Plinies Naturall Hiftorie, 



A cfimonyThdt better it hndbeert,and fmply beflfor amanyHever to bavebeen borm^crelfe fpeed/ly 

 to die, 'Hdne but we doe forrow and waile^ none but we are given toexceffe and fu^erfluitie infinitely in ' 

 tvery things and [hew the fame in every member that we have. Who but we agatne are ambitiom and 

 vainglorious} who but we are covetous and greedie of gathering good} wee and none but we def re to 

 live longand never to dieyarefuperfiitious^carefullof our fipulture and buriall, yea^ and what fhall 

 betide us when we arc gone. Mans life is mefifraile of all other s^ andinleafi fecuritiehe liveth :nb 

 creature lufieth more after every thing than he : none fear eth like unto him^ and is more troubled and 

 amazed in his fright : and if he be fet once upon anger^ nonemore ragingandwood thanhe, Tocon^ 

 elude ydl other living creatures live orderly and wellyafter their ownektnd : we fee them flocke and ga- 

 ther together ydndreadie to make head and fland againfi all others of a contrarie kind: the lyons as jell 



B and favage as they be y fight not one with another : ferpents sling not ferpents^ nor bite one another 

 with their venimous teeth: nay the verie monfiers and huge ffhes of the fea^warre not amongH them- 

 felvesin their ownehnd: btttbeleeve mey Man at mans hand receiveth mofl bar me and mtjchtefe-^ 



Chap, i. 



p§j The firaunge and wondrous Jhapes of fundrie nations^ 



A our Cofmographie and reports of nations and countreys, wee have fpoken 

 in generall of all mankind^ipred over the face of the whole earth : neither is it 

 our purpofc at this prefentto decipher particularly all their cuftomesand 

 manners of life, which were a difficukentetprifejconndering how infinit they 

 be, and as many in manner as there fcie ibcieties and aflemblies of men.How- 

 beit I think it good^not to over-pafTe all jbut to make relation of fome things 

 concerning thofe people efpecially, who live fartheft remote from our feas; among whamej 

 doubt not but I Hiall find fuch matter, as to moft men will feeme both prodigious and incredi- 

 ble. And verily, who ever beleeved that the -Ethiopians had been foblacke, before he faw them 

 with his eye may what is it J I pray you, that feemeth nota wonder at the firft fight? How many 

 things are judged impofTible before they are feene done and effected ? And certes^ to fpeake a 

 truthjThe power and majei'tie of Naturejin every particular action of hers and fmall things/ee- 

 meth incredible, if a man confider the fame feverallyjand enter not into a generall conceit of her 

 D wholly as fheis.Fortoray nothing of the painted peacocks feathers, of thefundrie fpotsof ty» 

 gresjluzcrnesjand panthars_,of the variable colours and markes of fo many creatures befides : 

 let us come to one only point, which to fpeake of feemeth butfinalljbut being deeply weighed 

 and confidered,is a matter of exceeding greatregard, and thatis,The varietieof mensfpeechj 

 fo many tongues and divers languages are amongft them in theworld, thatone ftraungerto 

 another feemeth well-neere to be no man at all. But come to view and marke the varietieihat 

 appeareth in our face and vifage, albeit there be not paft ten parts or litle more therein, fee how 

 among fb many thoufands as we are, you fiiall not find any two perfons, who are not diftin<5l; in 

 countenance and different one from another : a thing that no artificer nor painter (be he never 

 fb cunning and his craftfmafter every way)can perform, but in a few pi6lures_,and take what heed 

 E he can with all his curious affectation. And yet thus much muff I advertife the readers of tiiis 

 mine hiftorie by the way, that 1 will not pawne my credit for manythings that herein Khali de- 

 liver, nor bind them to beleeve all I write as touching firaunge and forrein nations : referre them 

 rather I will to mine authors, whonie in all points (more doubtfuU than the reif) I will cite and 

 alledge^ whom they may beleeve if they lifi .-only let them not thinke much to follow the Greeke 

 writers, who from time to time in this behalfe have been more diligent in penning, and more 

 curious in fearching after antiquities. 



Chap. ii. 



^Of the Scythiansyand the diverfitie of other nationSa 



THat there bee Scythians, yea, and many kinds of them that feed ordinaiily of itians 

 flefh, wee havcfhewed alreadie in our former difcourfes. A report haply that would beC 

 thought incredible,if wee did not confider and thinke withall, how in the very middle and 

 heart of the worldjcven in Siciiie and Italic, here hard by^ there have beene fuch monfiers of 



men, 



