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166 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
labour or tilling doth sufficiently produce and offer
him as much as he shall need. And if not at all
times, no more doth she unto beasts; witnesse the
provision wee see the ants and other silly creatures to
make against the cold and barren seasons of the yeare.
Hie nations that have lately bin discovered, so
plenteously stored with all manner of naturall meat
and drinke, without care or labor, teach us that bread
is not our onely food: and that without toyling our
common mother nature hath with great plentie stored
us with whatsoever should be needfull for us, yea, as it
is most likely, more richly and amply than now adaies
she doth, that we have added so much art unto it,
Et tellus nitidas fruges vinetaque loeta
Sponte sua prtmum mortahbus ipsa creavit,
Ipsa dedit dulces foetus, et pabuta lata,
Quae nunc vix nostro granaescunt aucta labore,
Conterimusque boves et vires agricolarum: l
The earth it selfe at first of th' owne accord
Did men rich Vineyards, and cleane fruit afford.
It gave sweet of-spnngs, food from sweeter soyle
Which yet scarse greater grow for all our toyle,
Yet tire therein we doe,
Both Plough-inens strength and Oxen too.
The gluttonous excesse and intemperate lavishnesse
of our appetite exceeding all the inventions we endevour
to finde out wherewith to glut and cloy the same. As
for armes and weapons, we have more that be naturall
unto us than the greatest part of other beasts. We
have moreseverall motions of limbs, and naturally without
teaching: we reape more serviceable use of them
than they doe. Those which are trained up to fight
naked, are seene head long to cast themselves into the
same hazards and dangers as we doe. If some beasts
excell us in this advantage, we exceed many others: and
the Industrie to enable the skill to fortifie and the wit to
shelter and cover our body by artificiall meanes, we have
it by a kinde of naturall instinct and teaching. Which
to prove, the elephant doth whet and sharpen his teeth
1 LUCR. 1. ii. 1166.