Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 3^7 



'A by the veivv of Which impcs, we may judge what the Mother is r natnely jCven and round iri the 

 bodie, without knot or knarjandfrom thence (hcpiitteth out (boots. 



They ulcd in old time to gather the Incenle but once a yeare*, as having little vent, and finall 

 rcturne, and leflc occafion to fell than now adaies : but now,fince every man calleth for it, they 

 feeling the {^vectncfle of the gaine^m^ke a double vint3ge(as it were)ot it in oneyeare.The firft, 

 and ind^^d the kindlyfeafoni Mleth aboiitthe hdfCeft daies of the Siiltimer^ at whattime as the 

 Dog daie^ begin : for thenthey cut the Tree Wher^ t'fiey l^e the barfcfe to be fiilkH of liquotj and 

 whereas they perceive k't^^ye thmneft- andikut oritilitjrt; They make a gafb or Klit onely to give 

 Hi(jr-€ libertie : but n6thirig^ddethfeyp^re<)rcijtd''daiie away .The W^^^^ incifion is no foonec 

 itiadejbut out there eufhetb^ fat fome bt froth : thiifaon d6rtgeM|^tli and grdWeih to be hard- : 



B and where tbe plicte tylll give tliem leave, thJdy recdn-e^-ifi-a qiJiit 6r mat madcof Date^tiee 

 twigs,- plaited and wotfHd-bn€ ivithiii another Wick^Vv'ife. For els \!\/h'ere5th'e'fldoreill about' is 

 paVed iiriOOth, and Jartimed dowtt'e hai'di The formeif way is che better to gather the purer arid 

 clearer Frankincenfe: but that which falMtlu^ori tfe bare gtound^^^ 

 *?hich 'teffi^incihbehind,and ftickMiB t kfeTrce,is-^ared and fcr^p^dbffwtth feiiV^^ Iwch-htb 

 yron cobles ^ and therefore no marvHBf itbe full of -iliavingsbf fclie &arke. Th^ ^*ho?'e" wobd di 

 fbrreft is devided into eertdinc portions - arid every frran knoweth his cnvne pirt ; nay^there is not 

 one of theitj i^^ill offer wrong ijnto aridther5and ctid^oeh upon his rieighbcurSi Tticy need not to 

 fetany keepersfor to iooke unto thofeTreesthatbe cut^fqr no nikn wiii rob froi^ hisfellovv if he 

 mightjfo juft and true they be in Arabia;Biit belee^/c i^C5at Alexandria where Fi-jfnlcincenfe is tfi- 



Q edjrefii^d^add made fbrfak, men cannbtlooke (ritely yndugh to- their lliops aild work-hou&^\ 



• buttheywillbe rGbbed.The^worknianthatisemploie'd^ thathee hath i» 



paire of troufes br breeches to cover his ftiamtjaihd'^diearc fen andfealcdtoo^forfeare of 

 thrufting^ny imb them /Hood- winked he is fura^y^^^^^^ 



a thicke eoife or maske about his head, for doubt tHaVhee fhould beftow any in mouth or eates-. 

 And when thele workmen bee let fobrrh-^^gdiribVrh^r^'fee'ft rtarke naked, as bvcr-rhey were 

 homeland fcnt away. VVhereby we riiay {&6^that'thefigdlir of julliee cannot Ibike id grcac feare 

 into our iheeve^ here, and make us fofecure to keepe bur ownc,as among^:he Sab^ans,the baffi 

 reverenec^nd religibii of thofe woods. But to recuune againe to our former cuts. That Incenfe 

 which waslet out in Summer, they leave there under the Tree untill the Autuinne, aqd theri 



P they come and gather it. And this is moft pure,cleane,and white. 



A fecond Vintage or gatheang, there is in the Spring: againll which time,they cut the bark 

 before in the Winter, and fuffer it to run out untill the Spring. Thiscommeth forth red,and is 

 nothing comparable to the former. The better is called Carpheotumj the worfe,Dathiathumi 

 Moreover,fdmefay,chatthe gum which iffueth out of young trees is the whiter :but that which 

 coinmeth ri:om the old,is more odoriferous. There be others alio of opinion,That the better 

 Incenfe is in riie Iflands . B ur king Ida doth avouch conftandy, that there is none at all in the 

 lilands.Thatwhich is round like unto a drop, andfo hangeth,wecall the male Incenfe 5 whereas 

 in other things lightly wee name no male,but where there is a female . But folke have a religious 

 cetemonie init, notto ufefomuchasthetearmeof the other fexe, in giving denomination to 



E Frankincenfe. Howbeit,fomefay,thatit was called tiie i\lale,forarefemblancethatit hath to 

 cuilions or ilones . In very truth, that is held for the cheefe and bell fimply , which is fafhioned 

 like to the nipples or teats that give milke, ftandingthicke one by another: to wit, when the for- 

 mer drop that deftilied, hath anotherprefently followeth after, and fo coofequently more unto 

 them,andthey allfcennie to hang together like fcigs.I read,that every one of thefe were wont tb 

 make a good handfull,namely,when men were not fo haftie and eager to carie it away , but would 

 give it time and leafure to drop foftly. When it is gathered in this fort,the Greekcs ufe to call it 

 Stagonias and Atomus : but the lefler gobbets they name Orobias. As for the fmall crums or 

 fragments which fall off by fhaking>we called Martna, U.Thms,'} And yet there be found at this 

 day dropsof Incenfethat weigh thethird pattof apound,thatistofay,about ^^yRomanede- 



F niers. It happened on a time, that king Ale^mder the Great beingthen but a very child, made ^"'^ ^ ""^ *^ 

 no fpareof Incenfe, but caft ftill upbn tlieakar without all meafurc when hee offered facrifice* 

 Whereupbn, Leontdes hxs tutor andfchoolemaifter,bywayof alightreproofe,faidunto him 

 thus, Sir you iliould in that manner burnelncenfe when you have once conquered thole nations 

 where there groweth Incenfe. Which rebuke and check© of his tooke fo deepe a print in Alex- 



