zio 1 S L A N D O F C E Y L O N. 



After the fine defcription given by the Roman naturalift, I fliall 

 not injure ^intus Cur tins., by tranfcribing, from Book ix. ch. i, 

 the few very inferior lines he has written on the fubjedt. 



It is now difcovered to the very fouth of L^dia, and fpreads 

 through many of the iflands, even to the Moluccas. They are 

 frequently planted in market-places, and are therefore called, 

 Waringen daun Bazaar ; their extenfive fhade proving very 

 grateful to all who frequent thofe fpots of bulinefs. The Por- 

 tuguefe, from its multitude of roots, ftyle it Arbor de raix. It 

 is by the EngUJJj ufually called the Banyans tree, or more pro- 

 perly I'ogey tree, being that under the fliade of which the reli- 

 gious of that fetft ufually pradtife their fenfelefs aufterities. 

 Plin]') lib. vii. c. 2, defcribes them under the name of Gymno- 

 fopbijia. Philofophos eorum, quos Gymnofophiftas vocant ab 

 exortu ad occafum praeftare, contuentes folem immobilibus 

 " oculis : ferventibus harenis toto die alternis pedibus infiftere. 

 Others again have fuppofed this tree to have been the tree of 

 life, and to have furnifhed the leaves with which our firlr pa- 

 rents betrayed their fenfe of fliame after the fall. Milton adopts 

 the laft opinion, and gives us the following beautiful verfion of 

 the Latin naturalift : — 



Soon they chofe 

 The fig tree, not the kind for fruit renown'd. 

 But fuch as at this day to Indians known. 

 In Malabar or Decan fpreads her arms. 

 Branching fo broad and long, that in the ground 



7 The 



