The four teen ch Booke of 



forkcs to fupport ic^biu is able to mamcaine and uphold it felfe upright. But the Da tiylides (fo G 

 called for that they beare not wood above a finger thicke) cannot fo doe: for they niiiit beilio- 

 red and underpropped. Of all vines, the Columbines yccldmofigleaningj for that the gaihe- 

 rers leave behind them grcateft ftore of fmall grapes : and fo doc the purple grapes , named alfo 

 Bimammiie (as one would fay, with two teats or bigs) more than the rcftj feeing that they beare 

 notflnall grapes^ but put forth new great ones indeed^ after the other be gathered and gone . In 

 like manner, the vine Tripedanea^which tooke that name of the nieafure of three foot.Seinbla" 

 biy the vine Scirpula, the grapes wherof fecmcasif they were Raifons of the Sunnejdried alrea- 

 dicMoreover^in the maritime Alpes toward the fca fide^ there is a kind of Rhetian vine, but far 

 inferioiir to that other above-mentioned and fo much commended fcfr iherellifh of pitch that 

 it givcth to the wine made of her grapes : for thefc about the Alpes be little and fmall 5 and albeit H 

 they beare grapes thicke, yet the wine thereof commeth farre fhort of the other,and is more de- 

 generate :howbeit the skin of thb grapes is of all other thethinncft , having but onekernell 

 within, which they call Gigarton, and the fame vpryfirialUandaman fl:iall not find a bunch, 

 without one or two pafTmg great grapes above the reft. There is alfo a kind of blacke Aminean 

 grape,whichfbmename Syriaca : likewife the grape ofSpaine, which of the bafe and common 

 kinds carrieth the greateft credit, and is moft commended. As touching both vines and grapes 

 that run and traile upon framesjthere be thole which are called Efcariae^good only for to ear,and 

 namely thofe which have graines or ftones like to Ivie berries, as well white as black. Grapes re- 

 fembHngdreac dugs, named thereupon Bumafli, both blacke and white, are caried upon frames 

 in likefort. But all this while we havenoifpokenofihe^Egyptian and Rhodian grapes, ncyet j 

 of the Ounce-grapes, whereof every one weigheth a good ounce, and thereupon looke that 

 name, //^w, the grape Pucina, the blackeft of all others r the Stephanitis alio, wherein Nature 

 hathfeemedtodiTporther felfcjfor the leavesrunneamongthegrapes in manner of a guirland 

 plaited with them. Moreover, the market-grapes called Forenfes, they grow andareiipe with 

 the foonefl: 5 vendible at the very firft fight, and fold with the befl, and moft eafictobe earned 

 from market to market. But contrariwife5the afh-coloured grape Cinerea, the filke- ruilet grape 

 Ravufcula, the afTe-hued grape Afinifca, pleafenotthe eye, but are prefently rejected : and yet 

 the fox-tailed grape Alopecis (forthat it refemblethRainards-taile)isn6t fodifpleafantnorfo 

 much difcoramended as the former. About a cape or creft of thehilllda, whichthey call Pha- 

 lacrajthere is a vine named Alexandrina, fmall of growth, and puttcih forth braunches of a cu- K 

 bit in length : the grapes be blacke, as big as beanes; thcpepin or kernel! within, foft, tender, 

 and exceeding fmall 5 the bunches are crooked,full ofgrapes,paffingfweet5& finally,the leaves i 

 little,round, and not cut or jagged at all. Within thefe feven yeercs laft paft, about Alba Eivia, 

 acitieinLanguedocke or the province of Narbon, there was found a vine, which m one day 

 both flowred and fhed her flowers : by which meanes moft fecured it was from all daungers of 

 the weather.They call it Narbonica, or the vi ne of Languedoc : and now it is commonly plan- 

 ted all that province over, and every man defireth to flore his vineyard therewith. 



Chap. iiii. 



Notable corjfiderations About the hmhandrie and prdermg L 

 of VfTJejArds, 



THat noble and worthy Cato^ the firft of that name, renowmed among other dignities for i 

 his honorable triumph, and theincorrupt adminiftration of his Cenfbrfhip 5 &yet more j 

 famous and renowmed to pofteritie for his lingular knowledge and learning 5 and namely m 

 for the good precepts and ordinances tending to all vertues and commendable parts, which hce I 

 left in memorie for the people of Rome 5 and principally as touching agriculture [as he was by " 

 the common voice and generall accord of that age wherein hee lived reputed for an excellent 

 husbandman, and one who in that profeffion had neither peerc nor fecond that came near unto 

 Him.] lihisCato (I fay) hath in hisworkes made mention but of a few kinds of vines: and yet |v1 

 fdrae of them alreadie be grownc out of knowledge, fb as their very names are quiteiorgotten, 

 Y^t ncverthelefle his opinion andjudgement would be fetdowne in particular, as ji^may be ga- 

 xhered out of hiswhole trcatife : to the end that we might both knowin every kind of vine which 

 were of moiiaccountin hisdaics (to wit, in the ^00 year after the foundation of Rome, about 



the 



