43 



Imparts from bounteous womb annual recruits 

 Of wine delectable, that far surmounts 

 Gallic or Latin grapes, or those that see 

 The setting sun near Calpe's tow'ring height. 

 Nor let the Rhodian nor the Lesbian vines 

 Vaunt their rich must, nor let Tokay contend 

 For sovereignty ; Phanaeus' self must bow 

 To th' Ariconian vales. 



Gerard, who wrote his History of Plants 

 about seventy years after the introduction 

 of Pippins, has given no account of this va- 

 riety of the apple. He describes but seven 

 kinds : the Pome Water, the Baker-ditch 

 apple the king of apples, the Quining, or 

 queen of apples, the Summer Pearmain, the 

 Winter Pearmain, and the Paradise apple. 

 In his descriptions of apples, he says, " The 

 fruit of apples do differ in greatness, forme, 

 colour and taste; some covered with a 

 red skin, others yellow or greene, varying 

 infinitely according to the soyle and climate; 

 some very great, some little, and many 

 of a middle sort ; some are sweet of taste, 

 or something sour; most be of a middle 

 taste, betweene sweet and sour; the which 

 to distinguish, I think it impossible, not- 

 withstanding I heare of one that intendeth 

 to write a peculiar volume of apples, and 

 the use jf them/' This author continues, 



