Tlie fifteenth Booke of 



oilcisdrawnc before or after^ outof theprefleiotjaccordingtoalateinvention^ by treading q 

 them with mens feet in little paniers^and upon hardies made of fmall and fine ofiers. This is a 

 rulCjThe riper thai the Olive is^ thefatter will the oilc bee^ and more plentifull j but nothing fo 

 plcaiantintaft. And therefore the beftfcafon to gather Olives^ both for goodneflfe and abun- 

 dance of oilCjis when they begin tofliewblacke. And fuchhalfe-ripe Olives wee inLatinecall 

 Drupaej^ the Greekes DrypetiE.To conclude^it skilleth very much whether the berries ripe up- 

 on the treej or mellow within their prefle;alfo whether the tree bee watered, that is to fay, the 

 Olives hanging thereupon be drenched and refrefhed with fprinckling water, or have no other 

 moiftuEC than their owne^and that which they receive by dewes and raine from, heavena 



Chap, ii, ^ 



Olle-Olivc commeth to have a ranke and unpleafant taft if it be old kept and ftale, contra- 

 rie to the nature of wine, which is the better for age. And the longeft time that oile will 

 continue good,is but one yeare. Wherein furely if a man would well confider, hee may 

 obferve the great providence of Nature. For feeing that wines are madctoferve forintempe- 

 f ancc and drunkenneffcj there is not that neceffitie to drinkc much thereof^ and to fpend them 

 outof hand : and more than fo, thedaintietaft that they have when they be ftale,induceth men 

 to lay them up and keepe them long. But contrariwifejfhe would not have us make fuch fpate of 

 oile : and therefore by rcafon of the general! ufe and need thereofjfhe hath made it vulgar and 

 common to all. I 



As touching this bcnefitC and gift Of Nature beftowed upon mankind, Italic of all other na- 

 tions in the world carieth the name for the goodnefle thereof: but principally the territorie or 

 countie of Venaf rum^and namely ,that quarter lying toward Licinia, which yeeldeth the oik cal- 

 led Licinianum iwherupon there be no Olives comparable to them of Licinia,bothfor to lerve 

 the perfumersjin regard of the pleafant finell which that oile doth givCjfo appropriat unto their 

 ointments j as alfo to furniHi the kitchin and the table(as they fay that be fine- toothed jand have ' 

 a delicate taft .* ) which is thecaufe (1 fay) that this oile carieth the onely name. And yet thele 

 Olives of Licinia have this priviledge befides_,that birds love not to come near unto themeNexc 

 to thefcLicinian Olives, the queftion is betweene them of Iftria and Bsetica, whether of them 

 fhould go away with the price for their goodnefle ? and hard it is to fay,which is the better of the K 

 twaine. A third degree there is under thole tv;oabovenamed,namely,of the Olives that come 

 from all other provinces/etting afide the fertile foile of that m6t in Affricke, which yeeldeth lo 

 great increafe of corne.For it fhould feeme that Nature hath let it apart for graine onely ,(eeing 

 it lb fruitfull that way : and hath not fo much envied it the benefite of wine and oilcjwhich fhce 

 hath denied thofe partS3as thought it fufficient thatthey might glory ,& have the namcfor their 

 harvefts. As for other points belonging to 01ives,men have erred and ben deceived very much : 

 neither is there in any part concerning our life^ to be found more confufion^ than is therein : as 

 we will fhew and declare hereafter* 



r ^ 



' Chap, iiid 

 The nature of the Olive krries : dlfi^cfjoung Olive plants, 



THis fruit called the OlivCjConfifteih of a ftonc or kernill,of oilc^a fldliie fubftanccand the 

 lees or dregs : now by thefe Ices(called in Latine Amurca)! meane the bitter hquor of the 

 grounds that the oile yeeldeth. It commeth of abundance ofwater: and therefore as in 

 time of drought there is Icafi thereof,{b in a rainieand waterie conftituiion,you lhall have ftore 

 and plentie. As for the proper juice of the OlivCjit is their oilerand the cheefe is that which com- 

 meth of thofe that are unripe,likc as wee have fhewcd before, when wee treated of Ompharium, 

 or the Olive verjuice.This oiliefubftancc doth increafe & augment within the Olive untill the ri- ^ 

 (ing of the ftar Arcturus,to wit,fixteene dales before the Calends of 06lober^after which time, 

 their ftones and carnous matter about them doe rather thrivcB ut markcjwhen there followeth a 

 glut of raine and wet weather prefently upon a drie feafbHjthe oile in them doth corrupt & turne 

 all(wdl neare)into the|iecs abovcfaid, which may cafily be perceived by the colour : for it cau- 



