A summarie of the antiquities, and wonders of the worlde, abstracted out of the sixtene first bookes of the excellente historiographer Plinie, vvherein may be seene the wonderful workes of God in his creatures, translated oute of French into Englishe by I.A.

The. xij. booke treateth of swéete smelling trées.

TRees haue lyfe whiche they take of the earth. There are manye straunge trées in dyuers countreys, which vn∣to some are vnknowen. In some pla∣ces they water fine trées at the ••oote with wyne, the which profiteth muche the rootes. The Parthians which haue trées bearing wooll, of the whiche is made fine cotton cloth, as it is sayde, haue a trée bearing Apples, but y^e fruit is not to be eatē, but they haue a mer∣uellous smell, so haue the barkes, the whiche being in your Chest among your apparell, casteth a sweete sauour or smell: and this trée hath alwayes fruit, some growing some dying, and some ready to gather, and the graftes of this trée will take in no other coun∣trey. In India there is both wood and

trées that will not burne in the fire. There hath also bene séene a Figge trée of a great height, the braunches of the same trée to spread sixty paces, and it hath leaues so brode, that the sunne beames can not by any meanes enter betwene, and therfore the fruit of this trée can not dye, but the shadow of the same is very delectable. There is also in the Indias, Apple trées which haue the leaues thrée cubites long, and two brode, bearing suche great fruit, that foure men can scarce eate one Apple. The trées name is Pala, the Apples name Aripa. Pepper groweth on lit∣tle trées as doth Ienuper. In y^e Indias it is sometymes mingled with Ienu∣per berries of that Countrey, whiche haue some strength, but no suche tast: it groweth almoste white, but for to last it is dryed in the smoke, whiche causeth it to be blacke, and with the shrubbes of the same trée dryed in the Sunne, is made long Pepper▪ There

are other trées whiche in the morning after the dewe, rendereth a certayne kinde of hony. In Arabia there are trées whiche neuer cast their leaues. Others that haue their floures, that beginneth in the morning at y^e sunne rysing to open, and at hye noone they are opened, and after noone they begin to close, and so remayne all night till the morning, and the Paysauntes of that countrey say that the trée slepeth. There is the trée of Nardus, the which casteth a maruellous swéete smell or odour. And in Arabia of trées growe Frankencense, and Myrre. Franken∣cense groweth in a Forrest of Arabia, in a fruitfull grounde, full of Foun∣taynes pertayning to diuers persons. It is a hanging matter amōg them to steale any thing. The men doe purifie them selues, and abstaine from womē for a certaine space, to take or gather the Frankencense, otherwyse they can not profite. On this side the sea it is

mingled with a kinde of Rosen whi∣che is like, but the difference is know∣en by the colour, by the breaking, and by the fire, for Frankencense will soner burne, and is soner broken with your teeth. Also there is in those woods of Arabia, trées bearing Myrre, and the Masticke. The Sabians burne no other wood, wherefore they are weary of their smell. In the Sea of Arabia groweth the Margets and other pre∣cious stones. Cynamon is the barke of a little trée, which groweth in great quantitie in base Ethiopia, in ful pla∣ces among the bushes, the best is that of the highest braunches, the worst is that that is nearest to the roote. When there is any deawe in the Sommer it is gathered by great defficultie. The trée hath no smell when it is gréene, & it is gathered from the Sunne rising, to the Sunne setting. The ships re∣maine sixe monthes for their fraught. That that is caried into this countrey

of Ethiopia to sell them, is glasses, vessels of Copper, and Brasse, wollen cloth, and linne. The worst barke or pelle, is that that is softe and white. Baulme groweth onelye in the pro∣nince of Iuda, in two Gardins of the Kings, the one contayning about ten Ak••rs, the other lesse, and it commeth of little trees not foure foote lōg grow∣ing after the maner of a Uine, •• re∣sembleth and is neare to the taste of wine, red in colour and fatte, the fruit is cutte with a knife of glasse, stone, or bone, for the braunche dye••h to be cut with ••ron, and it is cutte to take a∣way the superfluities, then in y^t season the barke is onely cutte, and then cō∣meth out the sweate by small droppes. This experience is true, that if any of it be spilte vpon any apparell, it wyll neuer staine. There is daunger in Wormes, for they will marre the trée. Alexander the great in a Sommers day filled a little Uyall of one trée.

Ginger groweth in the earth, and is rootes.