Arnobius

“ If you give a grape to him when hungry, a must-cake, an onion, a thistle, [1] 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? [2] If you made a very great fire, or surrounded him with venomous creatures, will he not go through the midst of flames, vipers, tarantulæ, [3] without knowing that they are dangerous, and ignorant even of fear? ”

“ What, if you go on to ask what a wheel is, or a sledge, [9] 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, [10] a book, a rod, a roll, [11] 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 ox [12] or an ass, a pig, or any beast more senseless, look [13] at these indeed, observing their various shapes, but [14] 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?
Footnotes ↑ Carduus, no doubt the esculent thistle, a kind of artichoke.↑ So, according to an emendation in LB., esui, adopted by Orelli and others, instead of the ms. ”