242 THE PLANTAIN. 



LIB. iv. Captaine, who, with eighteene of his companions, dined at 

 ease in th/ hollow of one of these planes : and of the Empe- 

 rour Caius Caligula, who, with eleven of his guests, feasted 

 vpon the toppe of an other plane, where he made them a 

 sumptuous banquet. The Indian platanos have neither so 

 great nor hollow bodies, nor so broade boughs. He saieth, 

 moreover, that the auntient planes grew in Italie and in 

 Spaine, although they had beene brought thither from 

 Greece; and first from Asia, but the Indians platanos growe 

 neither in Italy nor in Spaine. I say they growe not there, 

 for although we have scene some at Seville in the Kings 

 gardens, yet they prosper not, nor are of any account. 

 Finally, whatsoever they find apparently alike betwixt the 

 one and the other is really very different. For although the 

 leaves of the auntient planes were very great, yet were they 

 not such, nor so great as those at the Indies, seeing that 

 riin.,iib. Pliny compares it to the leafe of a vine or fig-ge tree. 



xi, c. 10. 



The leaves of the Indian platan o are of a wonderfull bignes, 

 and are, in a manor, sufficient to cover a man from the foote 

 to the head, so as no man can doubt but there is great 

 difference betwixt the one and the other. But put the case 

 that this Indian platano be different from the antient, yet de 

 serves it no lesse commendation, it may be more, by reason 

 of the profitable qualities it hath. It is a plant that 

 makes a stocke within the earth, 1 out of the which springs 

 many and sundrie sprigges, divided and not ioyned to 

 gether. These sprigges grow bigge, every one making a 

 small tree apart, and in growing they cast forth these 

 leaves, which are of a fine greene, smooth, and great, as I 

 have said. When it is growne to the height of an estado and 

 a balfe, or two, it puttes forth one only bough of fruite, 

 whereon sometimes there are great numbers of this fruite, 

 and sometimes lesse. I have tolde vpon some of these boughs 

 three hundred, whereof every one was a spanne long, more 



1 u Es planta quc en la tierra hace sepa, y della saca diversos pim- 

 pollos, sin estor asido ni travado uno de otro.&quot; 



