Plinies Natur^ll Hiftorie. 



K fir the frecioti^ HewerauU, Vor this pride and vanitie of ours^wee have devifed manes to peirce and 

 mund our eares : becaufe^ forfooth^ it muld not ferve our turnes to mare cojily pearks and rich Jiones 

 in carkanets About our necke^ borders upon the haire of our headjyracelets about our armes^ and rings 

 on our fingers ^untefe they were engraven alfo and cut into the very flejh of our bodies Well t hen ^tofol^ 

 low the coarfe of Nature ^ind the order of our life {as meet it is mfhould)we will treat in the firfl place 

 of Trees ^and lay before mens faces the life of the old world, and t^hat was their behavior and demed- 

 mre at thefirjl^in their manner (fliving» 



Chap. i. 



^ The honour done in eld time to Trees When the Plane-trees werefrjl knowne in 

 B italie^and of their nature, 



iN old timCjTrccs were the very temples of the gods : and according to ihu 

 auncicnt manner, the plaine and fimple peafants of the countrey, favouring 

 ftill of antiquitic, doe at this day confecraie to one god or other jthe goodlieit 

 & faireft Trees that they can meet withall. And verily jwe our felves adore not 

 with more reverence and devotion the ftately images of the gods within one 

 temples3(made though they Be of glittering goldjand beautif ull yvorie) than 

 the very groves and tutts of treesjwherein we worship the lame gods in all religious lilence. Firft 

 and formoftjthe auncient ceremonie of dedicating this and that kind of Tree to fevcrall godsjas 

 C .proper and peculiar unto them, was alwaies obferved, andcontinuethyetto this day. For the 

 mightie great Oke named iEfculus^ is conlecratcd to lupiter 5 the Lawrell to i^pollo\xhQ Olive 

 tree to C^Imerva 5 the Myrtle to Fenw 5 and the Poplar to Hercules. Moreover ^it is received and 

 beleeved generally,Thatthe Sylvanes andFaunes^yea^and certaine goddeflfes^are appropriate 

 and aflignedto woods and forrelbjyeaj there is attributed untothofe places a certaine divine 

 power and godhead^there toinhabite : as well as unto heaven the proper leat for other gods and 

 goddelles.Afterwardsjin procefle of time men began to taft alfo thefruit of Trees j&found ther- 

 in a juice (without all comparifon) more lenitive &: pleafant to the contentment of their nature, 

 than that which came of corne and graine: for thereof made they Oileja fingular liquor to te- 

 frefh and comfort the outward members and parts of the bodie : out of it they prelTed Wine, 

 D the onely drinke that giveth ftrength withinjand fortifieth the vitall powers.From thence gather 

 we lb many fruits^yearely growing and comming of themfel ves without the labour and induftrie 

 of man.And albeit, to ferve our bellie andplea^ our toothjwefticke not to maintaine fight and 

 deale in combat with wild beaibin the forrefisj although we hazard ourfelvcsin thefeajto meet 

 with monftrous fillies which are fed with the dead bodies of men caft away by Ihipwrackejand^li 

 to furnifh and fet out the table: yet is not the cheare thought good y noughjUnlefie fruits alfo be 

 fent up at the latter end, that they may have the honour in allfeafts of the fecond fervice, and 

 the banket, Belides all this,Trees ferve our turnes for a thoufand neceflarie ufes, without which 

 our life could not be well maintained. With Trees we faile over leas into ftraunge lands,and by 

 tranfporting commodities and marchandife too and fro,we make lands meet together:of Trees 

 E webuild our houles wherein we dwell.Trees were thematter in times paft,wherof were made the 

 images of the gods.For as yet no man thought of the coftly Anatomic of theElephant,neitheE 

 was their tooth in any account ; whereas now adaies wee make the treflels,frames5and feet of our 

 tableSjCven of the fame yvorie that we fee the faces of gods are portraied of^ as if we had our war- 

 rant from them to begin and maintaine our roiotandfupcrfluitie in thisbehalfe.We find in old 

 Chronicles,Thatthe Frenchmen or Gaules tookc occalion firft to come downe into Italie,and 

 to ovetlpred the whole countrey (notwithflanding they were beforctime debarred from thence 

 by the impregna'ble fort, as it werc,and the unpayable bulwarke of the Alpes between'.)becaufe 

 one Eluo^z Swifler or Helvetian, who had made long abode at Rome(where he was entertained 

 for his skill in Smiths worke and Carpentrie)at his return home again into his counttie,broughc 

 F over with him drie Figs and Raifons: the firft fruits alio as it were of Oile and Wine for a taft,to 

 fet their teeth a watering. And tlierefore the French had good reafon, and might well be borne 

 withall and pardoned jfor feeking to conquer even by force of armes ihofe countries where fuch 

 fruits grew. But who would not marvell rather at this,That our people here fhould go into fane 

 countries, and fetch a Tree from thencCj even out of another wprld^only for the fhade that it gi- 

 veth? 



