LETTER XL 297 



thor ought to have informed us of it, if It had 

 come under hiisGognizance. 



2. Now, that all Species of Animals whatever 

 confift of both- Male and Female, is what I fup- 

 pofe no body will "offer to deny, for fear of his 

 Underfl:anding*s being called in queftion ; though 

 their various methods of Copulation, Breedings 

 and Bringing- forth, are not (o perfectly and ea- 

 fily difcovered. But alas! thofe refined Gentle- 

 men who are for carrying this nice Point farther 

 Ml, by infifting that the fame will hold true ' 

 as to the Vegetable Wof Id ^ they are for the 

 moft part, if not always miftaken. Maximilian 

 MifiGn, (in vol. 4. page. 398.) tells us. That he 

 faw ifl the Garden of Simples, at Pifa^ in Italj^ ' 

 a Male and a Female Palm-tree planted together 

 agreeably to the ancient Error of thofe,^^who '^ 

 thought fuch a Marriage was neceffary, : in ordef' '^ 

 to make thofe Trees fruitful. " But this; is ^ '• 

 " meer Fable, (adds he;)> fori obferved a Palm- 

 " tree alone full of Dates, at the Villa Madotne 

 '' on Mount Mario ^ near i?i?w^.'' I have had the " 

 fame truth confirmed to me, by fuch of my Ac- 

 quaintance, as have had the good fortune to make 

 the agreeable Tour of Ital\\ who (with him too) ■■ 

 unanimoufly allow, that they are fcarce enough ^ 

 in Jtal)\ and that they very feldom bear Fruit. 

 Ab, Seller (in chap. 3. of his curious and critical . ; 

 Hiftory of Palmyra) praifes highly the Dates of 



Syria, 



