But how came the _Cranes_ and _Pygmies_ to fall out? What may be the Cause of this Mortal Feud, and constant War between them? For _Brutes_, like _Men_, don't war upon one another, to raise and encrease their Glory, or to enlarge their Empire. Unless I can acquit my self herein, and assign some probable Cause hereof, I may incur the same Censure as _Strabo_[A] passed on several of the _Indian Historians_, [Greek: enekainisan de kai taen 'Omaerikaen ton Pygmaion geranomachin trispithameis eipontes], for reviewing the _Homerical_ Fight of the _Cranes_ and _Pygmies_, which he looks upon only as a fiction of the Poet. But this had been very unbecoming _Homer_ to take a _Simile_ (which is designed for illustration) from what had no Foundation in Nature. His _Betrachomyomachia_, 'tis true, was a meer Invention, and never otherwise esteemed: But his _Geranomachia_ hath all the likelyhood of a true Story. And therefore I shall enquire now what may be the just Occasion of this Quarrel. [Footnote A: _Strabo Geograph_. lib. 2. p.m. 48.] _Athenæus_[A] out of _Philochorus_, and so likewise _Ælian_[B], tell us a Story, That in the Nation of the _Pygmies_ the Male-line failing, one _Gerana_ was the Queen; a Woman of an admired Beauty, and whom the Citizens worshipped as a Goddess; but she became so vain and proud, as to prefer her own, before the Beauty of all the other Goddesses, at which they grew enraged; and to punish her for her Insolence, Athenæus tells us that it was _Diana_, but _Ælian_ saith 'twas _Juno_ that transformed her into a _Crane_, and made her an Enemy to the _Pygmies_ that worshipped her before. But since they are not agreed which Goddess 'twas, I shall let this pass. [Footnote A: _Athenæi Deipnosoph_. lib. 9 p.m. 393.] [Footnote B: _Ælian. Hist. Animal_. lib. 15. cap. 29.] _Pomponius Mela_ will have it, and I think some others, that these cruel Engagements use to happen, upon the _Cranes_ coming to devour the _Corn_ the _Pygmies_ had sowed; and that at last they became so victorious, as not only to destroy their Corn, but them also: For he tells us,[A] _Fuere interiùs Pygmæi, minutum genus, & quod pro satis frugibus contra Grues dimicando, defecit._ This may seem a reasonable Cause of a Quarrel; but it not being certain that the _Pygmies_ used to sow _Corn_, I will not insist on this neither. [Footnote A: _Pomp. Mela de situ Orbis_, lib. 3. cap. 8.]