_ Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 17 



A isMAfc^ftja^-co peifbrm«)co deliver unto pofteritie the juft number of flarres.Hec brought the 

 faid ftarres within thecompafle of rule and artjdcvifing cerrainc inftruments to take their feve - 

 rail placesjand fct out their magnitudes:that thereby-it might be eafily dilcerned;, not only whe- 

 ther the old diedjand new were bornCj but alfo whether they moved^ and which way they tooke 

 their courfc ? iikcwife^whetherthey encreafed or decrealed?. Thus he lefc the inheritance of hea- 

 ven unto all menjif any one haply could befound able to enter, upon it as lawful! hdre* 



There be alio certaine flaming torches fliining out in the skiCjhowbeitjnever fcen but when 

 they fall . Such a one was thatj "which at the time that Gernjdmcti^ C^f ir exhibited a (hew of 

 iword-fcnccrs at utterance^ran at noonecidein the fight of all the people. And two forts there be 

 of thcm.b^^mdy ^Lampiiaies^whkh they call plaine torchcssaixl the othcxBpIidcsji.L^imcQS^iuQh Lampa^k 



,B as the Mutinians law in their calami£iej,when their cittic was fackcd. Herein they dilfer/or that ^^^'"^^^ 

 ihofe lampes oe torches^make Iqng traibeSj whiles the forepart onely is on i light fire. But Boils 

 burnech alloverjand drawetha longer taile. Tliere appcarcandfhine out after the fame jnaiy-i^i 

 certaine beamesjwhich the Greekes cal £)^>f«/Xike as^when the Lacedemonians being vanqui- pemi 

 (hcd in fea fightjloft the Empire and dominion of Greece.Thc firmamentalfo is fecne to chinke 

 and open^id this they naaie i-Ji*^^, chafmi,^ 



■ ' Chap. XXVIL:,,; 

 ^Of theprangecokmof tkSkte^ 



' — ■ ^^^'^Here appeareth in the Skis alfo a rcfcmblanee.of bloud^ and(than which no^ 



thiug is ra<?re dread and feared of men)a fierie impreffion^ tailing from out 

 of heaven-to earth : like as it happened in the third yeere of the hundred ana » 

 feven OlympiaSjat what time as king PhtHf made all Greece to Aake with fire ^ ^ 

 and fword * And theie things verily, I fiippole to come at certaine times by 

 courfe of Nature Jikc as other things; and not5as the molt part thinkCjof fi.in- '-"^A 

 ^rie caufesjwhich the fiibtile wit and head oCman is able to devifc.They have indeed been fore- ^ ^ ^ / 1 - 

 rut)ners ofexceeding great milericSjbwcifiippoferhofe calamities happened not bccaule t^^ / 

 impreflions werejbut theie therefore were prpcrie^ted to foretell the accidents that enfued aftet- ^^"^ 

 ward. Nowjfor that they fall out fo feldome^the region therefore of them is hidden and lecteti 'Wv^J^f^^ 

 and fo not knowne^as the rifing of planets abovcfaidjthc eclipfes^and many other things. t^t-c/t ^ 



Chap. XXVIII. }^ of the heaven fime. (ltW<r/oi. 



l^jMJIkewife there are fecnc ftarres together with the Sunne all day long: yea, and very oftei4 • 



about thecompafle of the SunnCjOther flames, like unto garlands of corne eares :allb 

 " ^^^ circles of fundrie colours, fuch as thole were when Augi'jlm C&fir in the prime of hi's 

 youth cntred the citje of Rome(after the deceale of his father) to take upon him that great name* 

 and imperiall title of his. 



Chap. XXIX. OfcdepdUrownts, 



iLfo the fame garlands appeare about ilieKloone, and other goodly bright ftars which 

 ' are fixed in the firraament.Round about the Sunne there was feene an Arch^when Lu^ 

 Opimm and ^Jabm were Confuls: as alio a round circlcjwhen L .For cms and 

 etlim were Confuls. 



Chap. XXX. ^ Of fad Jaine Circles. 



fjHerc appeared a Circle of red colourjwhcn Ljulm and ? .Rutilim were Confuls.Morc- 

 overjthercarcftrangeecliplesofthe Sunne^continuing longer than ordinariejasname- 

 ^ ly^when Cafir Di(Slatour was murdered. Moreoverjin the warrcs oiAntome^ih^ Sunne 

 continued almoft a yeere long with a pale and wan colour. 



Chap. XXXI. CHanj Sunnes, 



L Ver and befidesjmany Sunnes are feene at oncCjneither above nor beneath the bodic of 

 |! the true Sunne indced^but croflc wife and ovcrth wart : never neere, nor diredlly againft 

 the earth^ncither in the night fcafon^but when the Sunne either rifeth or fettetfa. Once 



Cii; " «hc| 



