BOOK OF NATURE LAID OPEN. i 



us ,with a supply of spices. The Jesuit's bark, 

 manna, senna, and others, produce a variety of sim- 

 ple but useful medicines. Some trees yield a preci- 

 ous balsam for the healing of nations; son e a quan- 

 tity of turpentine and rosin, and others give out their 

 quota of valuable oils and gums. 



Nor are trees serviceable only in a natural state : 

 by the assistance of art, some are converted into 

 houses to protect man from the inclemency of the 

 weather, or are moulded into a variety of forms for 

 the purposes of building, and domestic comfort; 

 others raise the huge fabric of the floating cattle or 

 bulky merchantman, by which the articles of indus- 

 try and commerce are transported, and a communi- 

 cation kept up with the remotest regions, 



Our limits do not permit us to enlarge upon these 

 specimens, or point out the various uses to which a 

 number of other woods in general use may be ap- 

 plied ; but the reader's own thoughts may suggest 

 these, as they are sufficiently obvious : and mean 

 time we will proceed to the order of 



Shrubs. As much that has been already said 

 respecting the utility of trees, may be applied in 

 common to this order, we will confine ourselves to 

 the three particulars in- which they may be said to 

 differ most from the former ; the first is their stature, 

 the second their greater pliability, and the third the 

 prickly armour by which many of them are covered. 



Some shrubs, as the gooseberry, the rasp, and the 

 current bushes, so common in our gardens, gratify 

 the palate, and temper the blood during the summer 



