Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 



^ raifed the (ecge from before Cremona,anciraved Placentia. In Fraunce he forced twelve fortifi- 

 ed campes ofthe enemies. AJl which exploits appear upon record in that Oration of his which 

 hee made in his Pretourfhipj at what time as his Colleagues and companions in government 

 would not permit him to be at the folemne facrifices^becaufe he had a maime^and wanted a Jim^ 

 But what heapes of crownes and chaplets_,thinke you, would hee have gathered together, if hee 

 had been committed and matched with any other enemies butL^}3ml?a/l}CeneSj to know a 

 man of worth indeed_,much materiall it is to confiderin what time he liveth^and is emploied/or 

 theproofe of his valour. For what ftore of civicke coronets and garlands, yeelded either the 

 batteil of Trebia and Tic.inus,or ofThrafymenus the lake ? what crowne could have been gained 

 and woon at the journey of Gannas_,where the beft fervice was by good footmanfhip to flie and 



B run away ? To concIude,all others may vaunt verilyjthat they have vanquifhed men ; but Sergim 

 may boaft^that he hath conquered an^J overcome even Fortune her ielfe.. • 



Chap, xxix^ 

 '^The commendatiom offimemer] for their qtiicke wits » 



WHo is able to make a mufter as it were of them that have been excellent in wit : fb dif-^ 

 ficult a matteritisto run through fo many kinds of fciences, and to take a furvey of 

 curious handieworkes in fuchvarietie, of moflrareand fingwlar artifanes ? Vnleflc 

 haply wee agree upon thisjand fay^that Hower the Greeke poet excelled all other, confidering 

 C either the fubjed matter,or the happie fortune of his worke. And hereupon it was/hat Alexan- 

 der the great (for in this fo prowd a cenfure and comparifon, I lliall doe beft to cite the judges 

 ment of the bigheftj and of thofe that bee not fubjed to envie) having found among the fpoilcs 

 of Dirm thekingjhisperfumier or casket of fwect ointments, and the fame richly embeljifhed 

 with gold, with coftly pearles and precious ifones ; when his friends about him^lliewed him ma- 

 ny ufes whereto the laid coffer or cabinet might bee put unto, confidering that Alexander him- 

 feife could not away with thofe delicate perfumes, being a warrioiir, and flurried with bearing 

 armes,and following warfare : when,l^ray,his gallants about him could not refolve well what fer- 

 vice to put it to I hin:)felfe made no more adoe, but faid thus, I will have it to fcrve for a cafe of 

 Bomen bookes : judging hereby jthai the moflrareand precious worke proceedingfrom that fo 

 D admirable a wit of man, fliould bee beff owed and kept in the richefl boxe and casket of all 

 others. The fame prince, in the forcingandfaccage of the cittic of Thebes, caufcd by exprefle 

 commaundement,That the dwelling houfe and whole familiecf Vwd&rin the Poet fhould bee 

 fpared, Heebuiltagainethe native cittie wherein K^JnfiotlcxhQ Philofopherwas borne: and 

 in fo glorious a iliew of his other worthie deeds, would needs intermingle this teff imonie of 

 hisbountiej inregardof that rareclearke who gave light to all things in the world. The mur- 

 derers of Arcbilochti^ the Poet, the verie Oracle of Apollo lii Delphi, difclofed and revealed. 

 When Sophocles the prince of all tragicall Poets was dead in Athens, at what time astheeit- 

 tie was beiieged by the Lacedceraonians, ^odBacchm appeared fundrie times by v%-ayof vi- 

 fion in a dreame to Ljfinder their king, admonifliinghim to ftitfcr hi sidelight, and him whom 

 E hefet moflffore byjfor tobce enterred. VVhereupon the king made diligent cnquirie who late- 

 ly was departed this life in Athensiand by relation of the citizens foone found it out and percei- 

 ved whoit was that the forefaid god meant, and fo gave them leave to biirie<$'tf|^/Wa in pcace^ 

 ' and to performe his funerals without any molefcation or impeachment. 



Chap, xxx. 



^ of VUto^ Ennim^ ^^rgil^ CMj^arrOj and 

 M, Cicero, 



DEms the tyrant, borde otherwife to pride and crucltie, being advcrtifed of the comming 

 and arrivallof P/<«r<?,thatgreatclerke and prince of learningjfentoutto meet him a Chip 

 adorned with goodly ribbands,and himfelfe mounted upon a charriot drawne withfoure 

 white horfes, received him as if hee had beene a K. at the haven, when hee disbarked and came 

 a land, ificratcs fold one Oration that he madcjfor 20 talents of gold, JEfihinesytlut famous ora- 

 tour of Athens in his time, having at Rhodes rehearfed that accufatoric oration which hee had 



Q^ij made 



