The feventh Booke of 



r HE SEVENTH BOOKE O 



THE HISTORIE OF NATVRE. 



WRITTEN BY C. P L I N I V S 



H 



SECVNDVS. ' 



Husasyoti fee ^we have in the former haWs fuffckmlj trUud oftkVmverfall 

 world^of the Lands^Regions^NatiomjSeas^llands^afid renoivmed Cities thircin 

 centaimd^Itremainethmrv to difcourfi of the living creatures cemprifsd within 

 the fme^and their natures : a point doubtiejfe that would rcqttire as deqe a ffecu- 

 lation^m any part elfe thereof whatfoever^ iffo he the fpirit and mind of man mre 

 able to comprehend andcompaffe all things in the mrld^r^nd to make a good en- 



I 



trance into this treatifi and hiflorie^ me thinkes of right me ought to begin at Man, for veh&fe fake tt 

 [hould feeme that Nature made andprodaced all other creatures befides : though thisgredt favour of 

 /jcrs Jo bountiful/ andbenefciall in that rejpe^^haih ccjl themfrlldeere, Injomuch^asitishard to 

 iudgc^rvh ether info doing fhe hath done the part of a kind mother^ or a hard and crudl Jlep'dame, 

 For firfl and forrr^ofl, of all other living creatures^man \he hath brought forth all mked^and cloathed 

 him with the good and riches of others. T ? all the reft^given (he hath fifjicisnt to clad them everie one 

 according to their kind : as nmely^jl}ells^ cods^hard hides ^prickesfpugge^ brijlles^ haire^ di/ivne fea- 

 ther s^ qutls, skailes^ and fleeces ofwooll. The verie trunkes and [lemmes of trees andplants^jJjee hath 

 defended with barke andrind^yea and the fame fomttime double ^ again f theiniuries both of heat and 

 cold : man alone ^poore wretch Jhe hath laid all naked aponjthe bareearth^even on his birth-day 40 cry 

 and wraule prefmtlyfrom the very firft houre that he is borne into this world : in fich fort, as amo^g 

 fo many living creatures^there is none fibie&tojjjed teares and weepe like him, K^ndverilyto na^ 

 babe or infant is it given once to laugh before he befortie dates old, and that is counted verie earlj and 

 with the fooneJhCMoreover^fo foone as heis entredin this manner to enioy the light of the finne^ ft 

 how he is immediatly tyed and bound fit/l, and hath no member at Hbertic , a thing that is not prafti' 

 fed upon the young tvhelpes of any beaft among he he never fo wild, The child of man thm untow* 

 ardly borne, and who another day is to rule and commaund all other, loe hew he lyeth hound hand and 

 foot peeping and crying, and beginnning hu life with mferiCy as if he were to make amends and fttif 

 : fa^ion by his punifment unto Nature ^or this onely fault and trefpafc, that he is borne alive, Ofillie L 

 ' of all follies, ever to thinke(confidering this fimple beginning of ours) that we were fent into this world 

 to live in pride andcarrie our head aloft ! Tbe firjl hope that wee conceive of our frengih,the firft gift 

 that T ime affourdeth r^,makth m no better yet than four-footed beafls, H ow long is it ere we cangoe 

 alone ? how long before we can prattle andfpeake, feed our (elves, and chew our meat ftrsngly ? what a, 

 while continueth the mould and crcwne of our heads to beat and pant, before our hrainc is well fct led i 

 the undoubted marke and token that bewrayeth our exceeding great wcakenefe above all other crea- 

 tures ? What Jhould I fay of the infirmities andfcknejjes that foone fea^ upon our feeble bodies ? what 

 nsed ifpeake offo many medicines and remedies devfed again fl thefe maladies : befides the new dijea- 

 fes that come everie day, able to checke andfruBrate all our provifon of Phyficke whatfoever } Js for 

 all other living creatures,there is not one, but by a fecret inftindi of nature knoweth hts ownegood/nd jy| 

 whereto he is made able : fomemake ufe of thdr fwift feet,others of their flight wings : fome are flrong 

 oflimme; others are apt to ftvimme,ind pra6life the fame : man onely knoweth nothing unleffe hee be 

 taught 5 he can neither fpeake, norgoe, nor eat, otherwife than he is trained to it : and to be fhort, aft 

 and good at nothing he is naturally, but to pule and crie,And hereupon it is^that feme have been of this 



opinion^ 



