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I 



W Plinies N^tur^li Hirtori6 



A 



Chap', ii. 

 ^ 0/ thePhmiXi. 



THe birds of ^Ettiyopia and India^ are for the moft part of divcrfe colours, and fuch as i. 

 man is hardly able to decipher and defcribcButthe Phoenix of Arabia pafleth all othersi 

 , HowbeitJ cannot tell what to make of him : and firft of alljwhcther ic be a tak or noathac 

 there is neverbutoneof them in the whole worldjand the fame not commonly (cch. By report 

 he is as big as an ^Egle : for colour^as yellow & brightas gold; (namely,all about the neck; ) the 

 reft of the bodie a deepered purple: the taile azure blew,intermingled with feathers among, of 

 B role cornation colour : and the head bravely adorned with a creft and penhache finely wrought 3 

 having a tuft and plume thereupon/ight faire and goodly to be leene* iJHamlm ^thetiohk Ro- 

 mane Senacour, right excellently well feene in the beft kind of learningand litteraturcj and ycc 

 never taught by any^was the firft man of the longRobe^who wrote of this bird atlarge,& moft 

 cxquifitely . Hee reporteth^that never man was knownc to fee him feeding : that in Arabia bee is 

 held a facred bird^dedicated unto the Sunne : that hee liveth 660 yeares : and when hee groweth 

 oldjand begins to decay3he builds himfelfe a neft with the twigs and branches of the Canell or ' 

 Cinamon,and Frankincenfe trees: and when he hath filled it with all fort of fweet Aromaiicall 

 fpiccsjyeeldeth up his life thereupon.He faith moreoverjthat of his bones & marrow there bree- 

 deth at firft as it were a little worme: which afterwards proveth to bee a pretie bird. And the firft 

 C thing that this yong new Fhoenixdothjis to performe theoblequiesof the former PhcEnix late 

 deceafed: to tranflatc and carie away his whole neft into the citicof the Sunne neere Pancbieaj 

 and tobeftow it full devoutly there upon the altar.lhefame Mam/m ^ffimiethitlm the revolu- 

 tion of the great yeare fo much fpoken of, agreeth juft with the life of this bird : in which yeare 

 the ftarres returne againe to their firft points, and give fignification of times and feafons, as at 

 the beginning: and wichalljthat this yeare fhould begin at high noonc, that very day when th** 

 Sunne enttcth the figne <^rks. And by his faying,the yeare of thatrevolution was by him fhe- 

 wed, when P.Licimm and M,Cnnelm were Confuls. CerncUm VAkrunm writethjTbat whiles 

 ^Lmtius and Sex.Pa^tnm were ConfuIs,the Phoenix flew into ^gypr.Brought he was hithet 

 alio to Rome in the time that cUudm Cafir was Cenfotjto witjin the eight hundred yeare from 

 D the foundation of Rome : and fliewed openly to bee feene in a full hall and generall affembly of 

 the people,as appeareth upon the publicke records ; howbeit,no man ever.n)ade any doubt^buc 

 he was a counterfeit Phceiiix^and no better. 



Chap. Ill, 



OF all the birds which we know,the ^gles carie the price bothfor honour and ftrength.Six 

 kinds there be of ihem.Thefirftjnamed of thcGreekes*A^£^/^^?4<?/W3 andinLatine,/^^/^- *Th€S3keras 

 via : the leaft it is of all others ,and ftrongcft withall,blacke alfo of colour : In all the whole ^"""^ 

 E race of the iEgIes,rhe alone nouriflieth her young birds : for the reft (as wee iTiall hereafter de- 

 clare)doe beat them away ifheonely crieth not,nor keepgch a grumbling and buzzing as others 

 doe: and evermore converieth upon the mountaines.Of the fecond fort is V^y^^^-^/^w.It kcepeth * A kind of 

 about townes and plaincs,and iiath a whitifli taile.The third is Morphms,\Nhkh Homr calleth al- F=»"icon» 

 fo Per cms : fome name it PUncm and "^^^nataria : and flie is for bignefte and ftrengthjof a fe- *For killing of 

 cond degree: loving to live about lakes and meeres.Ladie Phcemcmyyiho was fuppofed &faid to ekes and 

 be the daughter of /fp<7//«?jhath reported,that this ^gle is toothed: othcrwifc mute,as not having 

 any tongue : alfo, that of all others ftie is the blackeft,and hath ihelongeft taile.VVith hcraccor- 

 dtihEoethyAikzwik. Subtile fliee is and vvittie: for when (hee hath feazed upon Tortoifes, and 

 caught them up with her tallons>fhe tbroweth them downe from aloft to breake their fhcIs.And 

 F it was the fortune of the Poet Mfihjlm to die by fuch a meanes. For when hee was foretold by 

 wifardsoutof their learning, that it was his dcftinie to die upon fuch a day by fome thing falling 

 upon his head: hee thinking to prevent that, got him forth that day into a great open plainCjfac 

 from houfe or tree^fuming upon theiecuritie of the clearcand open skic. Howbeit,an iEgle 

 let fall a Tortoife,wMch light upon bis head^dafht out his braines,andlaid him afleepe for ever. 



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