The twelfth Booke of. 



reft: and hcc affirhicth. That it will not growelfcwhcre* hut ffero^iofu^s Mgncthh rather to G 

 Ethiopia I and faith, That every three ycares the iEthiopians were wont to pay by way of tribute 

 unto the kin^s of Perfiaj loo billets of the timber of that tree, togither with gold and yvorie. 

 Moreover, I muft not forget (fince that mine author hathfoexpreflely fetitdowne) that the JE- 

 thiopians in the fame regard were bound to pay in like manner, twentie great and maHie Ele- 

 phants teeth. InfucheftimationwasIvoriethen,namclyinthe3ioycere after the foundation 

 of Rome 5 at what time as Herodotus put forth that Hiftorie at Thurij in Italy .The more mervaile 

 it isjihat we givefo much credit to that writer/ayingas hee doth. How that in his time and be- 

 forcj there was no man knowne in A(ia or Greece, nor yet to himfelfe, who had not fo much as 

 ieene the river Po. The Card or Map of ^thiopia,which lately was prefented and ihewed to the 

 Emperor Nero (as we have before faid) dgth fufficiently teftifie^ That from Syene (which confi- U 

 ncth and boundeth the lands of our Empire and dominion) as farre as to the Hand McroCj for 

 the (pace of miles, there is little Ebenc found : and that in all thofe parts betwcene, there be 

 few other trees to be found^but Date trees. Which peradvcnturc may be a caufe , That Ebenc 

 was counted a rich tribute, and deferved the third placc,after Gold and Ivorie * Certes, Pom^ey 

 the Great, in that folemnitie of triumph forthevidorieand conqucflof Mttkridates^ lliewed 

 one Ebenc tree. F4^/4/?^/^isofopinionj that it will not burne: howbeit, experience fhcweih the 

 contrarie ^ for take fire it will, yea and cafl a plcafant and fweet perfume. Two kinds there be of 

 Ebenc: the one, which as it is the better, folikewife it is rareand gcafon ; itcarrieth a trunke 

 like another trccj without knot j the wood thereof is blacke and Ibining; and at the very firft 

 fight, faire and plcafant to the eycj without any art or polifliing at all . The other, is more like I 

 alhrub, and puttcthfoorth twigs as the Tretrifolie. A plant this is, commonly to be kene iu 

 all parts of India. 



Chap, V. 



of mta'me Thornaavd Fig-trees of India^ 



THerc growcth alfo among the Indians, a Thorne refcmbling the latter kind of Ebencjand 

 foundtofervefortheufeofcandles:forno fooncrcommcthit nearc unto the fire, but it 

 caccheth a flame, and the fire leapeth prcfently unto it. Now it remaineth to Ipeak of thofe 

 trees, which kx. Alexander Great into a wonder at what time as upon his vidorie hcc made a K 

 voiagcfoitodifcoverthatpartof theworld . Firft and formoit, there is a Fig-tree there, which 

 beareth very fmall and (lender figges . The propertie of this Tree, is to plant and (et it Iclfc 

 without mans helpe. For it Iprcadeth out with mightic armcs, and the lowett water-boughes 

 underneath, doe bend fo downcward to the very earth, that they touch it againe, and lie upon 

 it : whereby, within one ycares (pace they will take faft root in the groundjandput foorth anew 

 Spring round about the Mother-treetfoasthcfebraunchesthus growing, fcemciike a traile 

 or border of arbours raoft curioufly and artificially made.Within thefe bowers the fheepheards 

 ule to repole and take up their harbour in Summer time : for lliadie and coole it is, and befides 

 well fenced all about with a fet of young trees in manner of a pallaifado . A moft plcafant and 

 delegable fight, whether a man either come ncare, and looke intoit,orfhnd a farre off : fb £ 

 faire and plcafant an arbour it is, all gt eene, and framed arch-wife in juft compafTe. Now the 

 upper boughes thereof (land up on high, and bcarea goodly tuft and head aloft like a little 

 thicke wood or forrcit. And the bodic or trunke of the Mother is fo great, that many of them 

 take up in compaflc threefcore paces : and as for the forcfaid ftiaddow, it covereth in ground 

 a quarter of a mile. The leaves of this Tree are Very broad, made in forme of an Amazonian 

 or rurkifhTarguet rwhichisthe reafon, that the nggcs thereof are but finall 5 confidering, 

 that the Icafe covereth it, and fiiffercth it not to grow unto the full. Neither doc they hang 

 thicke upon the trce,but here and there very thin, and none of them bigger than a bcane.How- 

 beit, fo well and throughly ripened they bee with the heat of the Sunnc, notwithihnding the 

 leaves are betweenCj that they yccld a mofl pleafant arid fiivcet rellicein tail, and are a fruit for M 

 a king, anfwerable to the mightic, huge, and prodigious tree that beareth it . Thefe fig- trees 

 grow ab undantly about the river Acefine. 



Chap* 



