgyps,had fuch. This may well feemiea marveile incredible to thofe who neither 
knew nor fawthe net. worke Habergeon or Curet of Amafis, aking fometime of Aigypt, which 
D was thewed of Jate daies within the temple of .#4inerva,in the Ile of the Rhcdians;every thred 
whereof carieda twift *three hundred fixtie five double.Certes, vaisavus,amsan of good credit * According ro 
(as who had been thrice Confull of Rome) hathrelated fo. much atRome upon his owne know- the daics of thé 
ledge : for whereas there remained yet certaine {mall reliquesand little peeces thereof,it was his #** 
hap of late to meet with fome of them,and by bis owne triall to find that truc,which had been re- 
ported by others. And verily, great pitie it is,thatfuch an excellent,richjand rare peece of work 
(as icwas){hould thus come to nothing ,by mens tojurious handling of it,raveling out che threds 
as they have done, for tofee the proofe of the thing. : 
Burtoreturme againe to our Flax of Italie. That which groweth ia the Pelignians countrey,is 
at this day in great account andrequeft : howbeir, none ule it but the Fullers, fhere is nora whi- 
E terFlaxtobetound,& indeed refembling Woollnearer than this Flax. Like as,for quilrs,ticks, 
and mattrafies the Flax of the Cadurci in Fraunce had no fellow: for furely the invention there- 
of,asalfo of flockes to fluffe them with, came out of Fraunce. As for us here in Italie even as our 
manner was in oldtime to lie and fleep upon ftraw-beds & chaffey-couches,fo at this day we ufe 
to call our pailets ftill by thename of Stramenta. The Line ot Flax of Zgypris nothing tong, 
howbeitthe peaplethere doe raile exceeding great gaine and profit thereof. And foure diftingt 
kinds thereof areknowne, according to the names of the fundrie countries where they grow, to 
wit, Laniticum, Pelofiacum, Buticum,and Tentyriticum, sicied-b 
Moreover, in the higher parts of gypt which bend toward Arabia, there groweth a certain 
fhrub or buth carrying cotton,which fome call Goflypium, others * Xylon,andthe linnen ther. ¢cotonor 
. FE of madetheytherefore call* Xylina. This plant is but fmall,and bringeth forth afruit refern- Pombace, 
bling the bearded nut or filberd; out oftheinner fhell or huske whereof| called *Bombyx there 7 bety-Wols 
breaketh forth acozton like unto down,fo eafic tobe foun:and there isno flax in the world com- Sincouthen 
parable to itfor whiteneffe and foftnefle. Of this cotton the gyptian priefts were wont to wear *Herevpon 
tifeir fine furplefies, and they tooke a fingular delight therein, A fourth kind of linen thereis, j.4 Setting 
Bij | calle 
