Plinies Naturall Hiftone. 



A rniKh as touching the caules of fterilitie and dearthjoccafioned by the conftellationSjaccording 

 tofundrie feafoiis of the ycerc, after that calculation which I goe by: But Iwill not bind every 

 man theretOj for well I know and cannot denicj but the readers may chaunge and alter the fame 

 at their pleafurcsj according to the diveifitie of the climats 5 in regard whereof, the obfervatiori 

 alfoof thofedauneerousdaics may vary from mine account. For this prefentjitfufficethmy , 

 tunic thati have fetdownc the true caufein Nature, from whence proceed thole cakuiiiticsiali 

 the reft bcfideSj I refer to ech mans confideration, who for anything thati have faid^ may take 

 their libertie and oblerve what they think good. Certes this fhall be lound cieare snd doubtlcfle 

 in the end^That thefe unkind dews and dangerous blafts are occafioncd by one of thefe two cau- 

 fesjto wit, cither the full or chaunge of the N4oone. And herein verily, 1 cannot chuie but mc- 



B ditate upon and admire the wonderfuU goodnelTe and bountie of dame Nature- firft in this^Thac 

 fhc hath fo limited and determined the fet courfe of the ftars, that thefe calamities cannot pofli- 

 bly happen every yearej neither yet oftentimes in the fameyearcjbut onely fome few nights,to 

 wit, in the chaunge or full of theMoone : and when they will come, it is eafie to foreknow and 

 fore- tell. And to the end that we fhould not need to feare thefe daungers every moneth, fhcc 

 hath fo ordered the matter, and divided the influence of theMoone by night in fuch fort, that 

 letting afide two daies in Summer/he chaunges of the Moon do no harme at all : no niore than 

 the full in Winter : neither are thefe two new Moones to bee feared, but in Summer nights, and 

 thofe lliorteft of all other,wherby they have lefTe time and leafute to offend theearth :for all the 

 day long they have not the fame force,nor work the like effeds.Over and befides,fb eafie a mat- 



C tcrlhee would have it for to know either the conjunction or oppofition of theMoone, that the 

 very Pifmite (the fillieft and Icaft creature of all other)by inftin6^ of Nature, is our guide to the 

 one and the other: for in the chaunge fhe is feene commonly to reft and take her rcpofe ^ where- 

 as at the fuilMoone (he workes andlaboursboth night and day. And that we fhould not bee ig- 

 norant of the Dogge-ftar Sirius his rifing, looke what day he ilieweth firft, the little Nonett or 

 bii:d,called in Latme Parrajgocth afide_> and appearcth not again before he be hiddc n and gone 

 downe. Contrariwife, the Loriot, Greene- finch^or Canaric bird Virco, commeth abroad the 

 very day of the Summers Sunneftcad, and not bef ore, that we fliould not pretend ignorance of 

 the longeft day in the yeare,a time whereon dependeih fo great a confequence.But be it change 

 or be it full, neither the one nor the other habite of the Moone is d3ungerous,no not in the ve- 



D ry night feafon,unlcfte it be cieare and calmcjihat is to fay.faire ftar light,and all winds laid : for 

 neither in cloudie and clofc v\eathcr, ne yet when the winds are alof t5doe any dewes fall. And at 

 fuch times alfo as they ufe to come,there is areriledie provided againft thcni: for when thoufea- 

 reft a blaft or MieldeaWjlay me altogether all over the fields and Vineyards (by heaps) Vine-cut- 

 tings and fuch drie ftickesjchaffe.ilrawjand other like mullockejdrie weeds & fhrubs which have 

 been plucked out of the ground, and fet them all on fire 5 the very fmoke will helpe this matter, 

 and avert the dannger from come and grapes. And as for the fumeof chaffe andftraw.it is good 

 againft ftinkingfogs and miils,when they are thought to doe harme. Some there bee that pre- 

 fcribc to take three Crab-fiflies alive, and to burne them in Hortyards among the trees, to prc- 

 ferve and defend them againft the fendging blaft called [he Carbuncle . Others take die flelh of 



E thefifhSiluruSj&roftorbroilcitfoftly uponthefire,onthewind fide, totheendjthat thefume 

 andfiiioke thereof might be caried and difperfcd all over the Vineyard, to chafe away the fcor« 

 ching blaft aforefaid.r^m affirmeth,That if about the retrait of the Harpe-lfar Fidicula,which 

 is the beginning of Autumne, a man paint a clufter of grapes, and confecrate it to the gods a- 

 mong the Vines,the ftormes and tempefts of wind and raine will do lefte harme to the fruit han- 

 ging thcreupori, L><^^^^i^//^^inabookethatheewrotetoking^^//<?/:^/^^,faith,Thatif aland- 

 toad be put into a new earthen pot that never was occupied before, & the fame enterred and co- 

 vered within the ground in the middeft of a come field, the cornc fhall take no harme that ycarc 

 by any tempefts whatlbever. 



As touching the rufticall worke which fhould be done in thefe fix weekcs fpace,the Husband- 



F man ought to give his lands a fecond fallow.to dig about the roots of trees,and (where the heat 

 of the countrey doth lb require)to mould and banke them againe : howbeit,fuch as be budding 

 and putting forth new fhoots,would notbedigged,unIeflethefoilebe very good and rankcJSe- 

 minarics or nource-gardens would now be farcied and cleanfed. AddrefTe himfelfc he muft,and 

 make all readie againft Barley hai:vcft.Howishe to prepare his barneplot and thtafbing floore, 



Fff 



