23. If you give a grape to him when hungry, a must-cake, an onion, a thistle,309    Carduus, no doubt the esculent thistle, a kind of artichoke. a cucumber, a fig, will he know that his hunger can be appeased by all these, or of what kind each should be to be fit for eating?310    So, according to an emendation in LB., esui, adopted by Orelli and others, instead of the ms. reading et sui. If you made a very great fire, or surrounded him with venomous creatures, will he not go through the midst of flames, vipers, tarantulæ,311    There has been much discussion as to whether the solifuga or solipuga here spoken of is an ant or spider. without knowing that they are dangerous, and ignorant even of fear? But again, if you set before him garments and furniture, both for city and country life, will he indeed be able to distinguish312    The ms. reads discriminare, discernere, with the latter word, however, marked as spurious. for what each is fitted? to discharge what service they are adapted? Will he declare for what purposes of dress the stragula313    A kind of rug. was made, the coif,314    Mitra. zone,315    Strophium, passing round the breast, by some regarded as a kind of corset. fillet, cushion, handkerchief, cloak, veil, napkin, furs,316    Mastruca, a garment made of the skins of the muflone, a Sardinian wild sheep. shoe, sandal, boot? What, if you go on to ask what a wheel is, or a sledge,317    Tribula, for rubbing out the corn. a winnowing-fan, jar, tub, an oil-mill, ploughshare, or sieve, a mill-stone, ploughtail, or light hoe; a carved seat, a needle, a strigil, a laver, an open seat, a ladle, a platter, a candlestick, a goblet, a broom, a cup, a bag; a lyre, pipe, silver, brass, gold,318    Aurum is omitted in all edd., except those of LB., Hild., and Oehler. a book, a rod, a roll,319    Liber, a roll of parchment or papyrus, as opposed to the preceding codex, a book of pages. and the rest of the equipment by which the life of man is surrounded and maintained? Will he not in such circumstances, as we said, like an ox320    The ms. reads vobis unintelligibly, corrected by Meursius bovis. or an ass, a pig, or any beast more senseless, look321    So Orelli and modern edd.; but Crusius gives as the ms. reading conspici-etur (not -et), as given by Ursinus, and commonly received—“Will he not…be seen?” at these indeed, observing their various shapes, but322    The ms. and first five edd. read et—“and,” changed in LB. to sed. not knowing what they all are, and ignorant of the purpose for which they are kept? If he were in any way compelled to utter a sound, would he not with gaping mouth shout something indistinctly, as the dumb usually do?

XXIII. Esurienti si dederis uvam, mustacium, caepe, carduum, cucumerem, ficum, sciet posse sedari omnibus ex his famem? aut quo genere singula esse debeant esui? Et sibi ignem si plurimum feceris, aut venenatas circumposueris bestias, nonne 0844B ibit per medias flammas, viperas, solifugas, esse 0845A noxias nesciens, et timere ipsum quid sit ignorans? Jam vero si vestem, si supellectilem ponas in medio tam urbanam, quam rusticam, eritne idem ut possit discriminare cui negotio res quaeque conveniat? 0846A cujus muneris accommodata sint usui? Indicet in quos habitus vestis stragula facta sit, mitra, strophium, fascia, pulvinus, muccinium, laena, calantica, mantele, mastruca, soccus, solea, calceus? Quid si adjicias 0847A rota quid sit, aut tribula, vannus, dolium, cupa, trapetum, vomis, aut cribrum, mola, buris, aut sarculum? Quid arquata si sellula, acus, strigilis, polubrum , siliquastrum, trulla, lancicula , candelabrum, 0848A batiaca, scopae , scyphus, saccus? Quid si cithara, tibia, argentum, aes, codex, radius, liber? Quid instrumenta si caetera, quibus vita succingitur et continetur humana? Ita, ut diximus, ille non bovis 0849A ritu, aut asini, porci, aut si ullum est animal tardius, conspiciet haec quidem, formaturas varias respectans, sed quae sint singula nesciens, et quam in causam possideantur, ignorans? Nonne vocem, si fuerit necessitate aliqua coactus emittere, ut solemne est mutis, inarticulatum nescio quid ore hiante clamabit?