72 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



next to the citron wood in value ; and we 

 are told that in some instances, when it was 

 finely spotted, it brought its weight in gold. 

 To such a height did the fondness of the 

 Romans for curious wood carry them at one 

 period of their history, that their tables were 

 more expensive than the jewels of their ladies. 

 This tree was generally called arpsvictfiwg in 

 Greece, although they distinguished different 

 kinds of maple by different appellations, 

 which was also the custom of the Romans ; 

 but it is most commonly named acer in 

 Latin, from acer, acris, on account of the 

 hardness of the wood, or from acre ingeniu?n 9 

 from its being so much in use by the most 

 ingenious artificers in fine works. Evelyn 

 tells us, that the wood of the maple is far 

 superior to that of beech for all kinds of 

 turnery ware ; and that in his time it was 

 turned into cups and bowls, and worked so 

 thin as to be almost transparent ; and it was 

 also greatly esteemed for its lightness, and 

 sold under the name aier. It was likewise in 

 considerable demand for making various mu- 

 sical instruments. The author of the Sylva 

 states, that by shredding up the boughs to a 

 head, he caused the maple to shoot to a 

 wonderful height in a little time ; at present 

 it is seldom suffered to arrive to the size of a 



