528 
Nature is never so conspicuously seen as 
in the smallest things.’””* 
Of his geographical enquiries, the most 
fmportant, perhaps, are his Strictures on 
the interior Parts of Africa. He derived 
the sources of his information on this 
subject from the Carthaginians, and, from 
what he has recorded respecting the na- 
ture and produce of these interesting re- 
gions, more peculiarly interesting to every 
humane and enlightened Briton on ac- 
count of a great. and recent act of na- 
tional justice, and on account of the ju- 
dicious, and hitherto sucessful, exertions 
of the society instituted for the laudable 
and benevolent purposes of meliorating 
the condition, and of diffusing. the lights 
of knowledge and civilization among their 
long-injured inhabitants; it is evident, 
that the ancients were much better in- 
formed than the moderns are concerning 
this quarter of the globe, : 
In respecttorural economy, IT do not he- 
sitate to assert, that of all the ancient wri- 
ters de re rustica, Pliny is incomparably 
the most scientific and interesting. He 
has not indeed indulged in such minute 
and practical details on. husbandry as 
Cato, Virgil, Columella, and others, have 
done, who exclusively limited their re- 
searches to thestate of agriculture among 
the Romans; but his observations on 
the properties of soil, on the physiolog 
and pathology of esculent plants, more 
especially of such of the cerealia and 
legumina as were cultivated in his time, 
Invite, and will amply reward, the atten- 
tion of every philosophical agriculturist, 
The Materia Medica exclusively occu- 
pies fifteen books of the Natural History, 
and constitutes a very curious and i- 
teresting department of the author’s in- 
vestigations; although we must confess, 
that, disgusted by the dogmatical preten- 
sions, and the discordant views of the va- 
rious sects of ancient physicians, he was 
no friend to the profession of which him- 
self was an ornainent. 
Tt cannot be denied that Pliny disco- 
vers his ignorance in particular points; 
and that he records, with great gravity, 
many absurd fables and anile stories. 
But he perhaps might have adopted the 
* s« In magnis siguidem corporibus, aut 
certe majoribus, facilis officina sequaci materiz 
fuit. In his tam parvis, atgue tam nullis, 
gue ratio, quanta vis, quam inextricabilis per- 
fectios ubi tet sensus collocavit in culice; 
sed ubi visum in eo pretendit ? Ubi gustatum - 
zpplicavit? &c.aeC. Phinii Secundi Nat. Hist 
lib. xi, sub. init. 
enable me to command. 
Memoirs of Caius Plinius Seeundus the Elder. [Jan. 1; 
language of Quintus} Curtius, Egquider 
plura transcribo, guam credo, (hb. 1x. 
cap. 1.) ; and, we find that he oceasion- 
ally discovers a proper degree of scepti- 
cism on various points which come under 
his review, and directs his severe rebukes 
against the vanity and self-confidence of 
the Greek authors, from whom he de- 
rived his information ; and, notwitlistand- 
ing all the censure to which he is obnoxt- 
ous on the score of credulity, it cannot be 
too frequently repeated, that his eloguent 
and instructive history will, to the end of 
time, constitute an immortal monument 
of the author’s indefatigable industry, 
and of that proud mdependent Roman 
spirit which he breathes tn every page. 
Before cencluding these cursory strice 
tures on the Natural History of Pliny, 1t 
may be permitted me to observe, that 
the mass of curiqus and interesting in- 
formation contained in the portion of that 
admirable work which I have translated 
and .offer to the public, will be found 
highly deserving the attention of every 
reader, and especially of those who cane 
not have access to itin the original. In 
the critical and scientific nates which ac~ 
company the yolume, I have endeavoured 
to correct the erroneous theories and reas 
sonings which necessarily resulted from 
the imperfect state of physics among the 
ancients, and to illustrate the subjects 
treated of by the application of the most 
recent discoveries ; insomuch that these 
commentaries and illustrations may, in 
some measure, be regarded as an epis 
tome of all the knowledge which we at 
present possess, concerning the multifa. 
rious subjects of our author's bard 
lis 
* The first volume of my translation will 
go to press as soon as a competent number of 
subscribers shall have been obtained; and if 
encouraged, I shall with pleasure persevere 
in my task, and exert such diligence and 
dispatch in theexecution of it as the extent 
and difficulties of the undertaking, the contin- 
gencies of life, and my other avocations, may 
eo Aer 
In the second volume, I expect to bring 
down the translation to the end of the twelfth 
boek. That volume will of course include 
the geographical disquisitions respecting Afri- 
ca and Asia; the history of man, and of hu- 
man inventions ; the natural history of qua- 
‘drupeds, of aquatic animals, of binds, and of 
insects; and botanical inquiries concerning 
the genera and properties of those plants on 
which the author has bestowed the designa- 
tion of Odurant. 
i shall continue to subjoia such notes and 
: rhe ilbustrations 
