Plinies Naturail Hiftol le. 



A one of chefe three fcverall bundles or parcels of Cinamon ftickes'; anc5 that which falleth to the 

 Sunjis let alone and left behind : but of the ownc accord itcatcheth a light fire and burnetkThe 

 beft Cinamon is thought to be that which groweth about the flenderelt fticks, for the length of 

 an handbredth from the upper end. The fecond fort in goodnes5is that which is next it and fom- 

 v?hat lower, but it beareth not full fo much as an hand-breadthsand fo confcquentiy in order by 

 degrees downward: for the worft andofleaft price is that which is neereftcochc roor^jbecaiile 

 there is leaft barke,theprincipall and chiefe thing required in Cinamon : which is the caufe thac 

 the twigs in the tree top are preferred before the reft, for that in them there is moft barke. As for 

 the very wood it felfc, which is called Xylocinamomum, there is no reckoning made of it^ be* 

 , caufe of the acrimonie and fharpenefle which it hath^refembling Origan . A pound thereof is 



B worth 2Q denicrs. Of Cinamon, there be (according to fome) two kinds 5 to witjChe wbit:er,and 

 the blacker Jn times paftjthc white was in more requeft 5 but now adaies the bl-ickis moft fet by : 

 yea and chat of divers colours, isbetterefteemed than the white. But the trueft marke indeed to 

 chufe the beft, is to fee that it be not rough, and that it crumble not q uickly if one peecc be rub-i 

 bed againft another. That which is tender and foft, and hath befides awhite barkejisnot regar- 

 ded at all, but condemned for the worft. Moreover, this is to be noted, that the King only ot the 

 Gebanitcs, fctteth the price and fale of Cinamon : he it is that fclleth it in open market accor- 

 ding as it is by him taxed. In old time, a pound of it was fold for 1000 deniers:and this price 

 afterward rofc higher by one half,by reafon that the forrefts of Cinamon were(as men fay)burnt 

 ' by the barbarous Troglodites their neighbours,in their furious wrath.Now why it fliould be fo 



C deere, no man certainelyknoweth 5 whether it were through the great rich merchants, who in- 

 grolfed all into their hands by way of monopoly, or by fome fuch cafuakie and chaunce of fire 

 aforcfaid* But true it is and well knowne by that wefind in divers writers, Thac there be fuch hoc 

 Southernc winds blowing in thofe parts, that in fummer many times they fet the woods on fire. 

 Vefiafim Augusim the Emperor, was the firft that dedicated in the temples of the Capitol! and 

 goddefle Peace, guirlands andchaplets of Cinamon,enclofed within fine polillied gold. In that 

 temple which the Emprefle Augujia caufcd to be built in the pallace upon mount Palatine, fos 

 the honour of Augusim Cafar late Emperor her husband, I have my felfe feene a Cinamon root 

 of great weighty, fet in a cup of gold, which yearely did put forth certaine drops that congealed 

 into hard graincs.That monument remained there to be feenejuntill the temple and all was con- 



D fumed by fire. 



As concerning Gafia or Canell, a plant it is,which groweth neare to the plains from whence 

 the Cinamon commethj but it loveth to live upon mountainesjand beateth a bigger and roun- 

 der wood in the braunches than the Cinamon ^ and hath a thin rind or skin, more truly than a 

 barke: and the flcnderer that the fame is and lighter, the more reckoning is made of itjcleane 

 contrarie to the Cinamon . This flirub that beareth Cafia, grov-seth to the height of three cu- 

 bits : & three colors it carrieth : for when it commeih up firft,for a foot from the rootjit is whixet , 

 then^as it fhooteth halfc a foot higher/t waxeth red : but as it rifeth farther, it is blackilli i and this- 

 part is held for the beft: and fo thenexttoit, in a degree lower: but the white is of no regard at: 

 all : and therefore they never cue the twigs and braunches neare the root , nor above two cubits 



E in length. And when they have cut them in this manner, theyprefently fowthemup ingreene^ 

 skins of fourfootedbeafts, killed new and freflifor that purpofc, that of their corruption and! 

 putrefadlion there might breed certaine worms,to eat out the wood within the barkc,& fo make ' 

 it hollow ;for the barke is fo bitter,that the worme will not touch it. The neweft and freifieft Ga- . 

 nell,is reputed beft, and that which hath a moft delicate fmell j very hot in the mouth, and bur^' 

 ning the tongue, rather than gently warming it without any great biting. Such Canell is of a 

 purplecolour, and very light in hand; which feemingmuch to the eye, yet weigheth little : be- 

 fidcs,thcpipcsbebutfhort,andthe outward rind or coat is not brittle andeafietofallin pee- 

 ces . This ele^ and choile Canell, the barbarous people call Lada . Another fort there is', na- 

 med Balfamodes,becaule it hath a fmell rcfemblingBalme : bitter itisinthemouth,ai\dthere- 



p fore of more ufe inPhyfickejlilx as the blacke is moft employed in fweet perfumes andoyslt- 

 mcnts. There is no dr uggs that varieth more in price than the Canell jfor wteas the beft v^ill 

 coftfaftiedeniersRomaneapoundjalldiereftamanmaybuyforfivCrf ■ 7- o-'r?-i v ^ : 



ChAPo 



