The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. VII.

¶ Of the Brasse-founders in old time. The inestimable prices of molten Images. Of the most renowned Colosses and gyant-like Images in Rome.

THat the art of Founderie or casting mettals for Images hath been very antique, practised also and professen in Italie as well as in other countries time out of mind, may be euident∣ly [unspec F] proued by the statue of Hercules, which K. Evander consecrated to the honour of him, in that very place (by folks saying) which now is the beast market in Rome. This image is called at this day, Hercules triumphalis, and at euery triumph is richly clad in triumphant habit. The image likewise of Ianus with two faces, dedicated by K. Numa, testified no lesse, and honoured

he is no lesse than a god, as by whom the times of war and peace be distinctly knowne. Moreo∣uer, the fingers of his hand are in that sort fashioned and formed, as they represent the number [unspec G] of 365, which are the daies of the whole yere; by which notification of the yere, he sheweth suf∣ficiently, that he is the god and patron of time and ages. The images also which are knowne commonly by the name of Thuscanica, which are so dispearsed abroad in all parts of the world, who will euer doubt but that they were commonly made in Tuscan? I would haue thought veri∣ly, that these Thuscanica had beene the images of the gods, and no other, but that Metrodorus Scepsius who for the immortall hatred that he bare against the Romans had his * 1.1 surname giuen him, reproches the Romanes among other imputations, That they had forced and sacked the towne Volsinij, for the loue of two thousand pretty images in brasse which were therein. Consi∣dering then, that the inuention of making such molten images hath been so antique in Italie, I [unspec H] cannot chuse but much maruaile, that the idols and images of the gods in times past dedicated in churches and chappels, were either of wood or potters earth, rather than of brasse, vntill the conquest of Asia; from whence to say a truth, first arose and proceeded all our excesse and super∣fluitie. As touching the first deuise and originall of casting by moulds and forming the liuely similitudes of any thing expressely to the patterne, I shall haue fitter and better occasion to write thereof in my treatile of the art of Pottery, which the Greeks call Plastice; for of more an∣tiquity I take it to be than this feat of Founderie: & yet this craft and cunning so flourished in times past, and brought for art such excellent pieces of worke, and for number so infinit, that if I should put down the greater part of them, it would require many volumes; for, to comprehend them all, what man is able? During the time that M. Scaurus was Aedile, there were three thou∣sand molten images shewed vpon the stage when he exhibited his plaies, notwithstanding this [unspec I] theatre of his was made not to continue any time, but to serue for the present. Mummius, after the conquest of Achaia, brought in with him so many of these images, that hee filled the citie therewith, and no corner was free: and yet when he departed this life & died, he left not behind him a competent portion for to bestow his daughter in marriage. And this I write not to accuse and condemne so braue a man, but rather to excuse and commend him: for how can I otherwise doe? The two Luculli stored Rome with a number of these images. Mutianus (a man who of late daies had been twice Consull) reporteth, That there be yet within Rhodes three thousand such images: and verily it is thought, that in Athens, Olympia, and Delphi, there remaine no fewer to be seen. What man liuing is able to particularize them all? and say a man should come to the perfect knowledge of them, what good can he reape therby, or what vse may he make therof? [unspec K] Howbeit, one would take some delight and pleasure lightly to touch the principall pieces of workemanship in this kind, and namely those that be of marke and note for some special singu∣laritie aboue the rest; as also to name therewith the renowmed artificers in times past, who wrought euery one of them a number of pieces, the exqu•…•…it and curious workmanship wherof, no man is able to vnfold and vtter as they deserue, since that Lysippus (by report) made in his time six hundred and ten, so full of art, so excallent and perfect all, as there is not one of them but sufficient it were to immortalize his name. And how was it knowne that hee made such a number just? It appeared plaine after his decease by a coffer that he had, wherein he treasured vp his gold, and which was then broken open by his heire: for the manner of Lysippus was, when∣soeuer [unspec L] he tooke mony for the workemanship of any piece that went out of his hands, to lay by in the said coffer one * 1.2 denier of gold; and so by the number of those deniers it was knowne, how many pieces of worke he made. Incredible it is to what height of perfection this art grew vnto, first by the successe of the art, which was so vendible and high prised; afterwards, by the audaciousnesse of the artificer, who ventured to make so huge and monstrous works.

