of Pliniés Naturall Hiorie. 89 
the caufe thacthis colour is not teckned among thofe that be principal, tharis to fay, cominon 
~ aswell ro men as women: for the wearing and ufing of colours indifferently by the one andthe 
other, is that which hath.given them their name and fpeciall credit. Howbeit,doe what we can, 
for all our skill and induftrie wee mutt give place without all doubt to the purpie floure gentle, 
for we cannot reach poffibly to the colourthereof, Now co fay atruth,a purple Spike rather this 
isthana floure; and the fame alrogither without any {mell.Of aftraunge and wondertull nature 
this is: itloves of all things tobe cropped, andthe more iris plucked, che be:ter t¢ commeth ar 
” gaine: it beginneth to {pike or put out the flourein the month of Auguft,andcontinuech votill 
Autumne. The beft is that of Alexandria for after it is gathered, it will keepe the freth and lively 
colour ftill, This marveilous propertie it hath by it felfe, That when all other fonres «doe faile 
and are gone, if ibe wetin water itlookethfrefh agsine and for wantot others, {erves all wine 
terlong to make chaplets & guirlands. The chiefe and principall vertue thatit hath, is fhewed 
inthe very name Amaranthus, for fo iris called in Grecke, becaule irnever doth fade or wither. 
Burro comeagaineto our artificiall colours;we have one that anfwereth to the floure named 
Cyanos, 7, Blewbottle: likewife to the yellow golden floure Elichryfon, Verely none of all thefe 
flours or colours were in requett in the daies of K. Alexander the Great; forthe Greeke authors 
who wrote next a‘ter his deceafe, have made no menticn at all of them:whereby itis plain that: 
they grewintoa name and liking fince their time. Howbeitno man neeas to make doubt onque- 
- ftion, Thatfound ont they werelirftby the Greekes: for how els (houldat bee, that their names 
which be meere Greekith,are currant here in Italie 2? Howbeitthis cannot be denied, that Italie 
hath givenname tothe bearbe Petiliam,which floureth in Autumne,grovieth about bers and 
brambles, and is onely commendable for the colour fake, which ismuchliketo the wild Rofe 
or Eglantine : the leaves of which floure be finall, and no more than five. A wonderiull thing to 
benoted inthis floure, Thatthe head fhould bend and nod downward fo, as unleffe itbee thus 
(as it were) wreathed and bowed, the {aid leaves will not fhew out of afmall cup or vefleli of fun- 
drie colours, and enclofing within ita yellow feed, i aed 
_Astouching a Daifie, a yellow cup it hath alfo, and the fame is crowned as it were with a gar. 
landconfilting of five and fiftie little leaves, fer round aboutin manner of fine pales, Thefe be 
floures of the médow,and moft offuch are of noufeatall; nomarvrile therfore if they be name- 
Jeffe: howbeit foine give them one tearme, andfome anojher. As for Chrylocon orAChryfitis, 
no Latine denomination it hath at all: an heatbe itis, growirg an-hand-breadth high, putting» 
forth cettaine buttons (as ic were)in the head, glittering as brightas gold, with a blackeroot,ta- 
fting harth and yetfweetith wichall: it groweth commonly in places tull of tones and fhadawe: 
; : Bat tie pe 
‘Crap, IX. 
eg The excellencie of Ch. plets and Gusrlands : of Cyclaminus aad Meliled : of 
Trafolte or Claver, and three kiads thercof. 
-F Owthat we have gone through in manner the principalldies and richeft colours thar be; 
NW tremaineth chat we pafle to thetreatife of thole guirlands, which beeing made of divers 
-colouied flours,in regard only of that varictie,are deleCiable and pleafing to the eye. And 
confidering that fome of them ftand upon flours,others of leafe,they ray be ail reducedtatwo:. 
principall heads. Ansong flours,| take co be all kinds of broome (for froasrherm there be gathe- 
red yellow flouzes) and the Oleander. rem the bloffoms of the injabe wee, which allo is called: 
Cappadocia, for they refemble much the odor of the Olive bloums. As for Gyclaminum,i.Sdw- 
breed, it groweth among buthes 3 whereof :norethall be faid in another place :a purple Colof- 
_ fian flouite ir carieth, which is nled to beautifie & fer our game-cordnets. Pe come now to chap- 
lets made of leaves ; the fairelt that goeunto them,be * Smilax and Ivie; and therein alfo their *Bindweed. 
Detri¢s interlaced among, do make a goodly fhewabove all : of which,we have {poken atlargein 
the tréarife of frubs andtrees. Many kindsthereare befides of plants propesfor this purpofe, 
which we moftbe faine to exprefle by Greeke names, forafatuch as our countieymen have not 
been fiudious in this b¢halfe,to give any Latine names to the greaeft part of them: befides, 
mottofthem are meere ftraungers in Italy and prow in forrein parts: howbeit, looked for it will 
beat our hands that we fhould enter into the difcourfe of them alfo,for that our purpofe and de- 
- ign seachethto all the works of Nature and is not limited & confined within the bounds of Iraly. 
1 iij Well 
