LIME TREE. 221 



emperor. It contained a work of Cicero, De Ordinanda 

 Republica,etde Inveniendis Orationum Exordiis ; apiece 

 inestimable, but never published, and now in the library 

 at Vienna, after it had formerly been the greatest rarity 

 in that of the late Cardinal Mazarine. Other papyraceous 

 trees are mentioned by West Indian travellers, especially 

 in Hispaniola, Java, Sec. whose inward bark not only ex- 

 ceeds our largest paper for breadth and length, and may 

 be written on both sides, but is comparable to our best 

 vellum. Bellonius says that the Grecians made bottles 

 of the Tilia, which they finely resined withinside." 

 Again, speaking of the numbers of Limes planted by the 

 Dutch, he breaks forth in a rapturous manner, " Is 

 there a more ravishing or delightful object than to behold 

 some entire streets and whole towns planted with these 

 trees, in even lines before their doors, so as they even 

 seem like cities in a wood ? This is extremely fresh, 

 of admirable effect against the epilepsy, for which the 

 delicately scented blossoms are held prevalent, and skreen 

 the houses from wind, rain, and dust ; than which there 

 can be nothing more desirable where streets are much 

 frequented*." 



It has been observed that the Lime is called Bast in 

 Lincolnshire, because ropes are made of the bark ; mats 

 also are made of it, which are used by gardeners, and 

 are called Bast in the north of Europe. Great numbers 

 of them are made in Russia, and exported to other 

 countries. The sap of the Lime, inspissated, affords a 

 quantity of sugar. 



The garlands of flowers with which the ancients 

 crowned themselves in their convivial entertainments, 

 were artfully bound together with slips of the inner 

 rind of the Lime tree. 



* Evelyn's Sylva. 



