Plinics Naturall Hiftorie. if^ 



A their prey. And were it not fo^ ccrtainely one airie of ^gles needcth the reach of a v\?hoIe coun- 

 trey to furniili them with vcnifon fufficient to their fuU.They have therefore their feverali coafls 

 and walkes^and without thofe h'mits and ufualJ haunts they raven not. When they have feazed of 

 any prcy^they carie it not away prefently, but firft lay it downe, perufe and peifc the weight ther- 

 ofjand thenavvay they flie withit amaine^but notbefore.Thcydie notior agcporupon any fick- 

 nefleabut of very famine^by reafon that the upper beake of their bill is <b farre overgrowncj and 

 turnech inward fomuchathat they are notable to open it for to feed the.mfelves.Their manner is 

 ordinarily to go to their bu{ineCe(namely3to flie and (eek their prey) after noon. For all the fore- 

 ndone they are perched up,aad be idle and doc nothing^wai ting the time when mcii be notftir* 

 ring abroadjbut about their markets within the cicties and tOwnes,or otherwife bufie in their ci- 

 viieaffaires, the quils or feathers of /Egles laid among thofe of other foules^ will devour-and 

 confume them. Men fay^ that of all flying foules the ^gle onely is not finitten nor killed with 

 lightening : whereupon folke are wont to fay^that fhe ferveth lupuer in place of his fquire or ar- 

 mour-bearer. 



Chap. lili. 



}f> when the JEgles began to be theenfigms And flandards of Romam kgiovs : and 

 what foules they be that w^r with Mgles, 



CAimMmm in his Iccond Gonfulfliip ordainedj that the Legions of Romane fonldiors ' 

 onelVjfhould have the ^Eglefor their Ihndard, and no other eniigne.Foi beforetime the 

 Q i^gle marched formoll indeed, but in a ranke of foure others^to witjOf * Wolves,, Mino- ^Namcs of 

 taureSjHorfeSjand Bores, which were borne each one before their owne feverali fquadrons and Enfigoes. ' 

 companies.Notmanyyeaaespaftjtheftandardof the jEgle alone began to beadvaiinced into 

 thefleldiobattell.-andthercftof theenfignes were left behind in the cam.pe. But Marim rejc- 

 <5i:ed them altogethetj and had no uie of them at all. And ever fince this is obferved ordinarilya 

 that there was no landing campe or leaguer wintered at any time, without a paireof i£g!e 

 ilandards. 



Of ^glesjthe firft and fecond kind prey not onely upon the lelTe foure footed beaAs, but al- 

 fo maintainc battell with the red Deere^even the Stag and the Hind. The manner of the iEgle 

 is, after fhe hath wallowed in the duU andpthcrcd a dcale thereof among her feathers^to fet'cle 

 upon the homes of the Deere beforefaidjto lhake the fame off into his eiesjto flap and beat him 

 about the face v\ith his wingSjUntill fhe drive him among therockes, and there torce him to fall 

 downe from thence headlong^and fo tobreake his neckc.Moreover,the^>gle haih notynough 

 of this one enemie,but fhe znuil: warrc with the Dragon aifo ; howbeirjthefit;ht berweene them 

 is more Iharpe and eager :yea5and puttcch her to much more daunger, albeit othei whiles they 

 combare in the aire, ihe Dragon of a natural! ipight and greedie defire to doe o iifcheefe to 

 the .^gle, watcheth evermore where the airie is, for to deftroy the cggcs^and lo the race of the 

 ^gies.The ^Egle againe,wherefocver llie can fet an eie upon him^catchcth him up and carieth 

 him away; butthelerpent with his tailewindech about his wings, andfo encangleth and tieth 

 them faft,that downe diey fall both of them together. 



E r 



Chap. v. 



fir^ngc afid rvonderfill accident cf m Mgle^ 



THere happened a marvellous example about the citie Scftosjof an iEgle:for which in thofe 

 parts there gocth a great name of an M^c^mdi highly isfne honored chere. Ayoung mai- 

 den had brought up a young iEgleby handitheiEgle againe to requite her kindneflcj 

 would M when fhe was but little.flie abroad a birding, andever bring part of chat iliee had got- 

 ten unto her faidnut{e.In procelTe of tin)e3 being gtownc bigger and ftronger, would fet upon 

 wild beafts alfo in the fbrreft,and furnifh her yong miftreffe continually with If ore of venifon.At 

 P length it fortuned that the damofelldied : and when her funerall fire was fet a burning,theiEgie 

 flew into die mids ofit^and tiiere was confumed into afhes with the corps of thefaid vjrgine.For 

 which caufejandin memqrfall hereof, the inhabitants of Seftos,and the parts there adjoining, 

 erected in that very pj^e a ftately monumentjfuch as they call Heroiim, dedicated in the name 

 of mptcr and the virgin/or that the -^Eglc is a bird eonfccrated unto that god. 



Chap, 



