

PINE-APPLE. 293 



strawberries with wine and sugar. Upon the top it is 

 crowned with a cluster of flowers and leaves, and at a 

 distance is not unlike an artichoke, but without any pricks 

 at the corners : the middlemost stalk, being the biggest 

 upon which the fruit grows, is about two feet high, and 

 has fifteen or sixteen leaves. Round about this stalk grow 

 other lesser stalks, with young fruit upon each. Whoso- 

 ever will eat of this fruit, must first of all take off the 

 outward skin, and then cut it into pieces, and so infuse 

 them in wine or water, to draw out the biting quality that 

 is in it, otherwise it will make blisters upon the tongue : 

 nor is that all ; for it is very dangerous to eat much of it, 

 because it is apt to bring on dysentery. And though 

 this fruit be hot, yet the leaves thereof are cooling, having 

 a soure and corrosive quality, which is only found in cool- 

 ing herbs ; and the main hazard is produced by its plea- 

 santness, which is such, that it will melt in the mouth 

 like sugar." 



In Evelyn's Diary, 9th August, 1661, he says, " I first 

 saw y e famous Queen Pine brought from Barbadoes and 

 presented to his Ma tie ; but the first that were ever seen 

 in England were those sent to Cromwell four years since." 



In July 19, 1668, he again observes, " I was at a ban- 

 quet which the King gave to the French Ambass r Colbert. 



*' Standing by his Ma tie at dinner in the presence, there 

 was of that rare fruit call'd the King Pine, growing in 

 Barbados and y e West Indies, the fruit of them I had 

 never seen. His Ma lie having cut it up, was pleased to 

 give me a piece off his owne plate to taste of, but in my 

 opinion it falls short of those ravishing varieties of deli- 

 ciousness described in Capt. Ligon's History, and others ; 

 but possibly it might, or certainly was, much impaired in 

 coming so far. It has yet a gratefull acidity, but tastes 

 more like y e quince and melon than of any other fruit 

 he mentions. " 



