Tlie eigliteenth Booke of 



THE XVIIL BOOKE OF 



THE HISTORIE OF NATVRE, 



WRITTEN BY C. PLINIVS H 



SECVNDVS. 



Chap. i. . 



^ of the etcceeding love and affe&ion of our auncejlors in old time to JgricHlture 

 andHusbandrie, Alfoy of their fwguUr f dines and diligence 

 about gardens, 



OwfoIIowcth thctrcatifeof Cornc,of Gardens^ ^ndFlowerSjand gene- 

 rally of all things clfejthat by the goodnefle of Nature the Earthl)rin- I 

 geth foorth bountifully 3 befides Trees and Shrubs. The fpeculation 

 whereof verily is infinite , if a man doe but confider the number and 

 varleiie of Hearbs and Flowers^togither with their odors and colours 5 

 thedivcrfiticalfo of their juices, their (everall vertues and properties^ 

 whether it be to cure men of their maladies, or to give thcmplcafure 

 and contentment to their fenfes . But before that I enter into this dif^ 

 Gourfe, very willing I am to take in hand the caufc of the Earth (the common mother of us all) 

 and to affirt her againft all flaunderous imputations,notwithftanding I have in the beginning of 

 this my worke pleaded once alreadie in her defence. For when wee looke into the matter within 

 her contained,we are fet on fire inwardly to find fault with her for breeding and bearing noifomc g 

 things, charging upon her our owne faults^ and imputing unto her that, for which wee of right 

 ought to be blamed. Set cafe ilice hath brought forth poifon and vcnime. Who hath fearched 

 them out but man ?i\s for the foules of the aire *^nd vvild bcaftsj it is fufficient that they touch 

 them not, nay they know how to beware and avoidthem. For fay that the Elephants doe file 

 their teeth fliarpe againft hard trees/ay that the Rhinocerotes whet their homes againft the 

 rockesj and the wild Bores fharpen their edge tuskes againft both ftocke and ftone • lay that all 

 creiitures know well enough how to prepare andfrobifh their weapons to do mifchiefc. Which 

 of them all yctinfecSi them with poifonjbut man alone ? We have the caft to envenime and poi- 

 fon arrowes j we can tell how to put fomething to our darts of yron and fteele, more hurtfull and 

 mifchicvous than they be. It is ordinaric with us to poifon rivers alfb ; yea and the very Elements 

 whereof the world doth ftand^are by us infeiSted : for even the Aire it felfe, wherein and whereby 

 all things fhould live, we corrupt to their mifchiefe and deftrudion. Neither can we truly fay or 

 thinke, that other creatures befides us are ignorant of thefc poifons 5 for wee have alreadie 

 Ihcwcd, that they are not to fecke either what defenfatives to provide againft they fhould fight 

 with ferpentSj or what remedies to find for their cure after they have fought and are hurt , More- 

 ovcr^fetting man afidejthere is no creature furnifhed or armed with any other venime,but theic 

 owne. We cannot chufe therefore but confcflc our great fault and deadly malice, in that we refl 

 not-contented with naturall poifons, but-betake our felvcs to many mixtures and compofitionsi' 

 artificiall jmade even with our owne hands. But what fay you to this ? Are not fbme men them- < 

 felvcs.meere poifons by nature ?for th^e flaunderers and backbiters in the ivorld, what doe they M 

 elfe but launce poifon out of their blacke tongues,like hideous ferpcnts ? what doe thcie envious 

 perfons,but with their malicious and poifonfuli breath findge and burneall before them that 

 they can reach or meet with, finding fault with everything whatfbever? Ate they not well and 

 fitly compared to thcfecuifed foiiles flying in the darke, which albeit they fequeftcr themfelvcs 



from 



