vagienti olim acciderit, quid heri in somniis viderit importunè obtrudens, figuligerulus et famigerator effutilis astantibus febrem facit. Quod numero dicendum est, amplo fasce complectitur, nunquam nisi fodiam latus de tribus capellis dicturus: dum horam diei sciscito, si ad clepsydram dimidiam sileat, pro Laconismo reputo; si forte de ætate quærito, vitæ annales exaudio; ubi ut trivialia acciderint, longo syrmate diducens, languente tandem sole, tædio me confossum et ranam Seriphiam3 dimittit. 'Exsuuiav, et taciturnitatem Pythagoricam, rabiosa silentia et ægroti somnia reputat. Harpocrati laqueum mandat, ante aras gannit, et sibimet ipsi Siren, etiam surdis canit. Fustibus ogganiendum est, si voles obmutescat, quo solo argumento habet. Phonasco indiget λaguyyilwv iste et Gradivus Homericus, qui mihi assiduè intonat: Cui ego vocem nigram, fuscam, Neronianam imprecor, ut vel Ulysseo commento evadam, aut molliori fato cedam. 4 Nescit nugivendulus linguulaca xaxλálwv et littore loquacior quantos loquatur lapides, dum me multiloquio captat, nec quas comica facie tragoedias agat, dum renidente ore jugulat. Vappæ verborum splendidam suspendens complacendi hederam amici specie jugi sermone diffluit. Interim ruris plenus et inficetiarum, insulso verborum stromate, salibus paganis et extra pomæria natis, bilem mihi ac stomachum commovet homunculus iste palmo et sago dignus, necnon sudore quasi Anglico me perfundit. Nec mihi tantum crux. Solitudinem in circo facit paázas iste, et Alpha blateratorum, quo cornicante præsto elabitur quicquid uspiam est bucconum: Tibicines, Ascaules, næniatrices, et quæ laboranti lunæ acclamant, fuga sibi consulunt. Nec lingua tantum, sed et calamo furit Ardelio iste, loquax scribaxque eadem vi. Cujus mihi nugas legere, nedum exigere libet, quare dum eas oscitanter percurro, semper ioxaro 3 Seriphiam.] Vid. Plin. Histor. Natural. 8, 68. 4 lapides.] Vid. Plaut. Aulul. 2, 1, 30, "lapides loqueris." xwλxov specto, sæpius interjungo. Quantumlibet enim chartæ speciem exaret, me opisthographis, et in aversa scriptis male mulctat. Nec chartæ sinu satiatus oram plagulæ replet, campum hinc inde et inane spatium sulcat. Nec semper integro vocum ductu, sed et notulis minutis scriptitat. A quorum omnium fastidio flamma et ferro unice me expedio: atque ita codicillorum tyrannidem et Cassiani martyrium* effugio. Nec tantum missilibus nugis, tricisque epistolicis, sed et schedarum cumulis serâ coronide metuendis, (quod a locuteleis fieri amat,) amicorum optimos lacessit. Hujus autem ego ossa potius quam scripta legerem, quæ veratro3 ebria, nulloque Apolline concinnata, Attalicis conditionibus non evolverem ; illa itaque aut cloacinæ devoveo aut circum, tonstrinas, turbamque si quam habet Pompeius, vel Agenoris puella otiosiorem, ablego. 6 Serò miselli illicet exaudiunt, qui huic bombylio aures mancipant, dictum enim dicere potius quam sermoni colophonem statuere satagens nunquam ita verborum decoctor est ut conturbet, nonunquam ita prodigus ut proterviam faciat nihilque dicendum relinquat. Invisentibus itaque de plebe amiculis, utramque auriculam nequiter flagellat; obvios quosque devorato pudore fabulamentis atterit, nec nisi elumbes et varicosos dubio sole dimittit. Nec tantum vitrea fracta, sed et venena loquitur Niger iste et rimosissimus Ardelio, dum (quod linguacibus solenne est,) susurro nequissimus, et in aurem garrulus, convitia hinc inde serit, lites nectit, arcana eliminat, quibus mutiendis amicos una ac diem lacerat. Luscis invideat, qui reculas amicorum tam acute inspicit, ut suas inepte pervideat; nec semet ipsum concutiens aliena resupinet. Si quis commento Pythagorico locus, hunc ego cuculum exuentem hominem subiisse, nec tamen humano indumento vocalem posuisse characterem autumo. In cicadam denuo diis iratis migraturus; ut in deviis fritinniens arbusta potius quam ⚫ Sanctus Cassianus, qui codicillis et stylis discipulorum confossus et contusus interiit. 5 veratro.] Vid. Persii, 1, 51.—“ non hic est Ilias Actî Ebria veratro.' 6 turbamque si quam habet, &c.] Vid. Martialis Epigr. lib. ii, 1. 10. Turbam non habet otiosiorem auriculas humanas rumpat. Ex eo forte numero, qui in utero materno ante ortum vagiunt, qui in somniis ganniunt, Anginosi strepunt, nullo Gorgone obmutescunt. In custodiendis Capitoliis omnibus certe anseribus potior. Quo presente nemo in excubiis, nedum in contuberniis dormitat. Spartam, non Anticyram me authore religandus, ut vel polymythiam Laconismo commutet, aut flagris ante aras cæsus fortem taciturnitatem ediscat. Dimissis manibus et grandi gradu frustra hunc effugio, quem ludis vix evaserit. Huc aliquis incitatum Achilles sane aut sub Delphino natus sit oportet, cui spem fuga fecerit. Sed chiragra ferocius manum mihi corripiens, vinculis quasi Vulcaniis fugam mihi sistit, quam dum anhelanter