Plinies Naturall Fiiftorie. 



A neighbour territories and places adjoyning, were taken for the befi. As for the Lidnian Olives j 

 he faithj They would be planted in a weelie and cold hungrie ground : for if it be a fat foil^ and 

 a hotjthc oilc will be corrupt and naughtjand the very tree it felfe will in fhort rime be killed with 

 overmuch fcrtilitie and bearing too great a burden. Moreover, they will put forth a red kind of 

 niolle,whicheatcth and confunieth the tree. Toconcludejhismindis, that Olive hort-yards 

 fhould be cxpofed to the funne^ yet foj as they regard the Weft wind alfo in any cafe^ for other- 

 wile he commcndeth them not. 



Chap, vi* 



^ ^ How to keepe olives^ and the my to make oik oft km, 



CAto alloweth of no other means to keep and preferve Olives (and ipecially the great ones 

 made like cuHions,named thereupon Orchitajand the Pau(icE)buc cither in brine and pic- 

 kle when they are greencj or elfe among Lentiskc braunches when diey are bruifed and 

 ^ broken.The beft oile is made (faith he)of the greeneft and fowreft Olives, Moreover/o foon as 

 ever they be falne^they muft be ga thercd from otf the ground 5 and if they be fouled and b eray ed 

 with the carth^they ought to be vvalLedcIean^and then laid to dry three daies at the moft,Now 

 if it fall out to be weather diipofed untdfroft^they fliould be prefled atfoure daies cnd.Ke giveth 

 order alfojtobeftretiv and fprinkle them with fak: faying moreoverjThat if they be kept in boar- 

 ded follarsor garners,the oile will be bothleflein quanntie^Sc worfe widiall.Soit willbe alfo^ifif 

 C beletlielongin the lees^or togither with the cake and grounds^ when they be brufed & beaten i 

 for this is the very fleftiie and groflefubftance of the Olives^which cannot chufc but breed hhhy 

 dregs. And therfore he ordainetbjthat oftentimes in a day it fliould be poured out of one velleli 

 into another, and fo by Fetling clarified from the grounds , and then to put it up afterwards into 

 pans and panchions ofearthjor els into veflels or kimnels of lead, for braffc mectall will marre 

 oile. All this fhould be done within clofe prelTes and rowmes, and thofe kept fliut, where no aire 

 or wind may come injthat they might be as warme and hot as ilouves. He f orbiddeth alfo to cue 

 any wood or fuell there^to maintain fire 5 for that the fire made of their flones & kernels, is moii 

 • kindly of any other.To the end alfo that the grounds and Ices fhould be liquified and turne into 

 oile,even to the very laft drop^ the oilc fhould be let run out of thofe vefl'els 01 kimnels aforefaid 

 D into a vat or ciftern ; for which purpofe the vcfTels are often to be clcanfed, and the oifier paniers 

 to be fcoured with a fpunge,that the oile might iiand moft pure and cleare . But afterward came 

 up the devife to wafh Olives firfl in hot water, and then imniediatly to put them whole as they 

 are,intothc prefTc ;for by that means they iquize forth lees and all :and then anon to brufeand 

 cruQi them in a millj^ fo prefle them in the end. Moreover, it is ^or thought good to prcfic the 

 iecond time above j 00 Modij,which is the full proportion of one prefiuie, & it is called Fadus. 

 That which after the mill commeth firfljis named The fioure of the oile,or the Mere-gout . Lafl 

 of al],to prefTe 300 Modij,is thought to befoure mens worke ordinarily in one night and a day. 



Chap. vii. • 



of Oile artificial!, 



IN his time there was no artificiall Oilcs, I meane, no other but that of the Olive; and 

 therefore I fuppole it wasjthat he made no mention thereof: but now adaies there bee many 

 kinds. Firft will wc treat of thofe that are made of trees, and principally before all the reft, of 

 the oile of the wild Olive: Thin it is, and much more bitter than that of the other gentle & true 

 Olive, but good for medicines only. 



Very like to itjis that which is made of ChamelsrSjan herb or flirub growing in ftonie places, 

 to the heigth of a fpan and no more.with leaves and berries refembling thofe of the wild Olive, 

 The nextisthat which commeth of Cici,or Ricinus, [/. Palma Chrifti] a plantwhich grow- 

 ls cth plentifully in ^Egypr, which fome call Croto, others Trixis or wild Sefame , but long it hath 

 not been there. InSpainelikewifethis Ricinus is found of late to rife fodainlyto the heigth of 

 an Olive tree, bearing the ftalkc of Ferula or Fenell-geant, clad with leaves of the vine, andre- 

 plenillied with feed refembling the graines or kernels of fmall and (lender grapes, and of a pale 

 colour withall: wee in Latine call it Ricinus, of the refcmblanee that the feed hath to aticke, 



Pp which 



