Plinies Natiirall Hiftorie, i&$ 



A is obfcrved for an undoubted truth, that generally all nieh<nome (hon of the full Mature in times 

 paft, and decreafeftill every day raorethan other : and feldomefhall ye fee the fonne taller than 

 hisfatherrfor the ardent heat of the elementarie fire (whereunto the world inciinethalreadie 

 now toward the latter cndjas fometimes it flood much upon the waterie el€ment)devoureth and 

 confumeth that plentifull humor and moifture of naturell feed, that engendreth all things; and 

 this appeareth more evidently by thefe examples following. In Crete, it caunced that an hill 

 clave afunder in an earthquake, and in the chinke thereof was found a bodie ftanding, ^6 cubits 

 high : fome fay it was the bodie Orion : others, of Otii^, We find in chronicles and records of 

 good credit, that the bodie of Orcjies being taken up, by diredion from the Oracles, was feven 

 cubits long. And verily that great and famous poet Horner^ who lived almoft a thoufand yeeres 



B agoe, complained and gave not over. That mens bodies were lefTe of feature even then, than in ^'^ ^* 

 old time. The Annalesfet notdowne theftature and bignefle of Ti^vim Rollio \ but that he was 

 a mightie gyant, appeareth by this that is written of him, namely. That it was taken fof a won- 

 derfull ftraunge thing, that in a great rout andpreafe of people that came running togither up- 

 on him,he had like to have been kilied.The talkfl man that hath been feene in our agejwas one 

 named Gabhara^vihoin thedaics of prince Clmdm late Emperour,was brought out of Arabia j 

 nine foot high was he, and as many inches. There were in the time of K^ugufim Cajar 2 ^others, 

 named Pufiaand SecHdilU^ higher than Gabbara by halfe a foot, whofe bodies were prelerved *f sudi nn one 

 and kept for a wonder in acharnell houfeor fepulchre within the gardens of the Saluftians. asimk Mw, 

 Whiles thefame AuguUm fate as pre{ident,his neece IuUa had a little dwarfifli fellow not above ^H'^.l^^^ 

 two foot and a hand breadth high, called Ci?w/'<j;3whome (he fet great ftore by and made much nifisth, 

 of : as alfo another (hee-dwarfe named Andromedi^vho fomtime had been the ilave of IuIul the 

 princeiTcjand by her made free. M.Varro reportethjthat CM anm Makimm^md M.Tulhus^tiQ. 

 but two cubits high, and yet they gentlemen and knights ofRome;and in truth we Our lelves 

 have feene their bodies how they lie embalmed and chei^cdjwhichteftifieth no leffe. It is well 

 knowne, that there be fome that naturally are never but a foot and an haife high ; orhers again 

 fomewhat longer ; and to this heigth they came in three yeeres, which is the full courfe of their 

 age, and then they die. We read moreover in the Chronicles, that in Salamis or\t 'Euthimcms 

 had a fonne, who in three yeeres grew to be three cubits high, but hee was in his gate How and 

 heavic, and in his wit as dull and blockilTi : howbeitin this time under-growne he was , and his 



D voice chaunged to be great, and at three yeeres end died fodainly of a generall crampe orcon- 

 tradion of all the parts of his bodie. It is not long fiuce I faw my felfe the like in all refpeds (fa- 

 ving that undergrowing aforefaid) in a fonne of one Cornelms JAcim a Romane knight , and a 

 procurator or generail receiver and treafurer for the State in GauleBclgique: fuch the Greekes 

 call EttTj'«tarfcA2;ff, /, Eclriifelos : we in Latine have no name for them. 



Chap. xvii. 



^ Certdne notable ohfervdtiom in bodies of wen and women, 



' Ee fee tried by experience, that take meafurc of a man from the fole of thefoot up to 

 the crowne of the head, fo farre it is betweene the ends of his two middle and longefl 

 fingers, when hee ftrctcheth out his armes and hands to the full. As alfo, that fome 

 menandwomenbeflrongerofthe right fide than of the left: others againe that be as ftrong of 

 one as the other rand there be, that arc al togither left handcd,and befl with that hand : but that 

 is feldome or never feene in women. Moreover,men weigh heavier than v;omen : and in everie 

 kind of creature, dead bodies be more heavie than the quicke : and the fame parties fleeping 

 weigh more than waking. Finally, obferved it is, that the dead corps of a man floteth upon the 

 water with the face upward, but contrariwife women fwimme groveling, as if Nature had provi- 

 ded to fave their honeft ie and cover their iTiame, even when they are dead. 



Chap, xviit. 



p§u Examples of divers extraordlnArie cafes in mans bodies 



Ee have heard,that fomc mensbones are iblide and maflie,and fo do live without any 

 marow in them : you may know them by thefe fignes, they never feele thirfl, nor put 

 forth any fweat : and yet we know that a man may conquer and raafter his thirfl if hee 



lift: 



