76 
MEMOIR OF PLINY. 
have copied chiefly in his zoological descriptions, it 
will be seen that Pliny, in making his selections, was 
far from giving the preference, on every occasion, to 
what was most important or most exact in the 
authors whom he consulted. He appears in general 
to have a strong predilection for things of a singular 
or marvellous nature ; for such, too, as harmonise 
more than otliers with the contrasts lie is fond of in- 
stituting, or the reproaches he is in the habit of 
making against the religious opinions of his age. 
He does not, it is true, extend an equal degree of 
credit to every thing that he relates, but his doubts 
and his belief seem to be taken up very much at 
random, and the most puerile tales are not always 
those which most excite his incredulity. Hence the 
most fabulous creatures — manticori with human 
heads and the tails of scorpions — winged horses — 
mouthless or one-legged men — catoblepas, whose 
sight alone was able to kill, play their part in his 
work by the side of the elephant and the lion.* And 
• Though we have given the opinion of Cuvier nearly in 
his mvn words, we have said we consider that distinguished 
naturalist to be too severe in his animadversions on the cre- 
dulity and implicit confidence of Pliny in the fabulous 
wonders which he narrates. Some authors have gone so 
far as to call him a contemptible impostor — the Mendez 
Pinto of antiquity. Both the one and the other of these 
accusations have arisen, weave persuaded, from not attend- 
ing to the circumstances in which Pliny wrote, or to what 
he himself says hy way of caution to his readers. In gene- 
ral ho names his authority for what he relates, and qualifies 
his statements by giving them as the reports of others. 
