Philemon Holland’s seventeenth
century translation of ‘The Natural Historie of C Plinius Secundus’ was a
surprise find whilst cleaning our old cellar space at Hollytrees last
autumn. The book, which dates from 1634, and would be worth £1,900 if in pristine condition: the
bookworm has had a feast on natural history. The page containing the words “Of wormes that
breed in wood” is the most devoured. The
copy will be accessioned shortly to our Library.
The book was originally published by Pliny
the elder c77-79AD and is one of the largest single works to have survived from
the Roman Empire. This book was once
owned by Philip Laver.
Pliny demonstrates knowledge of the sun, moon and stars and
their astronomical impact on the world: “twice in the yeare making the night
equall with the day, to wit, in the Spring and Autumne … to lengthen the day
from the … mid-winter, in the eighth degree of Capricorne: and againe to
lengthen the night from the Sommer Sunsted, being in many degrees of Cancer”.
A word with which we are familiar,
acre, has exactly the same meaning: “was as much as might be eared up or
ploughed in one day with a yoke of Oxen”. In observing the changing seasons, and in particular the summer solstice
which “falleth out alwaies (in Italy) to be just upon the 24 day of June … the
husbandman no sooner seeth … to make hast to gather and inne the fruits of the
yeare”.
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