PliniesNamrallHiftoriel 



A fpikcsof yron tafidyetforallthisjtheymuftbcgrafedorcatendowncbcfidesnevertheleflc 

 Shcep.Now wcmuftrcmember,thac after fuchcattell hath gone over it with their tceth,the fame 

 corne thus eaten downCjinuft of neceffitic bee farcied, and the earth lightly raked and raifed up 

 frefli againe. Howbcitjin Badriana, Affrickc^and Cyrcne^there needs no fuch hand at all : for 

 thc clirDatcisfogoodjfokind^andbcncficialljthatnoneof all this paincs is required : foraftcE 

 the feed isonccfownCjthey never vifitc it but once for all at nine monethsend^at what time they 

 returne to cut it downc and lay it upon their ihrafhing floores: tht reafon is^becaufe the drought 

 kcepcthdownc all weeds 5 and the deawes that fall by nighty are fufficient to refrefh andnounOi 

 thccornc. 



Firgil is of opinion jThat fallowcs would be made every yearc^and that our corn field rtiould 

 B reft beiwcenewhilesjandbeare but each other yearc. And furely,! doe find this rule of his moft 

 ttuc^anddoubtlefle right profitable; in cafe a man haveland ynoughfor tolethis groundsplay 

 them^and reft every fecond yeare.But how if a man is ftreighted that wayjand hath no fuch reach 

 and circuit lying to his living ? Let him helpe himfelfe this way : let him (I fay)fow his good red 

 wheat Far againft the next yearc,upon that ground from whence he gathered this yeare a crop of 

 LupineSjVetcheSjOr BeaneSjOtfome fuch grainc as doth enrich and mucke the ground.For this 

 alfo is principally to be noted, that fome corne is fowne for no other purpofe/Dut by the way as it 

 were to advance and helpe others to frudifie: howbeitjfinall fruit and encreafe (to fpeake of)ari- 

 feth thereby, as I have obferved once for all in the booke immediately going before, bccauie I 

 would not willingly reiterate and inculcate one thing often. For herein regard cipecially ought 

 C to be hadjunto the nature and propcttie of every (oilci 



Chap. xxii. 



^ Ofcertaim countries exceedingfertile nnd fruit full.of a Fine Bearing grapes twice in 

 one ye Are. Of the difference and diver fitie obferved in mters, 



T Here is in AfTrickeorBarbarieacitiecalled Tacape, fituaiein themiddcflof thefands, as 

 men goe to the Syrts and Leptis the great: the tcrritorie lying about which citie^ byrcaibii 

 that It is fo well watered ,is marvellous fruitfull,and indeed palferh a wonder and is incredi- 

 ble. Within this trad there is a fountaine, which ferveth abundantly for three miles well neere, 

 D every wayjthe head thereof verily is large ynougii otherwife^howbeit the inhabitants about it arc 

 ferved wuh water from thence by turnes, and difpcnfed it is among them atccrtaine fet houres, 

 andnototherwife. Ther ftandeth there a mightie great Date tree, having under it growing an 

 Olive, under which there is a Figge tree, and that overfpreadeth a Pomgranate tree, under the 

 lliade whereof there is a Vine : and under the compaffe thereof, firft they fow Frumemi* or ea- 

 red corne,after rhatPulfc,and then worts and hcarbes for the pot, all in one and the fame yeare, 

 Everyoneof thcfe rehearfed,live,ioy,and thrive under the iliade of others. Every fourecubites 

 fquarcof thisfbile(takingthemeafureof a ciibitc from the elbow, not to the fingers ends firet- ^ 

 ched out in length,but clalped together into the fift)is fold for *foure deniers Romane. But this By which rec. 

 onefurpafTethall the reft : The V ines in the faid territorie beare twice a yeare, and yeeld their komng cm 

 E grapes ripe for a double Vintage. So exceedingfruitfull is the foile, that unlefte the rankeneffe J^'^^ ""^^ 

 thereof were abated and taken downe, by bearing fundrie fruits one under and after another, fo ^onM^Am^i 

 that it were emploied to one thing alone,ihe inhabitants Qiould never have any good thereof : ^oiruch in pro. 

 for by reafon of the over-rankenelFejeachfeverall fruit would pcrii"h and come to naught. But ^hok" asthls 

 now by means ofplying and following it ftill with feedja man fhallgather one fruit or other ripe, cubic is under 

 all theyearelong. And for certaine it is knownc^that men cannot overcharge the ground,no nor o^j^f^-^^^Jg'*^ 

 feed the fertiliiie of it fufficiently. 



Moreover5all kinds of water are not of like nature nor of cquall goodnes,for to drench and re- , 

 frefh the ground.ln the province of Narbone, now Languedoc, there is a famous well or foun- 

 taine named Orge^withinthe very head whereof there grow certain hearbes,fb much defired and 

 F fought for by kine and oxen, that to feeke and get a mouth full of them, they will thruft in their 

 whole heads over their eares,untill they meet therewith. But howfoever thefe hearbesfeeme to 

 fpring & grow within the w3ter,certain it isjthat nourifhed they arc not,but by rain from above. 

 And therfore to conclude and knit up all in one word,Let every man be well acquainted with the 

 nature both of his owne land which he hathjand alfo of the water wherewith heis ferved. 



D d d iij Chap. 