tento, dum chlamyde excussa mercari satago, deridiculo sum et astantibus scenam præsto. Totus itaque in fermento Scythicam solitudinem expeto, beatos ad Catadupas Nili natos prædico, et surdos in cœlis statuo. Latibula misellus quærito, ad tenebras confugio; solem tamen citius quam Aturopum huncce lateo. Nisi me nube involutum subduxerit dea quæpiam Homerica, illico ad plures propero. Desperabundus itaque, fractus, ilia ducens, et ut ipsa me salvet salus, nullo thure litaturus, temere 'Aλğízazov invoco, frustra cœlum peto, quæ me liberabit Innocentia aut Mica Aurea? * Ursis, tigribus, elephantis, ultro nec auctoratus adsto, arenas insuper habeo, qui in unico Ardelione tot perillos reperio. Sed glandium satis. Importunum hunc abige, aut postico falle. Ocyus Norvicum advola, ubi te opperiuntur animæ candidæ juxta ac literatæ. Quare si sapias, viam vorabis. Vale! THOMAS BROWNE. * Alluding unto the two bears, which Constantius, the Emperor, kept; the one named Innocentia, the other Mica Aurea; which he purposely kept, to set upon such as displeased him, as Ammianus Marcellinus recordeth; whereby I might be delivered from the tediousness of this prater. [AN ACCOUNT OF BIRDS FOUND IN NORFOLK.] [MS. SLOAN. 1830, fol. 5-22; & 31.] I WILLINGLY obey your command; in setting down such birds, fishes, and other animals, which for many years I have observed in Norfolk. Besides the ordinary birds, which keep constantly in the country, many are discoverable, both in winter and summer, which are of a migrant nature, and exchange their seats according to the season. Those which come in the spring, coming for the most part from the southward; those which come in the autumn or winter, from the northward; so that they are observed to come in great flocks, with a north-east wind, and to depart with a south-west: nor to come only in flocks of one kind, but teal, woodcocks, fieldfares, thrushes, and small birds, to come and light together; for the most part some hawks and birds of prey attending them. The great and noble kind of eagle, called aquila Gesneri,1 I have not seen in this country; but one I met with in this country, brought from Ireland, which I kept two years, feeding with whelps, cats, rats, and the like; in all that while. not giving it any water; which I afterward presented unto my worthy friend Dr. Scarburgh. Of other sorts of eagles, there are several kinds, especially of the halyætus or fen eagles; some of three yards and a quarter from the extremity of the wings; whereof one being taken alive, grew so tame, that it went about the yard feeding on fish, red herrings, flesh, and any offals, without the least trouble. 1 aquila Gesneri.] Falco chrysætos, the golden eagle; the largest of the genus, known to breed in the mountainous parts of Ireland. 2 some, &c.] Haliætus nisus,-falco ossifragus, Lin. The sea eagle. Few specimens, however, measure more than seven or eight feet from the extremities of the wings. A specimen of F. fulvus, the ringtailed eagle, has been caught at Cromer. -G. There is also a lesser sort of eagle, called an osprey, which hovers about the fens and broads, and will dip his claw, and take up a fish, ofttimes; for which his foot is made of an extraordinary roughness, for the better fastening and holding of it; and the like they will do unto coots. Aldrovandus takes particular notice of the great number of kites about London and about the Thames. We are not without them here, though not in such numbers. Here are also the grey and bald buzzard; of all which the great number of broad-waters and warrens make no small number, and more than in woodland counties. Cranes are often seen here in hard winters, especially about the champian and fieldy part. It seems they have been more plentiful; for, in a bill of fare, when the mayor entertained the Duke of Norfolk, I met with cranes in a dish." In hard winters, elks, a kind of wild swan, are seen in no small number; in whom, and not in common swans, is remarkable that strange recurvation of the wind pipe through the sternon-and the same is also observable in cranes. It is probable they come very far; for all the northern discoverers have observed them in the remotest parts; and like divers and other northern birds, if the winter be mild, they commonly come no farther southward than Scotland; if very hard, they go lower, and seek more southern places; which is the cause that, sometimes, we see them not before Christmas or the hardest time of winter. A white large and strong-billed fowl, called a ganet,1 which seems to be the greater sort of larus; whereof I met with one killed by a greyhound, near Swaffham; another in Marshland, while it fought, and would not be forced to take wing: another entangled in a herring-net, which, taken alive, was fed with herrings for a while. It may be named larus |
