LUPINE. 107 



gave it so much the appearance of reality that the 

 piece was universally admired. 



We shall relate another anecdote of this Lu- 

 pine-eating painter, to show in what reverence 

 the artists were held in those early days. 



When Demetrius besieged Rhodes, he refused 

 to set fire to a part of the city, which might have 

 made him master of the whole, because he knew 

 that Protogenes was then working in that quar- 

 ter. When the town was taken, the painter was 

 found closely employed in a garden in finishing a 

 picture ; and upon being asked by the conqueror 

 why he showed not more concern at the general 

 calamity, he replied, that Demetrius made war 

 against the Rhodians, and not against the fine 

 arts. 



The Lupine is a plant that loves a poor light 

 sandy soil, and it was much employed by the 

 Romans as a manure for such situations, being 

 ploughed or dug into the ground just as it began 

 to blossom. It formed the principal manure for 

 many vineyards and orchards where animal dung 

 could not be procured. Cato recommends the 

 haulm of Lupines, amongst other vegetable sub- 

 stances, to form a compost for vines that were 

 decaying. It is remarked by Pliny, that the 

 Lupine was sowed with less expense to the hus- 

 bandman than any other seed, since it was merely 



