Plinies Naturail Hiftorie. 35 j 



A cannot bee denfcd^That with the Souk wc imagine, with the Mind we fee, and the Eies as vcflels 

 and inftrumcnts receiving from it that vifuall power and facultie/end it fbon after abroad. Here* 

 upon it commcthj that a dcepc and intentive cogitation blindcth a man fo, that hee feeth not 5 

 namelyj when the fight is retired farre inward. Thus it is^that in the Epilcpfic or Falling- fickfies, 

 the eies are open and yet fee nothing :for why ? the mind within is darkened . MoreoverjHarcs 

 have this qualities tofleepc open eyed 5 and lb doc many men befides them : and this the Greeks 

 doe exprefle by the tearme xof v§ciiT'«V' Nature hath framed and compounded the Eie^of ma- 

 ny thin membranes or skins. As for thofetunicleswithoiiiforthj they are tough and hard ^ like 

 horne, to withftand the injuries of heat and cold : and thofe fhee hath ordained efifoones to be 

 clcanfed and purified with the moifture of tearcs 3 to the end that they fhould be flipperie and 



3S mooveablej for to turne quickly and to ihiftfrom all that may offend. As for the middlepart and 

 membrane of the Eie^fhe hath fet itin a balljlike a window made of tranfparcnt horne[or rather 

 of a grape :] the litde compafTc whereof containeth all the fight of theEye5and fuffereth it not 

 to wander and roll here and there, but dire<5leth it as it were within a certaine pipe or finall con- 

 duit: by which meanesalfo(tonoteby theway) the apple being gathered into fo narrow a cir- 

 clejdoth cafily avoid all inconveniences that are incident unto it^for to annoy the fame.This ball 

 and point of the fight is compared alfo round about with other circles of fundry coloursjblack, 

 blewifh^ tawnie, rufler^and red 5 to the end that by this medley and temperate mixture of colors 

 environed with the white befidcs^the light might be let in and reprefentcd to the Opticke-finew ; 

 and alfo by a temperate reverberation and beating backe from thofe other coloursjit lliould not 



Q dazleor onend the apple with the exceeding brightnefle therof. In fummCjthis mirror or glafle- 

 window, is fo perfc(5l and fo artificially contrived , that as little as the ball of the fight is^ a man 

 may ieehimfelfe full and whole in it. And this is the caufe that many foules, from a mans fift are x 

 readie to pecke at the eyes above all other parts, for that they would gladly fort and draw unto 



' their owne repreicntation and image, which they fee in the eies,as unto that which they natural- 

 ly aifed.Ccrtainfumpterhorfcsand mulesjandfuchlikebeafls of carriage onely, are troubled 

 with fore cyes;,and difeafed that way at every chaunge and encreafe of the moon.But man alone, 

 in the catarrhact and fiiffufion of the Eie,by voidingfiom it a certain humor which troubled the 

 fight, doth recover and fee againe. There have been many known blind twcntie years and more, 

 and yet afterwards enjoyed the benefit of their eieS. Some have been borne blind, without any 



D fauitordefedof their cies.Divers men likewifc have fodainly loft their fight by fomefecrctac-, 

 cidcnt, and no outward offence knowne to give occafion thereof. Many right skilfull mafteis in 

 Chirurgcrie, and the beft learned Anatomiftsjare of opinion. That the veincs of the eies reach 

 to the brainc.For mine owne part,I would rather thinke,that they pafle into the ftomackc. This 

 is certain J never knew a mans Eiepluckt out ofhishead,but he fell to vomiting upon it, &thc 

 ftomackcaftupallwithinit.Wethatbe citizens of Rome, have a facred and folemne manner 

 and ufe among us,Toclofe up their Eies that lie a dying,and are giving up the ghoft; and when 

 they be brought to the funeral! fircjto open them againe. The reafon of this ceremonious cu- 

 ftomCjis grounded hereuponjThat as it is not meet for men alive to have the laft view ofa mans 

 Eie in his death, (b it is as great an offence to hide them from heaven,unto which this honour is 



E duCjS; the body now preferited.Man alone is fubjed to the diftortion & depraved motion of his 

 Eies.Hereof are come the furnames of certaine families in Rome, Strahones and Pcetf : for that 

 the firff of thofe houfes were fquint-eyed, and had rolling eies.Thofe that were borne blinke but 

 with one eye, our coumrymcn called Coclites t as alfo them that were pinke-cied and had vcric 

 fmall eiesjthey tearmed OcelU^ As for fuch as came by thofe infirm ities by fome injurie or mil^ 

 chauncc, they were furnamed LucinK Moreover, we fee that thofe creatures which ordinarily do 

 fee by night (as Cats doe) have fuch ardent and fieric eyes, that a man cannot endure to looke 

 full upon them. The eyes alfo of the Roe-bucke and the Wolfe are fo bright, that they fliine a- 

 gaine,and caft a light from them.The Sea-calves or Seaks,and the Hyenes, aher eitfbons theit 

 eies into a thoufand colours. Over and befides, the eies of many fifhes doe glitter in the night, 



p when they be dric : like as the putrified and rotten wood of ibme old trunke of an oke or other 

 wood .Wc have faid before, that thoie winke not nor (hut their eie-lids, who cannot roll their 

 eies atone- iide, but are faine to turne their whole head withall when they would fee a thing that 

 is not juft before them. The Chameleons (by report) roll their eies all whole every way as they 

 lilf J up and downe, too and fro. Crabs looke awrie, And yet fuch fifhes as arc cnclofed within 



brittk 



