Chronicles : The Historie of England

heir faces and bodies, insomuch that the richer a man was amongst them, the more cost he bestowed in [Sidenote: Agathyrsi, otherwise called Picts, of painting their bodies. _Marcellus Plinie. Herodotus li.4._] painting himselfe; and commonlie the haire of their head was red, or (as probable writers say) of skie colour. Herodotus calleth them [Greek: chrysothórous] bicause they did weare much gold about them. They vsed their wives in common, and bicause they are all supposed to be brethren, there is no strife nor discord among them. Of these Agathyrsi, it is recorded by the said Herodotus, that they refused to succour the Scythians against Darius, giving this reason of their refusall; bicause they would not make warre against him who had doone them no wrong. And of this people dooth the poet make mention, saieng,

[Sidenote: _Virg. Aeneid. 4._] Cretésq; Dryopésq; fremunt pictíq; Agathyrsi.

[Sidenote: _Cæsar com. li. 5._] To paint their faces not for amiablenesse, but for terriblenesse, the Britons in old