POLYANDRIA. '39 



tlie plant of poetical honour in the East, and which 

 is so often introduced in Gitagovinda, or the songs 

 of Jayadeva.y I am also of opinion that this is 

 the same plants thus described by Herodotus, and 

 Pliny : 



**To remedy this scarcity of provisions, they (the 

 Egyptians of the marshes) have found out these far- 

 ther resources. When the river becomes full, and 

 inundates the plains, like a sea, there spring up in 

 the water numbers of Lilies, which the Egyptians call 

 Lotus. These they gather and dry in the sun : then, 

 pounding that which comes from the middle of the 

 Lotus, and which is like a poppy, they make from 

 it bread, baked with fire. The root also of this Lotus 

 is eatable, and is moderately sweet 5 it is round, and 

 about the size of an apple."^ 



Pliny after describing the tree lotus, says, ''But 

 there is an herb of the same name, and in Egypt 



y In this composition the Lotus and Water Lily are mentioned 

 in almost every page, and with the epithets blue and red, refer- 

 ring to the flower, without distinction ; translated by Sir W. Jones, 

 *♦ O lotus-eyed God, follow her, who dispels thy care" — •« Thine 

 eyes, which nature formed like blue water-lilies, are become, 

 through thy resentment, like petals of the crimson lotus" — 

 ** Thine eye outshines the blue lotus" — '* From his graceful 

 waist flowed a pale yellow robe, which resembled the golden 

 dust C)f the water-lily, scattered over its blue petals," &c. 



z Henidotus Lib. H. (Euterpe) c. 92. 'Araj -rrgoj ivtiXii»i» 



