218 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



The Romans called it the Carthaginian apple. 

 The pomegranate abounded in Carthage and derives 

 its botanical name, Punica, from this place. Pliny 

 says that the pomegranate came to Rome from Car- 

 thage; but its original home was probably Persia or 

 Babylon. It was early introduced into Southern 

 Europe and was taken to Spain from Africa. 

 Granada took its name from the fruits and the Arms 

 of the province display a split pomegranate. Around 

 Genoa and Nice there are whole hedges of it 

 rising to the height sometimes of twenty feet. It 

 was introduced into England in Henry VIII's time, 

 carried there among others by Katharine of Aragon, 

 who used it for her device. Gerard grew pome- 

 granates in his garden. Many legends are con- 

 nected with the pomegranate, not the least being 

 that of Proserpine. When the distracted Ceres 

 found her daughter had been carried off by Pluto, 

 she begged Jupiter to restore her. Jupiter replied 

 that he would do so if she had eaten nothing in the 

 realms of the Underworld. Unfortunately, Pluto 

 had given her a pomegranate and Proserpine had 

 eaten some of the seeds. She could not return. The 

 sorrow of Ceres was so great that a compromise was 

 made and the beautiful maiden thereafter spent six 

 months in the Underworld with her husband and six 



