Plinies Natural! Hiftorie, 



A 



Ghap. XVII. 

 Of the ireeLntm, 



IN the fame coaft of Aflfrick which regardeth Italic, there groweth Lotos, which tHev call Qet 

 tis. A notable tree it is and of Ipeciall niarke : found alfo here among us now in Italy, but togi- 

 ther with the foile, it hath chaunged the nature.The faireft and goodlieft oi them be about the 

 Sy rtes and the Nafamones : they be as big and tall as Peare trees, hdwfoever Ncpos Comelim 

 faithjthey are but little and low. The leaves bee thicke cut and endented : otherwife they were 

 liketothofeof thellex or Holme tree. Many forts there be of the Lotetree, and thofe forthe 

 B moft part according to their divers ahd feverall fruits. Howbeit ordinarily the fruit is as bi^ as a 

 Beane, and of yellow colour as Saffron ; yet before it is full ripe, it chaungeth into fiuidty colors ' 

 like as grapes doe. It groweth thicke among the branches of the trecj iamanner of Myrtle ber^ 

 ries, and not like to the cherries of Italjt ;and in thdfe plants above- named , the nieat thereof 

 isfoiweetand pleafant,thatithath given the name both to a nation and a countrey , iafomuch 

 asthc people be called Lbtophagi rand withaIi,fowelcomebcall ftraungersthither,aiidfo well 

 contented with their entertainment,that they forge t their own native foile,for the love they have 

 to this fruit, when they have once taken to it. By report, whofoever eateth thereof, is free from 

 thedifeafes of the bellie. This fruit is counted the better, which hath no kernell within ;for there 

 is another kind wherein the faid kernell feemeth as hard as a bone. Moreover, out of this fruic 

 C there is prefTed a wine like to Mede,which the above-named Nepos laith, will not laft above ten 

 daies i who repotteth befides,That the inhabitants doe ftampc the berries thereof with wheat or 

 friimcntieintoapaft,andfoputitupingreat barrels and fuchlike vefTdsfor the provifionof 

 their food. Moreover, we have heard fay, thatwhole armies palling too and fro through Africk, 

 have fed thereof, and had no other meat : the wood is blacke of colour, and much fought for it 

 is to make Pipes and Fifes : of the root thereof, the hafts of daggers and knives be made, befides 

 other pretiedevifes of llnaliufe. Thus much as touching the nature of the Lotettee in thofe 

 parts: for there is an hearbaifo of thatname[calledMe]jloie.] Asfor the Egyptian Lotus it is 

 a plant bearing a ftalke, and groweth in the marifhes of ^gypt. For when the waters of Nilus 

 'are falne.which drenched the countrey, this plant commeth up in the flat & waterie levell along 

 D the river, with a ftemme like unto the [Egyptian] Beane, with leaves thruft clofe and thicke to- 

 gither, howbeit Hiorter and lefle than thole of the Beane: in the top of which ftalke, it beareth 

 fruit in manner of an head, forcutsand chamfres and every thing elfe liketothofeof the Pop- 

 pie: within which, there beconteinedcertainegrainesorfeeds relembling Millet. The inhabi- 

 tants ofthat countrey doe pile togiiher in heapes, thofe heads, and fo let them putrifie: after- 

 wards, theyfeparate them, wafh them fairCjand wlieri they be drie^ftampe and mould them,and 

 thereof make their bread. A ftraunge and wonderf uU thing it is that is repoited bcftdesj naniely. 

 That when theSunne goeth downe,thofe heads clofe up and be covered with leaves, andre- 

 mainefhut until! the morningjatwhattime they open againe: and thus continue this courfc 

 untill they be ripe^and that the flower which is white,doth fall of itfelfe. 



Chap, xviii. 

 of theveryftdke^ fcapeor ftemme^ androotof Lom, 



IT is faid moreover as touching this .Egyptian Lotus, that in Euphrates the very head of thd 

 ftalke together with the flower, ufeth in the evening to be plunged and drowned under the wa- 

 ter untill midnight, and fodeepe tofettletowardthe bottomed that a man with his handcan- 

 not reach thereto, nor find any part of it: but after that time, itbeginneth to rife by little and 

 little, and by Sun-rifing appcareth above water, and openeth the flowfer,& ftill mounteth higher 

 and higher a good height from the water.This Lotos hath a root as bigge as a Quince, covered 

 F witha blacke rind or barke, much like to the huske of aCheftnut. The fubftancc within^ is 

 white and deleaable to eat, but more plcafant beeing either fodden in water,orrofted under 

 Ij^^^^^^^j^^^ feedfac with nothingbetter,than with thepills andpaiingsof 



Mm Chap. 



