[Footnote A: Juvenal. Satyr. 13 vers. 170.]
This Account therefore of these Campaigns renewed every year on this Provocation between the Cranes and the Pygmies, contains nothing but what a cautious Man may believe; and Homer's Simile in likening the great shouts of the Trojans to the Noise of the Cranes, and the Silence of the Greeks to that of the Pygmies, is very admirable and delightful. For Aristotle[B] tells us, That the Cranes, to avoid the hardships of the Winter, take a Flight out of Scythia to the Lakes about the Nile, where the Pygmies live, and where 'tis very likely the Cranes may lay their Eggs and breed, before they return. But these rude Pygmies making too bold with them, what could the Cranes do less for preserving their Off-spring than fight them; or at least by their mighty Noise, make a shew as if they would. This is but what we may observe in all other Birds. And thus far I think our Geranomachia or Pygmæomachia looks like a true Story; and there is nothing in Homer about it, but what is credible. He only expresses himself, as a Poet should do; and if Readers will mistake his meaning, 'tis not his fault.
[Footnote B: Aristotle. Hist. Animal. lib. 8. cap. 15. Edit. Scalig.]
'Tis not therefore the Poet that is to be blamed, tho' they would father it all on him; but the fabulous Historians in after Ages, who have so odly drest up this Story by their fantastical Inventions, that there is no knowing the truth, till one hath pull'd off those Masks and Visages, wherewith they have disguised it. For tho' I can believe Homer, that there is a fight between the Cranes and Pygmies, yet I think I am no ways obliged to imagine, that when the Pygmies go to these Campaigns to fight the Cranes, that they ride upon Partridges, as Athenæas from Basilis an Indian Historian tells us; for, saith he,[A] [Greek: Basilis de en toi deuteroi ton Indikon, oi mikroi, phaesin, andres oi tais Geranois diapolemountes Perdixin ochaemati chrontai;]. For presently afterwards he tells us from Menecles, that the Pygmies not only fight the Cranes, but the Partridges too, [Greek: Meneklaes de en protae taes synagogaes oi pygmaioi, phaesi, tois perdixi, kai tais Geranois polemousi]. This I could more readily agree to, because Onesicritus, as I have quoted him already confirms it; and gives us the same reason for this as for fighting the Cranes, because they rob their Nests. But whether these Partridges are as big as Geese, I leave as a Quære.
[Footnote A: Athenæi Deipnesoph. lib. p. 9. m. 390.]
Megasthenes methinks in Pliny mounts the Pygmies for this expedition much better, for he sets them not on a Pegasus or Partridges, but on Rams and Goats: Fama est (saith Pliny[A]) insedentes Arietum Caprarumque dorsis, armatis sagittis, veris tempore universo agmine ad mare descendere. And Onesicritus in Strabo tells us, That a Crane has been often observed to fly from those parts with a brass Sword fixt in him, [Greek: pleistakis d' ekpiptein geranon chalkaen echousan akida apo ton ekeithen plaegmaton.][B] But whether the Pygmies do wear Swords, may be doubted. 'Tis true, Ctesias tells us,[C] That the King of India every fifth year sends fifty Thousand Swords, besides abundance of other Weapons, to the Nation of the Cynocephali, (a fort of Monkeys, as I shall shew) that live in those Countreys, but higher up in the Mountains: But he makes no mention of any such Presents to the poor Pygmies; tho' he assures us, that no less than three Thousand of these Pygmies are the Kings constant Guards: But withal tells us, that they are excellent Archers, and so perhaps by dispatching their Enemies at a distance, they may have no need of such Weapons to lye dangling by their sides. I may therefore be mistaken in rendering [Greek: akida] a Sword; it may be any other sharp pointed Instrument or Weapon, and upon second Thoughts, shall suppose it a sort of Arrow these cunning Archers use in these Engagements.
[Footnote A: Plinij. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 2. p. 13.]
[Footnote B: Strabo Geograph. lib. 15. p. 489.]
[Footnote C: Vide Photij. Biblioth.]
These, and a hundred such ridiculous Fables, have the Historians invented of the Pygmies, that I can't but be of Strabo's mind,[A] [Greek: Rhadion d' an tis Haesiodio, kai Homaeroi pisteuseien haeroologousi, kai tois tragikois poiaetais, hae Ktaesiai te kai Haerodotoi, kai Hellanikoi, kai allois toioutois;] i.e. That one may sooner believe Hesiod, and Homer, and the Tragick Poets speaking of their Hero's, than Ctesias and Herodotus and Hellanicus and such like. So ill an Opinion had Strabo of the Indian Historians in general, that he censures them all as fabulous;[B] [Greek: Hapantes men toinun hoi peri taes Indikaes grapsantes hos epi to poly pseudologoi gegonasi kath' hyperbolaen de Daeimachos; ta de deutera legei Megasthenaes, Onaesikritos te kai Nearchos, kai alloi toioutoi;] i.e. All who have wrote of India for the most part, are fabulous, but in the highest degree Daimachus; then Megasthenes, Onesicritus, and Nearchus, and such like. And as if it had been their greatest Ambition to excel herein, Strabo[C] brings in Theopompus, as bragging, [Greek: Hoti kai mythous en tais Historiais erei kreitton, ae hos Haerodotos, kai Ktaesias, kai Hellanikos, kai hoi ta Hindika syngrapsantes;] That he could foist in Fables into History, better than Herodotus and Ctesias and Hellanicus, and all that have wrote of India. The Satyrist therefore had reason to say,