164 PLINY'S SA.TURAL HISTORY. [Book XIII. 



and cardamum, calamus, aspalathus, 52 and abrotonum. There 

 are some persons who, when making unguent of Cyprus, em- 

 ploy myrrh also, and panax : 53 the best is that made at Sidon, 

 and the next best that of Egypt : care must be taken not to 

 add oil of sesamum : it will keep as long as four years, and its 

 odour is strengthened by the addition of cinnamon. Telinum 54 

 is made of fresh olive- oil, cypirus, 55 calamus, melilote, 56 fenu- 

 greek, honey, marum, 57 and sweet marjoram. This last was 

 the perfume most in vogue in the time of the Comic poet 

 Menander: a considerable time after that known as u me- 

 galium" took its place, being so called as holding the very 

 highest rank ; M it was composed of oil of balanus, balsamum, 

 calamus, sweet-rush, xylobalsamum, 59 cassia, and resin. One 

 peculiar property of this unguent is, that it requires to be 

 constantly stirred while boiling, until it has lost all smell : 

 when it becomes cold, it recovers its odour. 60 



There are some single essences also which, individually, 

 afford unguents of very high character : the first rank is due 

 to malobathrum, 61 and the next to the iris of Illyricum and 

 the sweet marjoram of Cyzicus, both of them herbs. There 

 are perfumers who sometimes add some few other ingredients 

 to these : those who use the most, employ for the purpose 

 honey, flour of salt, omphacium, leaves of agnus, 62 and panax, 

 all of them foreign ingredients. 63 The price of unguent 64 of 



52 See B. xii. c. 52. 



53 The gum resin of the Pastinaca opopanax of Linnaeus. See B. xii. 

 c. 57. 



54 Or unguent of fenugreek, from the Greek TrfKiq, meaning that plant, 

 the Trigonella fcenum Graecum of Linnaeus. See B. xxiv. c. 120. 



55 See B. ii. c. 26, and B. xxi. c. 68—70. 



56 The Trifolium melilotus of Linnaeus. See B. xxi. c. 30. 

 5; See B. xii. c. 53. 



58 He would imply that it was so called from the Greek ntyag, *| great ;" 

 but it was more generally said that it received its name from its inventor, 

 Megalus. 



69 See B. xii. c. 5. 



60 Fee does not appear to credit this statement. By the use of the 

 word " ventiletur," "fanned" may be possibly implied. 



« See B. xii. c. 59. 



63 The Agnus castus of Linnaeus. See B. xxiv. c. 38. The leaves are 

 quite inodorous, though the fruit of this plant is slightly aromatic. 



06 u Externa." The reading is doubtful, and it is difficult to say what is 

 the exact meaning of the word. 



* 4 Cinnamomino. 



