THE FIG. 243 



were the principal contributions of each inchvidual 

 to the general stock. The Athenians considered 

 fig's an article of such necessity that their exportation 

 from Attica was prohibited. Either the temptation 

 to evade this law must have been great, or it must 

 have been disliked ; for the name which distinguished 

 tliose who informed against the violators of the law, 

 ffVKo^auTai, — (from avKov, a fig", and (pacvw, to 

 shew,) became a name of reproach, from which we 

 obtain our word sycophant. As used by our older 

 writers, sycophant means a tale-bearer ; and the French 

 employ the word to designate a liar and impostor gene- 

 rally — not a flatterer merely. At Rome the fig was 

 carried next to the vine in the processions in honour 

 of Bacchus, as the patron of plenty and joy ; and 

 Bacchus was supposed to have derived his corpu- 

 lency and vigour, not from the vine, but from the fig. 

 All these circumstances indicate that the fig contri- 

 buted very largely to the sujjport of man ; and we 

 may reasonably account for this from the facility with 

 which it is cultivated in climates of moderate tem- 

 perature. Like the cerealia, it appears to flourish 

 in a very considerable range of latitude ; and even 

 in our own countrv frequently produces fine fruit, 

 without much difficulty, in the open air. Yet the 

 tree is not generally cultivated except in very favour- 

 able situations ; and it must belong to more genial 

 climates to realize the ancient description of peace 

 and security, which assigns the possession of these 

 best blessings of Heaven to " every man under his 

 own fig-tree." 



The fig consists of a pulp, containing a number of 

 seed-like pericarps, inclosed in a rind. There is 

 something very singular in the fructification of the 

 Ficus carica. It has no visible flower ; for the fruit 

 arises immediately from the joints of the tree, in the 

 form of little buds, with a perforation at the end, but 



