Plinies NaturallHiftorie. 



A bore his hornc about the root neerc unto his cares. If his right ciillion or flonc be tied up, hee 

 getteth ewe Iambs 5 but if the left be taken up, hee getteth rammelambes. If ewes be alone by 

 themfelvcs without the flocke when it thundrethj they caft their kmbes. Thconely remedie is 

 to gather tliem togither, that by companie atid fellowfhip they may have helpe. They fay, that 

 ^ if the North winds blow when they take thcramme^they will bring forth males 5 but if the South 

 windsbcupjfemales.Morcoverj great regard there is had in this kind, to the mouthes of the 

 riammes: for looke what colour the vcines be under their tonguCjOf the fame will the fleece be of 

 the lambes, that is to fay, of fundrie colours, in cafe the veines were divers coloured. Alfo the 

 chaunge of water and drinkes makcth them to alter their hew , In fumme, two piincipall kitids 

 there be of iheepCjthat is to fayjihe one reared within houfe, and the other abroad in the field t 

 B thcfirftisthetendercr^butthcothermorepleafaiitmeatand delicatein taft^for thofe within- 

 houle feed upon briers and brambles. The clothes and coverings made of the Arabicke wooil^ 

 arechiefeof all. 



Chap, ttvui 

 ^ Divers kinds of moll md clothes, 



THc beft wooll of all other,is that of Apulia : then, that vvhich in Italic is named the Greelcc 

 flieepeswooll, but in other countries is named Italian. In the third ranke, the Milcfian 

 Iheepc and their wooll, carric the prize. The wooll of Apulia is of a fhort fbplc, and fpe- 

 cially in requeftfor cloakes and mantles, and nothing elfe. About Tarentum and Canufium, the 

 Q richelt of this kind are found ; as alio at Laodicea in Afia. As for whitcneflejthcre is none bet- 

 ter than that which groweth along the Poj namely, about Piemount and Lombardie:andyec 

 neverto thisday,apound of it hath exceeded the price of an hundred fefterces. In all places 

 they ufenortoiliearefheepeiforthe manner of plucking their fells continueth ftill in forne 

 countries. Sundrie forts of colours there be in woolljand lb many,that we arc not able to give fe- 

 verall names fo much as to thofe that wee call Native, /. growing upon the fhecpes backe . For 

 blacke fleeces , Spaine is chiefe; Pollentia for white 5 and grey^the trad of Piemont neerc to the 

 Alpes: Alia for red hath no fellow, and fuch kind ofwools are calledErythrasre.InBcsotia like- 

 wile, that is to fay, in the kingdome of Granade and Andalufia, the fame colour is to be found,; 

 Neerc to Canufia, the Qieepe be deepe yellow or tawnie; and about Tarentum , they are of a 

 D browneandduskiHi colour. Generally, all kind of woolh newly fhorne orp!ucked,unwiifhtand 

 greafle ftill, be good and medicinable. Aboutlltria andLibyrnia,the fheepes fleece refenibleth 

 haire rather than wooll, nothing at all good for to make frized clothes with a high nap but fer- 

 veth onely for the artizan or workman in Portugall, whofe artificial! weaving in net or fcutcheoa 

 worke with fquares, commendeth this wooll. 1 he like wooll is common about Pillenas in the 

 provinceNatbonenfis,i.LanguedocinFraunce:andfuch isfoundin ^gyptahe cloth made 

 ihereofjaftcr itiswornebare,isthetuiied,andfervethnewagaine,and willweare ftill andlafta 

 mans life. The courfc rough wooll with the round great haire, hath been of auncient time high- 

 ly commended and accounted of in tapeftrie worke : lor even Homer him{QVLcmmQ^kih^ihdit 

 they of the oiS'worldufed the fame much,anuiooke great delight therein. But this tapeftrie is 

 E iet out with colours in Fraunce, after one (orr, and among the Parthians after another . More- ^ 

 ovcrswool of it felfe driven togither into a felt without fpmning or weavingjlerveth to make gar- 

 ments with rand if vinegrcbe ufedin thewoikingthcrof,fuchfeltsareofgoodproo fe to bete . 

 ofFthe edge and point of the Iword^yea and more than that,they will checke the force of the fire. 

 And the lafl cleanfing and refufe thereof (when it is taken out of the coppers and leads of thofe 

 that have the fulling and drefiing thereof) ierveth for flock-workc and to ftuffe mattrefles : an in- 

 vention (as 1 fuppole) which came firft out of Fraunce : for furely thefeflockes and quilted mat- 

 trciTesjare at this day diftinguifhed and knowne one from another by French names . But I am 

 not able eafily to fet downe at what time firft this workmanlliip began: for certein it is,that in old 

 time men made them pallets and beds ol ftraw,orelfelay upon barcmattes,likcasnowadaycs 

 p fouldiers in the campe make ibift with hairie rugges. As for our m antics, friczed deep both with- 

 out and within, they were invented and came to be uled firft, no longer fince than in my fathers 

 dayes : as alfo thefe hairie counterpoints and carpets. For the ftudded calfockes that Sena- 

 tours and noble men of Rome doc weare, begin but now for to be woven after the manner of 

 deepe frieze rugges. Wool! that is blacke, will take no other hcw^nor bee dyed into any colour. 