What good speed this art had, may appeare by an example which I will set downe, of an image, deuised to expresse the likenesse neither of god nor man: and a dogg it was in brasse, which many a man hath seene in our time in a chappell of Iuno within the Capitoll temple, be∣fore it was burnt now last by the * 1.3 Vitellians: This dog was made licking his owne wound; but how artificially it was wrought, and how liuely it expressed the proportion & feature of a dog [unspec M] indeed, to the wonder of all those that beholding it could not discerne the same from a liuing creature, is apparant not only by this, That it was thought worthy to stand in that place and to be dedicated to that goddesse, but also by the strange manner of charge laid vpon them that had the keeping and custodie thereof: for no reall caution of mony was thought sufficient to

be pledged and pawned for the warrantise, or to counteruaile the worth thereof: Order therefore [unspec A] was giuen by the state, and the same obserued from time to time, that the sextons or wardens of the said chappell should performe the safety and forth-comming of it vnder paine of death.

As touching the bold and venturous pieces of worke that haue been performed and finished by this art, we haue an infinite number of such examples: for we see what huge and gyant-like images they haue deuised to make in brasse, resembling high towers more like that personages, and such they called Colossi. Of this kind is the image of Apollo within the Capitoll, transpor∣ted by M. Lucullus out of Apollonia, a city within the kingdome of Pontus, which in height was thirtie cubits, and cost a hundred and fifty talents the making. Such another is that of Iupi∣ter within Mars field, dedicated by Claudius Caesar the Emperour, which because it standeth so neere vnto Pompeys theatre, men commonly call Iupiter Pompeianus, and full as big he is as Apol∣lo [unspec B] abouenamed. Like vnto these, is the colosse or stately image [of Hercules] at Tarentum, the handiwork of the said Lysippus, but he is forty cubits high: and miraculous is the deuise of this colosse, if it be true which is commonly reported thereof, namely, that a man may mooue and stirre it easily with his hand, so truly ballanced it stands and equally counterpoised by Geome∣try; and yet no wind, no storme or tempest, is able to shake it. Certes, it is said, that the worke∣man himselfe Lysippus, prouided well for this danger, in that a pretty way off he reared a co∣lumne or pillar or stone full opposit to the winds mouth, for to breake the force and rage there∣of, from that side where it was like to blow and beat most vpon the colosse: and verily so huge it was to weld, and so hard to bee remoued, that Fabius surnamed Verrucosus, durst not meddle withall, but was forced to let it alone & leaue it behind him; notwithstanding be brought with [unspec C] him from thence another Hercules, which now standeth within the Capitoll. But the Colosse of the Sun which stood at Rhodes, and was wrought by Chares of Lyndus, apprentice to the aboue∣named Lysippus, was aboue all others most admirable; for it carried seuenty cubits in height: * 1.4 well, as mighty an image as it was, it stood not on end aboue threescore yeares and six; for in an earth quake that then happened, it was ouerthrowne: but lying as it doth along, a wonderfull and prodigious thing it is to view and behold: for first and foremost, the thumbs of the hand and great toes of the foot are so big, as few men are able to fadome one of them about: the fin∣gers and toes are bigger than the most part of other whole statues and images: and looke where any of the members or lims were broken with the fall, a man that saw them would say they were broad holes and huge caues in the ground: for within these fractures and breaches, you shall [unspec D] see monstrous big stones, which the workemen at the first rearing and setting of it had couched artificially within, for to strengthen the colosse, that standing firme and vpright so ballaised, it might checke the violence of wind and weather. Twelue yeares (they say) Chares was in making of it before he could fully finish it, & the bare workemanship cost three hundred talents: This mony was raised out of K. Demetrius his prouision which he had set by for that purpose, & paid from time to time by his officers, for that he would not himselfe endure to stay so long for the workemanship thereof. Other images there are besides of the nature of colosses in the same ci∣tie of Rhodes to the number of one hundred, lesser indeed than the foresaid colosse of the Sun; yet there is not one of them, but for the bignesse were sufficient to giue a name to the place and ennoble it, wheresoeuer it should stand. Ouer and aboue, there be in the said citie fiue other gy∣ant-like images or colosses representing some gods, and those of an huge bignesse, which were [unspec E] of Bryaxes his making. Thus much of workemen strangers.

