Natural Hi/lory of the Ancients. 165 



fidering the vaft woods of beech which now wave 

 in Denmark. Our modern Scotch firs were un- 

 doubtedly introduced into England from Scotland 

 in the reign of James I. ; but many facts lead to 

 the conclufion that the tree had exifted in early 

 times in our country and then become extinct. 

 Another interpretation regards the pafTage as 

 meaning that Britifh vegetation was fimilar to 

 that of France, except in pofTeffing the beech and 

 fir. At any rate, the fmall-leaved elm is of 

 Roman introduction, though the wych-elm is as 

 diftinctively indigenous as are our two fpecies 

 of Britifh oak. The cyprefs and Oriental plane, 

 laurel and myrtle, ilex, fumach and arbutus, are all 

 of them gifts from Rome. The true rhododendron 

 or oleander (nerium of Pliny) alfo came to us 

 from Rome, as the Romans had themfelves 

 received it from Greece. It is poifonous, fays the 

 old natural hiftorian, to goats and fheep, but a 

 remedy to man againft the bites of ferpents. 



Many of our fruit-trees have an Eaftern origin, 

 and came to us through Rome. The walnut 

 (Slnglice, " ftrange nut ") is an Eaftern tree. 

 Thofe of Perfia were regarded by the Romans as 

 being beft, and were called " royal." 1 Like the 

 rice at prefent in fafhion at our marriages, 

 the walnut was highly efteemed at nuptial cere- 

 monies of the ancients. The peach was alfo a 

 Perfian tree, hence called -perfica by the Romans, 

 the French pec 'he ', our peach. The apricot alfo 

 by its name teftifies to the funny lands of its 

 1 Pliny, "Hift. Nat.," xv. 22. 



