228 



all venom ; the leaves," he says, " are like 

 the arbutus, and it hath thorns/' " The pome 

 citron," he continues* " is not good to be 

 eaten as a fruit, but is very odoriferous, as 

 are the leaves, which are used to be put in 

 wardrobes among apparel, to give a perfume, 

 and to keep off moths and spiders/' " This 

 tree/' he adds, " bears fruit at all times of the 

 year, for when some fall, others begin to 

 mellow, and some to blossom. Many have 

 tried to transplant the trees into their own 

 country ; and for this purpose they have had 

 pots made, and enclosed them well with 

 earth ; but for all the care and pains taken 

 about them, to make these trees grow in 

 other countries, yet would they not forget 

 Media and Persia, and liking no other soil, 

 would soon die." 



Virgil, in his Second Georgic, has ele- 

 gantly described this fruit, and it's supposed 

 medical powers against spells and poison. 



Media fert tristes succos tarduraque saporem 

 Felicis mail: quo non praesentius ullum 

 (Pocula si quando soevae infecere novercae 

 Miscueruntque herbas, et non innoxia verba) 

 Auxilium venit, ac membris agit atra venena. 

 Ipsa ingens arbos, faciemque simillima lauro : 

 Et si non alium late jactaret odorem, 

 Laurus erat : folia hand ullis labentia vends : 

 Flos apprime tenax : animas et olentia Medi 

 Ora fovent illo, et senibus medicantur anhelis. 



