A greene forest, or A naturall historie vvherein may bee seene first the most sufferaigne vertues in all the whole kinde of stones & mettals: next of plants, as of herbes, trees, [and] shrubs, lastly of brute beastes, foules, fishes, creeping wormes [and] serpents, and that alphabetically: so that a table shall not neede. Compiled by Iohn Maplet, M. of Arte, and student in Cambridge: entending hereby yt God might especially be glorified: and the people furdered. Anno 1567.

Of the Balme tree.

THe Balme tree is rather a kinde of shrub, then a Trée, and may well be counted of that house for his lowe and humile kinde of growth: for it heightneth neuer aboue two cu∣bites. The Timber hereof is called in Gréeke Xulobalsamon, his fruite or séede Karpobalsamon, the iuice is called Vpobalsamon, bicause the bark of this Tree must first be stricken and hewen with Iron wedges, before it yeeldeth any fruit, whereby it being so wounded, by and by drop∣peth and distilleth a certaine humor, in a ma∣ner

tearlike, which humor thus issued through the coldenesse or other affection of the Aire a∣bout it, drieth to a kinde of Gum. Plinie pre∣ferreth this his smell before all smelles. But herein good heed must be taken, least we match and march with the greeke Sophister. And the same Plinie sayth (as also Theophrast doth) that it onely groweth in a certaine Dale and Ualie of Siria, which Ualie hath his whole compasse in a maner in two onely Groaues, and hath bene y^e possession of long time of two sundrie and seuerall Princes. Whereof the greater was supposed to be in contents .xx. A∣kers: and the other lesse.