^ Plinies KaturallHiftdrfei 223 



A of thcbladdei:: like as all othcrbcafts that labour, cither in 



Chap, xliii, 



V^rr(? writethjThat ^-^xi/^jaRomancScnatour^boughtan Affe which cofl him fourc 

 hundred thoufand Sefterces : a price in ray conceit above the worth of any beaft \vhatfo= 

 - ever: and yet (no doubt) hec was able to doc wondrous good fervice in carrying burdens^' 

 plowing the ground,and principally in getting of mules. The chapmen that ufe to buy ihefe Af- 

 icsjhave a fpeciall regard to the place from whence they eome^ and where they bee bred .. For in 

 3 Achaia or GreecCjthofe of Arcadia be in greateft rcqueft rand inItalie3thofeofReate.This cre- 

 ature of all things can worflawaywith cold : which is the caufc that none of thetn are bred iri 

 Pontus. Neither doc they engender as other fuch like beafis in the SpringiEquinodiall, r. a- 

 bout mid-March : but in mid-IunCjabout the time of the Sunne-fteedjWhen daies be at the Ion- 

 geft.Hce Affes, the more you fpare them intheir worke^the worfe they are for it.The females arc 

 atthe leaflthittiemonethSjOt two yeares and halfc old before they bring any young^: but three 

 yeares is theordinarie and due;time indeed.They goc as long as mares^and jufJ fb many monthsy 

 and after the fame manner doc they folcBut after they be coveredjthey muft be forced to runni 

 prcfentiy,with beating and laying upon themjor elfe they will let goe their feed againejfb flipped 

 rieis their wombe, andfo uiiapt tokcepe that which once it hath conceived. They are feldome^ 

 Q feene to bringfoorth two at once. The fhce AfTejWhen fhee is about to fole/eeketh fome fecret 

 blind corner to hide her felfe^that fhee might not bee feene of any man. Shee breeds all herlife 

 timejwhich commonly is untill fhe be thirtie yeeres old.They love their young foles exceeding • 

 well: but as illor rather worfcjcan they abide any water. To theirlittle ones they will goe through 

 fire J but if there be the leaf): brooke or rill betweenCjthey are fo affraid of it, that they dare not 

 once dip their feet therein.Andverilydrinke they will notj but of their accuflomed fountainesa 

 within the paff ures where they ufe to goe ibuit they willbe fure to chufc their way, and goe dric 

 to their drinkejand not wettheirhoofe; neither will they goeoverany bridges where the planks 

 arc not fo clofe drawn together and jointdd^but that they may fee the water through^under theic 

 feetjor therailes of each fidcfo openjtharthe river isfeencA flrange nature they haveby them- 

 felves.Thirflie they are.but bee they never fbdriei, if you chaunge their watering place(as in tra- 

 velling upon their way) they mufl be forced to drini^e with cudgelsjor elfe unloden of their bur- 

 dens. Whercfoevertheybecffabled, they love to lie at large and have roume ynough. Tor iti 

 their fleepe they drcame, and have a thoufand fancies appearing to them : infomuchjas they 

 fling about them with their heeles every way : now if they were not at libertie;,and had void fpacc 

 ynough jbut fliould beat againft fome hard thing in their way,they would foone be lame j& halt 

 withall.They be very gainefuU and profitable to their maiftersjyecldingmorecommoditie than 

 the revenues of good farmes.li is wellknowne^that in Celtiberia a fhee Afle ordinarily with ve-. 

 ry breeding way bee worth unto them 400000 Sefterccs. For the foling and bringing foorth of 

 Mulcsjthe (»cipall thing to be regarded in the fhee AfTe, is the haire about the eares and eie- 

 E lids.For howfoever the whole bodie befides bee of one and the fame colour, yet (ball the tnules 



foledjhave as many colours as were there, all over the skin. Mecxnas was the firfhhat at feafts * 

 made a daintie dilh of y oung Affe foles, and preferred their flefli in his time before the venifon 

 ©f wild Mqs. But when he was dead and gonc,they were not thought fo good meat,nor accep- 

 ted any whit.If an Afle be feene to die,looke foone after,thatthe whole race and kind of them will 

 follow to the very lafl. 



ofMuh, 



Etwccnc the hee Affe and a Mare is a mule engendredjand foled iti the twelfth mcJneth : a 

 fbeaft of exceeding flrength to beare out all labour and travell.For breeding of fuch mules, 

 they chofe Mares that are not under fourc yeares old,nor above ten. Men fay,that they will 

 drive away one another in both kindsjand not accompanie togcthcr,unleffe they tafled the milk 

 and fucked the dam when they were youngs of thai kind which they would covci:, Andfor this 



purpoic 



