LAVENDER. 305 



Romans wishing to preserve them, a most 

 bloody battle ensued. The trees were pre- 

 served, indeed, but for the worshippers of 

 idols, though the Temple fell without being 

 polluted by heathen sacrifices. 



These celebrated shrubs, and their bal- 

 samic liquor, were then placed under the 

 protection of the Roman empire. They are 

 now doomed to shed their tears for the gra- 

 tification of the Grand Signior's seraglio 

 only ; for even the balsam that so rarely 

 leaves Constantinople, in the shape of pre- 

 sents from the great men of the Porte, is 

 merely an extract from the prunings of the 

 plants. 



The cultivation of these shrubs is now ex- 

 clusively in the hands of the Turkish Sove- 

 reign ; and is esteemed so precious as to form 

 a special part of his revenue. 



Le Sieur Pierre Pomet, in his Histoire 

 G Sner ale des Drogues, 16'94, tells us, that the 

 Grand Signior had some of these shrubs 

 transplanted into his garden at Grand Cairo, 

 where they were so strictly guarded by the 

 Janizaries, that his friend could not by any 

 stratagem obtain a sight of the trees, except- 

 ing from the height of the wall. From the 

 drawing and description which this author 



VOL. I. 