And to come somewhat nearer home: we Italians also haue practised to make such colosses, forsurely we may see (and go no further than to the librarie belonging to the temple of Augu∣stus Caesar here in Rome) a Tuscan colosse made for Apollo, and the same is fiftie foot high from the great toe vpward: but the bignesse thereof is not so much as the matter and workemanship: for hard it is to say, whether is more admirable, the beautifull feature of the body, or the exqui∣sit temperature of the mettall. Moreouer, Sp. Carvilius long agoe made the great image of Iupi∣ter which standeth in the Capitoll hill, after the Samnites were vanquished in that dangerous war, wherein they bound themselues by a sacred lay and oth to fight it out to the last man, vn∣der [unspec F] paine of death to as many as seemed to turne backe or once recule; to the making whereof, he tooke the brasen cuiraces, grieues, and morions of the enemies that lay dead and slaine vpon the ground: which is so exceeding bigg and large, that hee may very plainely and eui∣dently bee discouered and seene from the other Iupiter in Latium, called therefore Latiarius.

The pouder & dust which the filme made in the workmanship & polishing of this colosse, Car∣vilius [unspec G] himselfe cast again, and thereof made his own image and pourtraiture, and the same stan∣deth (as you may see) at the foot of the other. Within the said Capitoll, there be two brasen heads worthy of admiration, which P. Lentulus when he was Consull thought good to dedicat to that place. The one was made by Chares the foresaid founder; the other wrought by Decius, but this of Decius his making compared with the other, commeth so farre short, that one would not take it to be the doing of an artificer that was his crafts-master, but rather of some bungler, prentice, or learner. But to speake indeed of a great image, and that which surpasseth in bignes all the rest of that kinde, looke but vpon the huge and prodigious colosse of Mercurie, which Zenodorus in our age and within our remembrance, made in France at Auvergne: ten yeares he was about it, and the workmanship came to foure hundred thousand sesterces. Now when hee [unspec H] had made sufficient proofe of his Art there, Nero the Emperour sent for him to come to Rome, where he cast indeed and finished a colosse a hundred and ten foot long, to the similitude and likenesse of the said Emperor, according as it was first appointed, and as he began it: but the said prince being dead and his head laid, dedicated is was to the honour and worship of the Sun, in detestation of that most wicked monster, whose vngratious acts the city condemned and abhor∣red. Certes, I my selfe haue been in that workhouse of Zenodorus, where I beheld and considered not onely that great master-patterne in cley of the said colosse, but also another consisting of very small pieces, as branches, which serued as it were for moulds, and the first induction to the worke, as the assay and proofe thereof. Surely the workemanship of this one statue or colosse, shewed plainly, that the true science & skil of founderie or casting brasse into forms, was clean [unspec I] decaied and gone; considering that Nero was ready and willing to giue siluer and gold enough for the doing thereof artificially and with expedition. Zenodorus also himselfe was not thought inferiour to any workeman in old time, either for counterfeiting a similitude, or grauing the same: for during the time that he made the statue beforesaid in Auvergne, he counterfeited two drinking cups grauen and chased by the hand of Calamis, but belonging to Vibius Avitus (the president and gouernor at the same time, of that prouince) which he had receiued of Cassius Sylli∣nus his vncle by the mothers side, tutor and schoolemaster somtime to Caesar Germanicus; which prince notwithstanding that he loued them wel, yet hee bestowed them freely vpon his said in∣structer Cassius, whom he loued better: and Zenodorus did it so well, that hardly there could be discerned any difference in the workemanship. But to conclude, the more consummat and ac∣complished [unspec K] that Zenodorus was for his skill and cunning, the more euidently it appeareth, that the true Art of founderie was in his time cleane lost, and out of knowledge and practise.

Notes

• * 1.1

  It doth not appeare what it was, but by all likelihood 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  It should seeme that the Greekes had a piece in gold answerable in weight vnto the Komane Denorius in sil∣uer, which was adiam Attick: and this com∣meth neer vn∣to our French crowne.
• * 1.3

  i. Those that sided with Vi∣tellius.
• * 1.4

  * Festus saith 105 foot: wherby it ap∣peareth that a cubit was one foot & a halfe. Chares the workeman en∣graued vnder it this Hypo∣gram in Iam. bicke verse: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.