The twelfth Booke of 



Spice and OHorSjhow much (I pray you) commethto the fer vice of thccoelcftiallgods; incom- G 

 parifonof that which is burnt at funcralsjto the fpiritsinfernall? 



Chap. xix» 



^ of Cinamon^ and the mod thereof ailed Xjlocinnammm, 

 K^lfi ofCanell or Cafta, 



FAbuIousantiquitic, and the prince of \^cts Herodotus ^ have reported. That in thattra<a 

 where jSif^^/w was nouriflied, Cinamonand Cancll either fell fromtheneftsof ccrtainc 

 foules, and principally of the Phoenix, through the weight of thevcnifonand flefh which 

 they had preyed upon and brought thither where as they builded in high rockcs and trees j or ^ 

 els was driven and beaten downc, by arrowes headed with lead. Alfo that Cancll or Cafia was 

 gotten from about certaine maridiesj guarded and kept with a kind of cruell Bats , armed with 

 terrible and dreadfull tallons^and with certaine flying Pen-dragons. And all thefc devifes were 

 invented onely taenhaunce the price of thefe drugs. And this tale is told another way^namely. 

 That in thole parts where Canell and Cinamon grow (which is a country in manner of a dcmy- 

 Ilandj much environed with the lea) by the refleSion of the beames of the Noon-fun, a world 

 ofodorifcrouslinelsiscaftfromthcr^cejinfuchfortathata man may feele the fcnt at one time 

 of all the aromaticall drugs as it wer^ met togither, and fending a moft fragrant and pleafant fa- 

 vour farre and neare : and that J lexHnder the Great failing with his fleet, by the very finell alone 

 difcovercd Arabia a great way into the maincfea. Liesall, boththeoneand theother rforCi- J 

 namome, or Cinamonjcall it whether you will, groweth in ^chiopia,a countrey neare unto the 

 Ttoglodites, who by mutuall marriages are linked togither in great atfinitie. And in very truth, 

 the /Ethiopians buy up all the Cinamon they can of their neighbours, and tranlportit into o- 

 therftraunge countries over the vaft Ocean, in fmall punts or boats, neither ruled with helmc 

 and rudder,nor dire(5ted too and fro with ores,ne yet caried with failes or any fiich means of na- 

 vigation: one man alone fhall you fee there in a boat, armed and furnifhed with boldnesonly 

 in fteadof all,tohazardhimfelfeandhi^goddsinthefurgingfea.Thefefellowes3ofall times of 

 the yeere, take the dead of the winter,and then fto chufe) they will venter to croffe the fcasfor 

 their voyage, when the Southeaft winds are aloft and blow luftily, Thefe winds fet them forward 

 in a ftreight and dire(5t courie through the gulfes ; and after they have doubled the point of Ar- ^ K 

 gefte, and coafted along, bring them into the famous port or haven-towne of the Gebanites, 

 called Ocila. And albeit this voiage be long and dangerous(foi the merchants hardly can return 

 in five yeeres, and n)any of them mifcarrie by the way) yet by repon,they arc nothing difmaied 

 and daunted therewith, but willingly adventure ftill. And beeing at Ocila, what thinkeyou doc 

 they exchaunge for, and wherewith fraight they their veflcls back againe homeward ? even with 

 glafleSjVelTels of copper and brafle, fine cloth, bucklcs,clafpes,and pincers,bracelets and carca- 

 nets, with pendant jewels :1b as a man would verily thinke,that this traffick were maintained a^id 

 the voiagesentcrprifcd under the credit and for thepleafureof womankind elpecially. Now as 

 touching the plant that beareth Cinnamon, the tallcftis notabove two cubits highabovc- 

 ground,nor the lowcft under one hand-breadth or foure inches :incompafle about foure fingers £ 

 thicke : immediatly from the earth it putteth forth twigs, and is full of braunches of fixe fingers 

 lengthjbut it looketh as ifit were drie and withered : whiles it is greene it yeeldeth no fmell at all : 

 and the leafe refembleth Origan : it loveth drought, for in rainie weather it is lefle fruitfull ; and 

 yetit isof thisnaturc,Tobecutasa coppis. It will grow verily in plainesjbut gladly it would 

 Iddgeamong the thickeft rough of burfies, greeves, and bryers that are to be found : (b as men 

 have nriuch adoe to come by it and to gather it :but never is it cut or cropped without elpeciall 

 permillion of acertain god,which they take to be /wjpi/^;-; and this patronof the Cinamontree, 

 they call K^ffabinm, To obtaine leave and licenfe fo to do,they are glad to (acrifice the inwards 

 of 4^ ^i«^c or O^seh, Goats alio and Rams : and when they have all donC, yet permitted they be 

 not to goe about this bufinefle either before the Sunrifing,or after his letting. Now when thefe M 

 twi^s & branches be cut, the Sacrificer or Prieft divideth & parteth them with a javclin,and fet- 

 teth bj^ one porti<inifor the god abovefaidrthe refl doth the merchant put up & bellow inpaniers 

 for the purpofe. This manner of divifion is otherwife reported 5 namely, That the whole heap is 

 caft into three parti^j whereof the Sunnc hath oncfor his fhare : but they draw lots firfl for every 



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