of Plinies Naturall Hittorie! 479 
A They take of filver and fulphur vif asmuch of the one as the other, of Cyprian braffe or latron 
plates(which brafle they call Coronarium) as thin asmay be, a third part: thefe they mix toge- 
ther and melt them in an earthen pot well luted allover with cley:and boile they muft fo long, 
untill che lid of thé por doth rife up and flie open of itfelfe. Moreover filver will looke blacke with 
the yolke of an eggcrolted hard and well beaten with vinegre and Tripoli. 
Tocome now anto thofethac counterfeit mon ey. Aavonius whiles hee was one of the three 
ufurping Triumvirs,mixed yron with the Romane filver denier, Hetempered italfo with the bra- 
fen coine,and fo fent abroad falfe and counterfeic money.Others there be that make money too 
light(namely,under the lawfull proportion) which is,to coin and ftampe for every pound weight 
of filver fourefcore and foute deniers. This enormitie grew to this pafle,that M.Grutidianus pub- 
lithed a law,Sy vertue whereof there was an aCtinfticuted and ordained for the proofe and allow- 
ance of filver deniers,what touch & what poife tliey fhould have: by which a& of his he fo plea- 
fed the Commons of Rome,thatthere was nota {treet throughout ali the citie, but hey erected 
a filver ftatue, pourtraied all whole in a gowne in the favour and honour of Marcius Gratidianus. 
But ftrangeitis,anda man would not think ie, thatthisart and cunning deviled for the detecting 
of falihoodand forgerie, isthe onely meanes to teach deceit and wickednefle, ‘for many aman 
will give rootoo much for falfe money : yea,and many filver deniers forone counterfeit,well and 
cleanely:made;to take forfooth a patterne thereby,and learne to. deceive others. 
Cuap, X.. 
BR Of excefsive fiimmes of moncy in mens hands: Who they werein old time that 
were thought richeft. And when there began largefves at 
Rome, and money tobe fcatiercd andcufp 
abro.dto the people. xe trite 
N old time men knewno number above a hundred thonfand : and therforeat this day alfo in 
ftead of a million we multiplie the faid number by tenne,and fay thus in Latine, Decies centina, . 
waillic, 2A hundred thoufand tenne times told, and fo forward, *repeating alwaiesa hundred *To wit,twen- 
- thoufahdto the aumerall adverbe,as the famme doth amount. Viuries,interefts,and coinéd mo- te timessor a 
Peete 2 : hundred times, 
ney have been the caufe of thefe multiplications:and by that occafiom alfo came debts to be cal- 4 hundred 
led evento this age,by thename of des alienum, And thereof arofe the proud name of Divetes, thoufand,<e. 
i.Rich, for great monied men were fo called. Yet take this withall, That the firft man that ever was 
knowne by chat furname *D:ves, brought a fhilling to nine pence in the end, prooved Banque- *i.craffius 
rout,and deteated hiscreditours, Asfor CM.Craffus, one of that fame houfe,and who gave the 
fame armes,would commonly fay, That no man was to be counted rich,and worthie of thactitle 
D.ves unlefle he were able to difpend by the yeare as much in revenues as would maintaine a le- 
gion of fouldiors. And verely his owne lands were efteemed worth Bis wmallies feftertium hat is to 
fay, Two hundred millions of fefterces, Roman:and fetting afide Sy//z,be wasthe richeft Roman 
thar ever was knowne. And yet {uch was his avarice,that hee could not content himielfe with thac 
wealthic eftate,butupon a hungrie defirero have all the goldof the Parthians, would needs un- 
deitake a *voiage again{t them. And albeit by hisineftimable wealth he ufurped the title and ad- * tq which ex- 
dition of Oprim,z, The beft,in histime,yet(for me thinks it doth me good to profecute ftill,and ene hewas 
iaveigh againft thisinfatiable defire of having more)we have knowne many after him, andthofe by eae 
otnerwile of bafe condition, and no better than flaves newly enfranchifed, to have growne unto tenant gencral 
greater wealth; and namely three at one time, to wit, dating the Empire of Clasasus C afar cand eo tue Hee : 
thole were Pallas,Call:tws and Narc:(ous,late bondflavesall tothe faid Emperour.Buttolet thele trace off his 
men paffe,as if they were lords ftillof wordly wealth : inthat yeare wherein C. Afimus Gallus and ae pour 
C. Maris Cenforinus were Confuls of Rome,died C.Cecrlius Clavdius, who fignified by hislaft FS) i mouth 
will andteftament, bearing date the fixth day beforethe Calends of Februarie, the yeare above to fatisie his 
written, That albeit he had {uftained exceeding great lofles during the troubles of the civilewar, hunger after 
yet he ihould leave behind him atthe houre of his death,of flaves belonging to his retinue four +11 ¢ yt which 
thoufand one hundred and fixteenejin Oxen,three thoufand and fix hundred yoke; of orher cat- if you read by 
taile 257000 head; and in readiecoine,H-S DC é.threefcore millions of feftercesRomane,And os Hea 
befides,he fet out for defraying of hisfunerall charges,*eleven thoufand fefterces, and gave Or ¢e,)amoun- 
der expreflely,to bee enterred fo fumptuoufly . But what of all this 2 Set cafe chefe and fuch like teth to the faid 
; men fum a hundred 
simes told, 
