62 
MEMOIR OP PLINY. 
SO oft looketh aloft to the sun and sky; and then vp 
goeth the taile and all, which lie beares on high, turn- 
ing backward again on the top like a hook. And 
hereupon it is, that marching thus proudly as they 
doe, the very lions (the most courageous of all wilde 
beasts) stand in fear and awe of them, and will not 
abide the sight of them.” The best breed, in the 
days of Pliny, were from Rhodes, Tenagra, Melos, 
and Chalcis. It is recorded of a dnngbil cock be- 
longing to one Galerius, that it spoke ; and at Per- 
gamus a solemn cock fight took place every year in 
presence of the people. “ Vnto these birds (he con- 
tinues, alluding to the superstitions of augury) the 
purple robe at Rome and all magistrates of state dis- 
dain not to giue honour. They rule our great rulers 
euery day ; and there is not a mighty lord or state 
of Rome that dare open or shut the dore of his house, 
before ho knows the good pleasure of these fowles ; 
and what is more, the soueraigne magistrat in his 
majestie of the Roman empire, with the royal en- 
signes of rods and axes caried before him, neither 
sets forward nor reculeth backe without direction 
from these birds. They giue orders to whole ai-mies 
to advance forth to battle, and again command them 
to stay and keep within the camp. These were 
they that gaue the signall and fortold the issue of 
all those famous foughten fields, whereby we haue at- 
chieued all our victories tbroughout the whole world." 
The account of the nightingale is also highly 
entertaining, but we must pass it over to make room 
