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, will be accessioned shortly to our Library.
In the eighth book Pliny declares “of land-beasts … the
Elephant is the greatest ... for they understand the language of the country
wherein they are bred … they remember what they have been taught …”.
Dogs are “the most faithfull and trustie companions of all others
to a man.” ... “A sure and soveraigne remedy for them that are bitten with a
mad dog … the root of a wild rose …. . Columella writeth, That when a whelpe is
just fortie daies old, if his tail be bitten off at the nethermost joint …
neither will the taile grow any more, nor the dog fall ever to be mad”. The second tombe is a medical encyclopedia. “For
the biting of a mad dog take the ashes of a dogs head burnt, and apply it to
the fore, it will save the Patient from that symptom of being afraid of water;
which is incident to such as so be bitten”. Rabies was clearly known to
Pliny.
The nature of the cuckoo, classified as a hawk, is
discussed: “These lay alwaies in other birds neasts, and most of all in the
Stock-doves, commonly one egge and no more. … The Titling therefore that sitteth,
being thus deceived, hatcheth the egge & bringeth up the chick of another
bird”.
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