162 PLINY'S "NATURAL HISTOET. [Book XIII. 



pies a place between the two, but has been much neglected, 

 the colouring matter, namely. To produce a colour, however, 

 cinnabar 23 and alkanet 24 are often employed. If salt 25 is 

 sprinkled in the oil, it will aid it in retaining its properties ; 

 but if alkanet has been employed, salt is never used. Kesin 

 and gum are added to fix the odour in the solid perfumes ; 

 indeed it is apt to die away and disappear with the greatest 

 rapidity if these substances are not employed. 



The unguent which is the most readily prepared of all, 

 and indeed, in all probability, the very first that was ever 

 made, is that composed of bryon 26 and oil of balanus, 27 sub- 

 stances of which we have made mention already. In later 

 times the Mendesian unguent was invented, a more compli- 

 cated mixture^ as resin and myrrh were added to oil of ba- 

 lanus, and at the present day they even add metopion 28 as 

 well, an Egyptian oil extracted from bitter almonds ; to which 

 have been added omphacium, 29 cardamum, 30 sweet rush, 31 honey, 32 

 wine, myrrh, seed of balsamum, 33 galbanum, 34 and resin ot 

 terebinth, 35 as so many ingredients. Among the most common 

 unguents at the present day, and for that reason supposed to 

 be the most ancient, is that composed of oil of myrtle, 36 cala- 

 mus, cypress, 37 Cyprus, mastich, 38 and pomegranate-rind. 39 I am 

 scented calamus and xylo-balsamum ; and among the hedysmata amomum, 

 nard, myrrh, balsam, costus, and marjoram. The latter constituted the 

 base of unguents, the former were only added occasionally. 



23 Cinnabar is never used to colour cosmetics at the present day, from 

 its tendency to excoriate the skin. See B. xxiii. c. 39. 



24 This is still used for colouring cosmetics at the present day. See B. 

 xxii. c. 23. 



25 Fee remarks, that salt can be of no use ; but by falling to the bottom 

 without dissolving, would rather tend to spoil the unguent. 



26 See B. xii. c. 60. The name "bryon " seems also to have been ex- 

 tended to the buds of various trees of the Conifera class and of the white 

 poplar. It is probably to the buds of the last tree that Pliny here 

 alludes. 27 Oil of ben. See B. xii. c. 48. 



28 Or metopium. See Note 18 above. 



29 Made from olives. See B. xii. c. 60. 30 See B. xii. c. 29. 

 31 The modern Andropogon schoenanthus. See B. xii. c. 48. 



33 See B. xii. c. 48. 33 Carpobalsamum. See. B. xii, c. 54. 



3 * See B. xii. c. 56. 



35 Fluid resin of coniferous trees of Europe. 



38 See B. xv. c. 35. 



37 Cupressus semper-virens. He does not say what part of the tree 

 was employed. 38 See B. xii. c. 36. 



39 See c. 34 of the present Book. 



