CYPRESS TREE. Ill 



trees has been much reduced, Miller observes, that 

 posterity will probably feel the want of this useful tree 

 in America. It makes good canoes, hoops, and other 

 coopers' ware; it is much esteemed for shingles, and 

 many houses are built with it. 



The Cypress, the Evergreen Cypress, Cupressus sem- 

 pervirens, is a native of the Levant, Candia, Rhodes, 

 Malta, Apulia, some parts of the Russian empire, China, 

 &c. It was cultivated in this country in 1551 : Gerarde 

 mentions it as growing " at Sion, a place near London, 

 sometime a house of nuns ;" at Greenwich, and at Hamp- 

 stead, in the garden of Mr. Waide, one of the clerks of 

 his Majesty's privy council. 



It is said there are still growing, in the gardens of a 

 palace in Granada, several fine lofty Cypresses, that were 

 large trees in the reign of Andeli the last Moorish king, 

 three centuries ago. These trees are called Los Cypresses 

 de la Rcgna Sultana, the Cypresses of the reigning Sul- 

 tana, from that princess having been falsely accused of 

 entertaining her lover Abencerrage under their shadow. 



Pliny says, that in his time there were trees of this 

 kind in Rome more ancient than Rome itself. There 

 are still many fine Cypresses in modern Rome, though 

 not of such high antiquity ; and it has been observed, 

 that no tree blends so well with stone buildings. 



" This tree," says Miller, " is recommended by many 

 learned authors for the improvement of the air, and as a 

 specific for the lungs, as sending forth quantities of aro- 

 matic and balsamic scents ; wherefore many of the ancient 

 physicians of the Eastern countries used to send their 

 patients who were troubled with weak lungs to the 

 island of Candia, which at that time abounded with these 

 trees.'"' 



