Sir TOllfam {Temple 



It is certain those noble fruits, the citron, the 

 orange, and the lemon, are the native product 

 of those noble regions, Assyria, Media, and 

 Persia ; and, though they have been from 

 thence transplanted and propagated in many 

 parts of Europe, yet they have not arrived at 

 such perfection in beauty, taste, or virtue, as in 

 their native soil and climate. This made it 

 generally observed among the Greeks and 

 Romans, that the fruits of the east far excelled 

 those of the west. And several writers have 

 trifled away their time in deducing the reasons 

 of this difference, from the more benign or pow- 

 erful influence of the rising sun. But there is 

 nothing more evident to any man that has the 

 least knowledge of the globe, and gives himself 

 leave to think, than the folly of such wise 

 reasons, since the regions, that are east to us, 

 are west to some others ; and the sun rises alike 

 to all that lie in the same latitude, with the 

 same heat and virtue upon its first approaches, 

 as well as in its progress. Besides, if the east- 

 ern fruits were the better only for that position 

 of climate, then those of India should excel 

 those of Persia ; which we do not find by com- 

 paring the accounts of those countries : but 

 Assyria, Media, and Persia have been ever es- 

 teemed, and will be ever found, the true regions 



