‘of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 4.2.9 
A tothruft their hands or fingers into them. At Stabianum neare to the rocke or cape of Hercules, 
the blacke-tailed ruffles or fea-breames, which the Greekes name Melanuri, if aman caftcrums 
of bread into the fea unto them,they will catch the fame,and feud away withall: chrow them any 
other meat or bait witha hooke in it,they will not once come neare thereto. Neither are thefe to 
bee reckoned among the Jeaft wonders and in the laft place, namely, That about the Ifland Pele 
and the citie Clazomenz,all the fith that is, tafteth bitter: Contrariwife, thofe that keepe about 
the rock Scylla in Sicilie be fweet,as alfo at Leptisin Afftick,Euboea,and Dyrrhachium.A gain 
fome are fo falt,that they may well bee taken for fale fith that hath lien in brine or pickle, to wit, 
neare the Iflands Cephalenia, Ampelos,and Paros: likewife about the rockes and cliftes of De- 
Jos ;and yet in the Bay or haven of the faid Ifland,their meat is {weet ynough. This difference in 
B the taft of filh,proceedeth no doubt from the diveifitie of their food. Moreover, 4 pio» faith, 
That the greateft of all other fifhes is the Mole-bour, which the Latines call Porcus, the Lace- 
dzmonians Orthragorifcos; and that when he is taken, hee will grunt like an Hog,wherevpon it 
fhould feeme he tooke the name Porcus,But as touching the forefaid accident of the varietie in 
the taft of fih,how fome be {weet, others fal,that it fhould be a naturall thing (and therefore the 
more tobe matvelled at) appropriat tocertaine places,it may appeare by this inftance, which 
fitly prooveth the fame: For take the fale fifh of Italie, whatkind foever you will, forcertaine it 
is knowne, That at Beneventum they may bee made frefh againe, asif they had never beene 
falted. | 
That fea-fith hath been ufed at Rome from time totime, and ever fince the very foundation 
C of thecitie,it may appeare by the teftimonie of Cafsius Hemina : which | will fet downe word tor 
word as touching that point,in this very place. King Nama (quoth hee) ordained, That fithes 
without skales ihould not be bought up by Caters for the furnifhing of any folemn funeral feaft. 
By which inhibition his pollicie and purpofe was,that the great dinnets,as well publicke as pric 
vat; the feaftivall {uppers alfo which were kept at the fhrines of the gods,fhould not bee fo cottly 
and chargeable ; for feare alfo leaft the caters who made provifion for fuch fumpteous iealts,fpa- 
ring for no coft,nor fucking at the price were it never fo high might foreftall the markets and buy 
the fame up beforehand. 
Astouching Corall,we (here at Rome)fetnot moreby the Indian orient pearles(whereof I 
have writren at large in place convenient)nor efteeme them at a greater price than thofe Indians 
D doe our Corall,Andverely,if we deeme aright,it is the opinion and perfuafion of people on- 
ly,thar ferceth the price of thefe and fuch like things. True it is verely, thacthere is Corali bred in 
thered fea,burblacker it is than that which we have: likewifein the Perfian gulfe,and thatis na- 
med lace.Howbeit,the bett fimply is that which is found in the gulfe of Marfiles in France,about 
_ the Iflands Stoechades: as alfo in the narrow feas of Sicilie,toward Helia and Drepanum. There 
is alfo thereof growing at Gravifcz,and juft before Naples in Campaine, But the reddeft of all 
-other,foft and tender withall,and therefore moft commodious,is engencered about Erythra in 
Batbarie.C oral] refembleth a buth or fhrub in forme,and of itfelfe within the water, is of colour 
greene. Lhe berries thereof under the water be white and foft :no fooner be they taken forth,bue 
prefently they wax hard,and turne red : much like both in (hape and in bignefle to the grains or 
E fruit of the gentle garden Corneil tree, It is faid that this plant whiles it groweth and is alive, if a 
man touch it never folittle,becomesas hard immediatly as a ftone. The fithers therefore to pre- \ 
vent that inconvenience(as knowing the nature thereof) either pluck it up with their nets,or cut 
it with fome fharpe edged yron tooles : whichis the caufe that it is commonly called * Curali- * ins ini rye, 
um,as fome make interpretation of the word. The reddeft Corall is taken to be the beft: rhefame becaule it is 
alfo braunchech moft, is notrough and ragged under the hand to feele unto,or ftone-hard :fo- (,; wee 
_ lide likewife it is and maffie not void and hollow. The berries or beads which it beareth, is of no the &a. 
lefle account and price with the men.of India,than the Indian pearls with our coftly dames here, 
And verely among them,their Wifards,Southfaiers, Priefts,and Prophets,have a religious opi- 
nion of them,and attribute great holineffe to the ule thereof; as being perfuaded,that whofoever 
FE wearethem, fhall befecured againft all perils and daungerswhatfoever : and therefore a fpeciall 
reckoning they make of them,as well in regard of beautie as devotion. Before that it was known 
in what {timation Corall was with the Indians, the Frenchmen adorned & fet out their fwords, 
targuets,fhields, morrions,and head peeces therewith: But fince time thatthere wasa vent into 
Indiaof this commoditie fovendible, great {carfitic there is of it, and hardly fhall aman ee 
: . wit 
