Plinies Maturall Hiftbrie** 



^ nieaHjre, that the ftcoke and the found iliould accord together. But when there is a noiTe, it is a 

 figne bfth^ lightntng proceeding of fome natirrali caule, andnotfent byAM«»God : and yet 

 evermore this is a breath or wind that comraeth beforethe ihunderbolt: and hereupon itisjthat 

 every thing is lliakenandblafted ereitbefmitten: neither is any man ftrucken,^?!!© either fayi 

 thelightningbefdfej or heard the thunderclap./ Thofe lightnings that are >oauhe lefthand^be 

 fup'pofedto be lo€kie and profperous/or that the Eaft is the leftfide of the world : but the con?'. 

 mino therof is not fo much regarded as the retorne 3 whether the fire leape back aftet the ftroke 

 given 5or whether after the deed done and fire fpent^the fpiricahd blaftabovcfaid, retire baclie 

 againe. In that rdpcd: the Tufcanes h ave devidcd the Heaven int0i 6 parts.The M\,is from the.. 

 North to theSunnes ri{ingintheE.quino(5lialiIinc : thefecond, to the Meridian line, or the 

 5 South : the third- to the Sunne- fetting in the EqninoiStiall : and the fourthjtaketh up all the reft 

 from the laid Weff to the North ftarie. Thefe quarters againe they have parted into 4 regions 

 apeece: of which 8 from the Sun-rifing,th^y called the Left 3 and as many againe from thecon» 

 tmk partjthe^ightlWhich confideredj moft dreadful! and terrible are thofe lightnings^which 

 frohi^tlieSunne-fetting reach into the North : and cherefore it skilleth very mucbjfrom whence 

 KgfiVnioss corne^and whither they goe: the beft thing obferved in them is, when theyreturne 

 imo the Eafterly parts. And therefore, when they comefrom that firftand principal] pare of 

 the skie,and have recourfe againeinto the fame,icis holden for paffing good hap : andfuch was- 

 tbe-figrfe and token of vi6lories give n(by report) to i)//<uhe Didatour. In all other parts of the 

 clement, they be lefle fortunate or fearfuil. They that haue written ofthefe matters, have delive- 



C re*din writing, that there be lightnings, which to inter abroad is held unlawful! ; as alfotogiuc 

 care unto them ,11 they be difciofed , unielle they be declared either to parents,or to a friend and 

 gueft. How great the vanideisof this obfervation, was at Rome, upon the blafting ot Itinoes 

 temple, found by Scatirm the Confull, who fbone after was Prefident of the Senat. It lightneth 

 Vjithout thunder, more in the night than day time. Of all creatures that have life and breathy 

 man onely it doth noc alwaies kill 5 the reft, it difpatcheth prefendy.This priviledge and honour, 

 wee fee Nature hath given to him ; whereas otherwile io many great beads lurpalTc him in 

 ftrcngth. All other creatures fmittenwith lightning,fall downe upon thecontrane fide, man 

 onely (unleffe he turn e upon the parts ftricken) dyeth not. Ihofe that are (initten fromabove^ 

 upon the head, Ihe.downe and fmke diredtly. Hee that is ftrucken watching, is found dead with 



D hiseyes winkingand clofe (hut : but whofoever is fmitten ileeping, is found open eyed. A man 

 thuscommmg by his death, may not by law be burned; Religion hath taughc,that hee ought 

 tobeenierred and buried in the earth. No Jiving creature is fee a fire by lightning, but it is 

 brcathlelle firft. Thewoiindsof them that be fmitten with thunderbolts^ are colder than all the 

 bodiebefides. 



Chap, 'LW 

 ^ What thmgs are not fmttun with LigUmng. 



^iF all thofe things which growe out of the earth, Lightning blafteth not the Laurel! tree^ 

 nor entreth atany time above five foot deepe into the ground :and therefore, men fear» 

 full of lightning, fuppofe the deeper caves tobe the lurcft and mottfafe ; or els booths 

 made of skinnes of fea-beaifs, which they call Seales,orSea calves5forof all creatures in the 

 fea , this alone is not fubje6fto the ffrokeof lightning dike as of all flying foules the iEgle^ 

 (vshich for this caufe is imagined to be the armour-bearer of lupter^oi this kind of weapon.) In 

 Italic betweeneTarracina and the temple of Feronia^ they gave over in time of warrCjto niake 

 towres andforts^for not one of them efcaped, but was overthrowne wuh lightning. 



Chap. ivi. 



^ a/ (iritunge and frodigiom rainc^ to mt^ of Milk^ Bloody Flejh^ Iron^ 



Wooll^T'jleSjandBrkkes, • 



.fides thefe things above, in thislower region under Heaven, we find rccoT<Jed in nno- 

 numentSjthat it rained milkc and blood, when Acilim and CPorcim were Confuls, 

 And many times els bcfides it rained fleih^ as namely,wiules L,Volumnm And Serv,Sui' 



D ij pttm 



