The twelfth Booke of 



tured firft to bite of pepper and ufe it in his meats ? Who might he be.that to provokehis appe- G 

 tite and find himfelfc a good ftomacke^ could not make a fliift with failing and hunger onely ? 

 Surely Ginger and Pepper both, grow wild in thofe countries where they doe like, and yet wee 

 muftbuy them by weighty as we doe gold and filver. Oflatedaieshere in Italie, wee have made 

 meanes to have the Pepper tree grow among us -.and verily a little fcrubbie plant it is, orllirub 

 rather ; bigger fomewhat than theMirtlejandnotfarre unlike. The graine that ours bearethy?^- 

 rieth the very fame bitternes that the grcene pepper of India is thought to have before it be Si 

 ripe. For here it wanteth the due parching and ripening againft the funne : and by that meanes 

 comroeth fliort of the rivels and blacknefte that the outigi^difh pepper haih. Sophifticated it is, 

 by entcrmifigling with it the graines or berries of lunipei : for furejy, they doe marveilous foone 

 take the taft and ftrength of Pepper. Andas for the weight, there be divers wayes to deceive the h 

 chapman therein. 



Over and befides, there is another fruit that commeth out of India, like iinto pepper corncsi 

 and it is called Cloves, but bigger fomevy.hat and more brittle, And theyXay, that it growethin 

 a certaine grove confecrated to their gods in India. Tranfported over it is ^nto us fot: thefweet 

 fmeJlthacitcafteth. ■•■r.-.y ■<.- ■>':.■ ^>£>/-'.;. 



Moreover, the Indians have a thornic and prickic plant, which beareth a fruit like to pepper, 

 and paffing bitter. Thcleaves bee fmall and grow thicke after the manner of Privet -.itputieih 

 forth braimches three cubits long : the barke is pale, the root broad and of a woodie fubftance, 

 refembling the colour of boxc. Of the infufion of this root in faire watcr,togither with the feed, 

 in a brafen veflell,is made that medicine or compofition which is called Lycium. A bufli there I 

 groweth likewife upon mount Pelion [like Pyxiacantha, the Berbertie buflri] whereof is niade • 

 a counterfeit Lycium. In like manner,the root of theB^^^^ with an Oxe gall, Wormwoot, 

 Frankincenfe, and the mother or lees of Oile,will doe the fame. But the beft Lycium and moft 

 raedicinable, is that which doth yeeld a great froth or fcum. The Indian merchants doe fend it 

 over in bags made of the skins cither of Camels or Rhinocerotes. In fome parts of Greece they 

 name the very bufh whereof this Lycium is riiade,Pyxacanthum Chironium. 



' Chap. vm. 



of LMacirySugAr^and the trees of the region Arkn,u 



THeMaeir likev^ife is brought out of India. A reddifh barke or rind it is, ofa greatroot jand 

 beareth the name of the tree it felfe : but the forme of that tree I know not how to defcribe. 

 This rind fodden in hony, &fo condit as a Succadcjis a fingular good medicine for thole 

 that be troubled with the Dyfenterie or blpudie flix.As for Sugar^ there is of it in Arabiajbut the 

 bcft comn;icth outof India.^ Akindof honey it is, gathered and candied in certaine canes: 

 white this is like gum [ Arabicke] and brittle betweene a mans teeth. The graines hereof when 

 they ate at the biggeft,exceed not a filberd nut, and feive only for Phyfick. In the realme of Ari- 

 anaCwhichconfinethandboundeth upon the Indians) there is a certaine thornie plant, fofull 

 offharpe pricks, thatit is comberous to them who come about it which yceldeth a pretious li- 

 quoriffijing out thereof, like unto My rrhe* . In the fame province there groweth a peftilent veno- ^ 

 mous ilirub called Rhaphanusjbearing leaves like the Bay tree, which with their fragrant finell 

 trainehorfes thither to eat thereof 5 but they are lb good for them, that they left not Alexmder 

 the Great fcarfe one horfcofall his Cavallerie^they dyedfofaft of that food at hisfirft entrance 

 into thccountrey . The like accident befell unto him alfo among the Gedrofians . In like man- 

 ner,there is another thornie plant(by report)in that region,lea\^d like theLaurell .-the juice and 

 liquor whereof^ if it be fprinkled or dafhed in the eyes of any living creature whatfoevefj putteth 

 them quite out and makesihera blind. Moreover, they have an herb there, of a fingular pleafant 

 favor,but covered all over it is with litle venomous ferpentsj their (lingis prefeDtdeath.Owy?m- 

 tiis reportethjThat in the vales of Hircania therebe trees like figtrees, wliicfa the Hircanianscall 

 Occhi,out of which there diftilleth or droppeth hony every morriingfor thelpace of twp hours. M 



'S^ HAP, i-5i.,f^'^^f Bdellium landthetrees^ growing by the PerfiAngulfe, 



N Bare to tliefe parts lyeth Badriana,wherein is the moft excellent Bdellium.The tree that 

 bcarethit is blackejof the bigaes of aa<>livC;^withk^65J|ikc afi Qkc 5 and thefi:uitrefem- 

 TV ' " ------ - j^j^^ 



