148 pliny's natubal history. [BookXIL 



our own as well as foreign writers had attributed to it : for, in 

 fact, it bears a much stronger resemblance to the vine than to 

 the myrtle. This recent acquisition by conquest has learned, 

 like the vine, to be reproduced by mallet 74 -shoots^ and it 

 covers declivities just like the vine, which supports its own 

 weight without the aid of stays. When it puts forth branches 

 it is pruned in a similar manner, and it thrives by being well 

 raked at the roots, growing with remarkable rapidity, and 

 bearing fruit at the end of three years. The leaf bears a very 

 considerable resemblance to that of rue, and it is an ever- 

 green. The Jews vented their rage upon this shrub just as 

 they were in the habit of doing against their own lives and 

 persons, while, on the other hand, the Komans protected it : in- 

 deed, combats have taken place before now in defence of a shrub. 

 At the present day the reproduction of it has become a duty 

 of the fiscal authorities, and the plants were never known to 

 be more numerous or of larger growth ; they never exceed the 

 height, however, of a couple of cubits. 



There are three different kinds of balsamum. The first has 

 a thin and hair-like foliage, and is known by the name of 

 eutheriston. 7 ' The second is of a rugged appearance, bending 

 downwards, full of branches, and more odoriferous than the 

 first; the name of this is trachy. The third kind is the 

 eumeces, so called, because it is taller than the others ; it has 

 a smooth, even, bark. It is the second in quality, the euthe- 

 riston being inferior to the trachy. The seed of this plant 

 has a flavour strongly resembling that of wine ; it is of a 

 reddish colour, and not without a certain amount of unctuous- 

 ness ; the grains of inferior quality are lighter in weight and 

 of a greener hue : the branches of the shrub are thicker than 

 those of the myrtle. Incisions are made in it either with 

 glass, or else a sharp stone, or knives made of bone : it being 

 highly injurious to touch the vital parts with iron, for in such 

 case it will immediately wither away and die. On the other 

 hand, it will allow of all the superfluous branches being pruned 

 away with an instrument of iron even. The hand of the 



« " Malleolis." So called when the new shoot of the tree springing from 

 a branch of the former year, is cut off for the sake of planting, with a hit 

 of the old wood on each side of it, in the form of a mallet. 



« h Easily cut." This and the other kinds, the names of which mean 

 "rough barked," and "good length," are probably only varieties of the 

 same tree, in different states. 



