Quapropter haec potissimum aut in liberis potentissimorum regum aut in duce clarissimo aut in vate ingenii florentis aut in viris eruditissimis aut in homine sortis ignotae <luserit>, ne ipsa quidem, omnis bonae malaeque materiae fecunda artifex, rationem Rerum Natura reddiderit; non magis quam quid ita silvestres capreas Cretae genitas tantopere dilexerit, quas sagittis confixas ad salutare auxilium herbae dictamni tantum non suis manibus deducit, efficit ut comesta ea continuo et tela et vim veneni vulneribus respuant; aut in Cephal<l>ania insula, cum omnia ubique pecora haustu aquae cotidie recreentur, capras maiore parte anni ore aperto ex alto ventos recipientes sitim suam sedare instituerit; aut quapropter Crotone in templo Iunonis Laciniae aram ad omnes ventos immobili cinere donaverit; potissimumve quare alteram in Macedonia, alteram in Caleno agro aquam proprietatem vini, qua homines inebrientur, possidere voluerit.
Why Nature played these particular tricks on the children of powerful kings or an illustrious leader or a notably talented poet or men of great learning or a man of obscure estate, not even she herself, fertile artificer of all substance good and bad, could explain. No more than why she so dearly loved the wild goats born in Crete, whom when shot by arrows she almost leads with her own hands to the healing aid of the herb dittany and brings to pass that after eating it they immediately reject the darts and the power of the poison from their wounds. Or why, while all other animals everywhere are refreshed by a daily drink of water, in the island of Cephallania she has made the goats slake their thirst for most of the year by taking in winds from the sky with open mouth. Or why at Croton in the temple of Juno Lacinia she bestowed an altar with ashes that no wind can stir. Or especially why she wished a water in Macedonia and another in the district of Cales to possess the property of wine whereby men are made drunk.
final_alignments\Valerius_Memorable_Book1.json