On the Nelumhium, as related to Egypt, I have been favoured with the following lines from a 

 well known poet, almost equally distinguished as the last for his deep mythological acquaintance 

 with the ancient and modern eastern world. 



Emblem sublime of that primordial pow'r,* 

 That on the vast abyss of chaos mov'd, 



What pen shall paint thy charms, majestic flow'r! 

 By mortals honour'd and by gods belov'd ! 



From Ethiopia's lofty mountains roU'd, 

 Where Nile's proud stream through gladden'd Egypt pours,!- 



* The Spirit of God brooding over the chaos, and animating matter, is mentioned by Moses; and in the Egyptian and Hindoo cosmo- 

 gony the Lotos is an emblem of that circumstance. 



f The Nelumbium, Faba ^gyptica, or Sacred Egyptian Bean, is not to be met with at present in Egypt. That it was an inhabitant 

 there we learn from the following particular: " Alexander, Avhen lie reached," says his historian Arrian, " the river Indus, believed he had 

 discovered a branch of the Nile. This mighty stream was called Indus, from the country it passes through, as the Nile is called ^gyptus by 

 Homer, and both originated from the same source; and he was confirmed in this from finding crocodiles in the stream of the Indus, and beans 

 growing on its banks similar to those which grew on the shores of the Nile." Arrian, lib. 6. cap. 1. We have also other proofs. 



Parlcimon, who published in 1640, gives us the following account, p. 375. " The Beane of Egypt, which some call the Beane of Pontus 

 saith Dioscorides (but Theophrastus mentioneth neither Egypt nor Pontus, but only calleth it a beane) groweth in lakes and standing waters 

 (plentifully in Egypt saith Dioscorides, which Theophrastus speaketh not of) in Asia, that is in Syria and Cilicia, but there, saith Theophras- 

 tus, it doth hardly perfect its fruite, but about Torona, in the lake, in the country of Calcidicum, it cometh to perfection, and beareth very 

 large leaves (like those of the butter-burre, saith Dioscorides); the stalke, saith Dioscorides, is a cubite long; Theophrastus saith the longest 

 is foure cubits high, of the bigness of ones finger, like unto a soft reede, but without joynts : it beareth a flower twice as large as that of the 

 poppy (with double flowers, for so I interpret in plenum caput, the words of Theophrastus), of the colour of the rose ; after which is past cometh 

 a round head called cihorion, or cibottion, that is, a small caske (yet Athenaeus saith that a kinde of drinking cup was so called also, whose 

 forme peradventure was like this fruite here expressed), not unlike to the comb which waspes do make, wherein is contained thirty cells at 

 the most, and in every cell or division thereof groweth a beane, whose toppe riseth higher than the cell wherein it is enclosed, whose kernell 

 is bitter; which say they, the inhabitants thereabouts put into clay, and thrust downe to the bottome of the water, with long poles, that it 

 may abide therein and thereby make their increase: the roote is very thicke and great, like unto that of the reede, but (Theophrastus add- 

 eth, which Dioscorides hath not) full of cruell prickes or thornes, and therefore saith he, the crocodile refuses to come near it, least he should 

 runne against the prickes thereof with his eyes, wherewith he cannot see well, and is called colocasia as Dioscorides maketh mention, but not 

 Theophrastus, which is used to be eaten either raw or otherwayes dressed, that is sodden or roasted. The beanes, saith Dioscorides, are eaten 

 while they are fresh and greene, but grow hard and blacke when they are old, being somewhat bigger than an ordinary beane, which saith 

 Dioscorides (Theophrastus making no mention of any qualities or virtues of them), have an astringent or binding faculty, and thereby pro- 

 fitable to the stomacke, and helpeth those that have the fluxe of the stomacke and the belly, and the bloody fluxe, the meale or flower of 

 them strawed upon meate, &c. or taken in broth: the husks whereof, saith he, doth more good, being boyled in sweete wine, the middle 

 part of the beane, which is greene and bitter, being bruised and boyled in rosewater, and dropped into the cares, easeth the paines of them. 

 Thus farre Theophrastus and Dioscorides. Now the description of Clusius his strange fruite is thus, as he setteth it downe: This fruite did 

 resemble a very large poppy head, cut off at the toppe, and consisted of a rough or wrinkled skinny substance, of a brownish colour some- 

 what light, whose circumference at the top was nine inches, and growing lesser and lesser by degrees unto the stalkes, which as it seemed 

 did sustaine the flower, after which came this fruite, for there appeared certaine markes of the flower, where it did abide ; the upper part 

 hereof was smooth and plaine, having twenty-four holes or cells therein, placed in a certaine order, like unto the combe of waspes; in every 

 one whereof was one nut, like unto a small akorne, almost an inch long, and an inche thicke in compasse, whose toppe was browne, endino- 

 in a point, like as an akorne doth, the lower part having an hole or hollow place, Avhere it should seeme the footstalke upheld it, while it was 

 in its place, whose kernell was rancid or mouldy; thus farre Clusius. Let me here also bring in an eye witness or two, of this plant's grow- 

 ing in the ile of Java, Dr. Justus Heurnius, both divine and physition for the Dutch factory in the kingdome or ile of Java, sent into Hol- 

 land a small booke or collection of certaine herbes, &c. growing in that country, with the virtues and uses, whereunto the naturals did apply 

 them (which booke, as I understand by my good friends, Dr. Daniel Heringhooke, and Dr. William Parkins, both English, is kept in the 

 university library at Leyden, in a close cupbord, having a glasse window before it, through which any one may reade so much thereof as 

 lyeth open), at the end whereof is one by him set downe, under the name of Nymphaia glandifera, thus described: the huske or cup (saith he) 

 is rugged or full of wrinkles, yet soft, loose and spungye, like a musroome, and of a greene colour, divided into twelve or fourteen cells (Clu- 

 sius his figure hath twenty-four) or places, in every one whereof is contained one fruite like unto an akorne, of a blackish purple colour on 

 the outside, and very white within, the taste whereof is astringent, and somewhat bitter withal, like akornes, but rough and spongie; it grow- 

 eth in moorish places, and by river's banckes: the leaves are wondrous great, and like unto those of the water lilly, and so is the flower also 

 of a very strong smell, like unto the oyle of aniseedes: thus farre Dr. Heurnius, whose description in my judgment is so punctuall to those 

 of Dioscorides and Theophrastus aforesaid, the description of the roote onely wanting, that I shall not neede further to comment upon it, 

 every ones judgment, though meane, I suppose being able by comparing to agree in the parts. It is probable that Clusius, having scene this 

 booke and the figure hereof annexed to the description, might soone pronounce it (as I doe here) to be the true Faba Mgyptica of the ancients: 

 there is no mention made in that booke of Heurnius by what name the Javaneses or Malayos doe call it. The other eye witnesse hereof is 

 Mr. William Fincham, an EngUsh merchant, as he is recorded in Mr. Purchas his fourth booke of Pilgrimes, chap. iv. sect. v. p. 429, that 



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