THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS 31 



age and nation, so refined and exquisite in all sorts of 

 delicious luxury. 



The charming description \ irgil makes of the 

 happy apple, must be intended either for the citron, or 

 for some sort of orange growing in Media, which was 

 either so proper to that country, as net to grow in any 

 other (as a certain sort of fig was to Damascus) or to 

 have lost its virtue by changing soils, or to have had 

 its effect of curing some sort of poison that was usual 

 in that country, but particular to it : I cannot forbear 

 inserting those few lines out of the second of Virgil's 

 Georgics, not having ever heard anybody else take 

 notice of them. 



Media fert tristes succos, tardumque saporem 

 Fcelicis mali ; quo non prsesentibus ullum, 

 Pocula si quando szvse infecere novercas, 

 Auxilium venit, ac membris agit atra venena. 

 Ipsa ingens arbos, faciemque simillima lauro ; 

 Et si non alios late jactaret odorem, 

 Laurus erat, folia haud ullis labentia ventis ; 

 Flos apprima tenax : animas & olentia Medi 

 Ora fovent illo, et senibus medicantur anbelis. 



Media brings pois'nous herbs, and the flat taste 

 Of the bless'd apple, than which ne'er was found 

 A help more present, when curst step-dames mix 

 Their mortal cups to drive the venom out. 



