158 



Samuel, we read, that when Abigail went 

 to meet David, to appease him for the affront 

 given by Nabal her husband, she took with 

 her, amongst other provisions, a present of 

 two hundred cakes of figs. 



When Lycurgus banished luxury from 

 Sparta, and obliged the Spartan men to dine 

 in one common hall, to enforce the practice 

 of temperance and sobriety, every one was 

 obliged to send thither his provisions month- 

 ly, which consisted of about one bushel of 

 flour, eight measures of wine, five pounds of 

 cheese, and two pounds and a half of figs. 



The Athenians were so choice of their 

 figs, that it was forbidden to export them 

 out of Attica. Those who gave information 

 of this fruit being sold contrary to law, 

 were called sykophantai, from two Greek 

 words signifying the discoverers of figs ; and 

 as they sometimes gave malicious informa- 

 tion, the term was afterwards applied to all 

 informers, parasites, liars, flatterers, impostors, 

 &c. from whence the word sycophant is de- 

 rived. 



The story of Romulus and Remus being 

 suckled by a wolf under a fig-tree, proves 

 that this fruit must have been early known in 

 Italy. 



The Egyptians and Greeks held this fruit 



