JAVA. 51 



" their death, I obferved their bodies full of livid fpots, 

 " much like thofe of the Petecbioe, their faces fwelled, their 

 " color changed to a kind of blue, their eyes looked yellow, 

 " Sec. &c*." 



This tree did not efcape the notice of our great Sir John 

 MandeviUe\ he makes the poifon produced from it to be takea 

 inwardly. I fliall give his words, and alfo the horrible opinion, 

 held at that time, againft the Hebr^an race, whom he accufes of 

 a defign of poifoning all Chriftendom with this infernal juice. 

 After fpeaking of the trees of beneficent ufe, he fayst, " and 

 " there ben other trees that beryn venym ; azenft the whiche 

 " there is no medicyne but on; and that is to taken here 

 " propre leves, and ftamp hem and tempere hem with watre, 

 *' and than drynke it; and elle he fchalle dye ; for triacle will 

 ^' not avaylle, ne non other medicyne. Of this venym the J ewes 

 " had let feche of on of here frendes, for to empoyfone alle 

 " Chriftiantee, as I have herd hem feye in here confeffioune, 

 *« before here dyenge. But thanked be alle myghty God, thei 

 " fayleden of hire purpos ; but alle weys thei maken gret mor- 

 " tallitee of people." 



In refpedt to the other trees and plants of Javay I can 

 only fay that tliey agree with thofe oi Sumatra^ and other iflands 

 of the great Archipelago. Moft will be found in ray Flora Indica. 

 Let me only remark, that the earlieft Dutch navigators have 



* Though the recent information obtained in the courfe of Lord Macartneys embafly to 

 China, vol. i. p. 272, totally invalidates the authority of Foerfh, yet it appears evident that 

 trees of a moft deleterious nature, and produdive of the moft adive poifons, really exift in Java. 

 Such alfo was the opinion of the author of this work, whofe depth of judgment placed him far 

 remote from the imputation of credulity ; I have therefore ventured, as in other inftances, to 

 publifh a faithful copy of the original manufcript. E. 



t Travels, p. 229, 



H 2 given 



