Plinies Nattirall Hiftorie* 



A wherein hec flew of his enemies 130003 and therewith was delivered from his fever, and n^ver 

 had fit more. Certes, this gift of life that wee have from Nature^ be it more or be irleilejis frailc 

 and unccrtein i and fay that it be given to any in krgeft meafurejit is but fcant yet and very (hort, 

 yea and of fmall ufc^if we confider the whole coarfc thereof from the beginning to the end. For 

 firflj if we count our repofe and fleepe in the night feafoUj a'man may be truly 'lM to live but the 



. onehalfeof hislife :forfureIyagoodmoitieandhalfedeaIe thereof which is fpentin ileepingj 

 maybe likened well to death: and if hee cannotfleepe5itisapaineof fllpainesandaverypu- 

 nifhment.I reckon not in this place the yecres of our infancie, which age is void of reafon and 

 fcnfe ; ne yet of old agc^ which the longer that it continue;th5 the more.are they plagued that b© 

 in it. What fhould 1 fpcakc of fo many kinds of daungers, fo many difeafes, fo many feares^ io 



B many penfivecares/o many prayers for death, as that in manner we pray for nothing oftner? 

 In which regards, how can a man be faid to live the while ?.and therefore ;Naiure know^th not 

 what better thing to give a man,than fhortlifcHrfl andf^rmoft, chefehks w^xe duUjthe mem- 

 bers and limmes grow benummed, the eye-fight decayeih betimes, the hearing followeth foon 

 after, then faile the fupp otters, the teeth alfo and the verie inflruments that feive for our food 

 and nourifhment : and yet forfoothjall this time fo full of griefe and infirnuties,is counted a pare 

 of our life. Hereupon it is taken for a miraculous example, and that to which againe we cannot 

 find a fellow, That to^^/^M/^/^ themufitian lived 105 yeeres, without any fickneiTe or defe6i;iii 

 all his bodie.For all other men, belecve me, are vexed at certaine houres (like as no other crea- 

 tures befides) with the peftiferous heats and i"haking colds of the fever in every joyntjfinew^ 



C andmuskleof the bodie,whichgoe and come j keeping their tim.cs in their fevcrall fits, not for 

 certaine houres in a day onely,but from one day to another,and from night to night 5 one while 

 every third day or night, other- whiles everie fourth, yeaandfomecimeawhole ycere togither. 

 Moreover J what is it but a very difeafe. To know the time and houre of a mans owne death, and 



- fo to die forfooth in wifdome ? For maladies there be, in which Nature hath fet downc certains 

 rules and laws ; and nametyja quartane fever never lightly beginneth in the fhorteft daies of the 

 yeere, neither in the three monetjisof winter, [to wit, December, lanuarie, and Februarie.] 

 Some difeafes are nor incident to thole that are above 60 yeeres of age : others againe, do end 

 and pafle away when youths begin to be under-growne, and efpecially this is obferved in young 

 maidens. Moreover, old folke of all other are leatl fubjeit to ti^ke the p!aguc.FurthermGre,{ick- 



D ncffes there be, that follow this region or that, affailing and infecting the inhabitants general- 

 ly therein. There be fome againe, that furprize and take hold of fervants onely, both all and 

 fbme: others touch the beilperfons alone of the higheft calling, and fo from degree to degree, 

 ButinthispIacCjobfcrved uliially itisbyexperience,That a peihlcnce beginning in the South-';, 

 parts, goeth alwaies toward the Weft 5 and never lightly but in winter, neither continiicth it s- 

 bove three moneths. 



Chap, li. 



r§« of the figms of deaths 



E "T Ow let us take a view of deadly tokens in fickneiTeiln rage and furious madneflejto laugh 

 is a mortall figne. In phrenfie, wherein men are be(l:raught of their right wits, to have a 

 care of the skirts,fringes,and welts of their garments,that they be in good order,to keepc 

 a fumbling and pleiting of the bed-cloths : the negled of fuch things as would trouble them 

 in their fleepe and breakc it 5 the voluntarie letting goe of their water ^ prognoflicatedeath. A 

 man may fee death alfo in the eies and nofe moff certainly of all other parts: as alfo in the man- 

 ner of lyingjas namely,when thepatient liethalwaies upon hisbacke with his face upward. Vv's 

 gather fignes alfo, by the uneven flrokc of thearcerie : as alfo when the pulfe beateth fo under 

 the Phyficians hand,as if he felt an ant creepingunderit.Other fignes moreover there be which 

 B'pfocratesy the prince and cheefc of all Phyficians,hath very well obferved and fet down^Now, 

 F whereas there bee an infinite number of fignes.that prefage death : there is not knownefo much 

 as one that can affure a man certainely of life arid health. VoiCato that famous Cenfor, writing 

 to hisfonneas touching thisargumentjhath delivered, as it were out of an Oracle, That there 

 is an oblervation of death to be collected even in them that are in perfect health.For (faith hee) 

 youth refembling age,is an undoubted figne of untimely death,or ilior t life. As for difeafes jthcy 



Rij arc 



