Plinies NaturallHiilorie. 



A iking rofin^which the Greekes call Syce. Now, if it happen that the Larch tree prove Tcda [/.to 

 beTorch-woodJit is a figne that it doth piitrificjand is in thc.way of dying. 



The wood of all thefe kinds beforenamed, if it be fet a fire^maketh an exceeding grolle and 

 thiekc fmokCj and prefenily turneth into a eoale, fpitting and fparckling a farre off, except ,that 

 only of the Larch trce^which neither burneth in light flame^nor maketh coale^ne yec confr.meih 

 in the fire no othcrwile than a very ftone. 



All thefe trees whereof we fpeakc, continue green all the yeare long : and very like they are in 

 leafejthat men otherwife of cunning and good expericncejhavc ynough to doe to difcerne one 

 from the other by it/o neare of kin they be,and their racefo much intermingled. B ut the Pitch- 

 tree is notfo tall as the Larch :for the Larch is thicker in bodie, of a thinner and lighter barke^ 



B more fhag leaved, and the faid leaves fattier^growing thicker jmorepliabIe3& eaficr to wind and 

 bend : whereas the leaves of the Pitch-tree hang thinnerjthcy be of a drier fubftance3n)0Ee flen- 

 dcr, and fubjcd to cold 5 and in one word, the whole tree is more rough and hideous to fte to^ 

 and withall/ull of rofin 5 the wood alfo rcfcmbleth the Firre,rather than theLarcb, 



The Larch tree, if it be burnt to the very ftumpe of the root, will not fpri-ngagainc and put, 

 forth new (hoots : whereas the Pitch trceliveth ftill for all the fire,and will grow afrefh : the expe- 

 rience whereof wasfeene in the IflandLcsbos,at what time as the forrcff Pyrrh^eum wasfct. on 

 fire,andeleaneburnt to the ground* . 



Moreover,every one of thcfekinds differ in the very (ex ;for the male of ech kind is (horter andi. 

 harder : the female taller,having fattier leavcs,andthe fame foft and plain and nothing ftiffeand 



Q rugged.Thc wood of the male,is tough^and when it is wrought,keepeth not a direct graine, buc 

 windeth andturneth/o that the Carpenter muft go every way aboui it both with axe and plain: 

 contrariwiie, that of the female is morefrim and gentle. And commonly the axe or the hatchec 

 will tell the diiference of male and female in any tree for what wood foever it bc,it will foon find 

 and feele the male,for hardly is it able to enierjbut either turneth edge or rebounds again:& whe- 

 ther a man hew or cleave withall, it maketh more crafliingand a greater noifc where it fctleth 

 and taketh hoJdjitff icketh alfo faff errand with more adoc is plucked torth.Furthermorejthe very 

 wood of any male tree.is of a more browne and burnt colour, yca,& the toot of a blacker hew. 

 About the forreff Ida within the territorie of Troas, there is another dilf in dion of trees in the 

 fame kind ; for fome grow upon the mpuntain€s,others toward the coalf and the fea fide. In Ma- 



D cedoniCjArcadia^ and about Elis, thefe trees cftfoones changetheir names:infomuch,as the 

 Greeke writers are not agreed how to diftinguifh their feverali forts^and to raunge them duly ii^ 

 their kind» For mine owne patt,l haycicf them downe dilfin<5lly according to tijie judgement o£ 

 Romanc and Latine Authors. , • :r. ■/ : 



Of all the trees abovenamed, the Firres furpaflcforbigneffe : and the females are the taller. 

 The timber is more frim and foft, more : profitable aUo and eafier to be wrought : the tree it felfe 

 rounder, and foitbraunchcth arch*wi{e: the boughs as they refemble wings ftretched out and 

 difplaiedj fo they Hand fothicke with leaves, that they will beare off a good fliower;, inlomuch, 

 as no raine is able to pierce through, li^-fumme, the iemale Fare is farre more lovely and beau- 

 tifulleveryway than the male. ^: 



£ All the fort of thefe forefaid trees,fave onely the Larch,bear€certaine knobs like Catkins oc 

 ChatSjCompofed (as it were)of many skales wrought one over another, and thole hang downs 

 dangling at the braunches.Thefe knobs or clogs of the male Firre,hav€in the upper end a ker- 

 nell withm :buttbofe of the female havenoluch thing. Moreoverjthc Pitch tree asithath fueh 

 Catkins lefTe and llendercr; fo all within, from one end to the other ,the kernels be pafiing little 

 and blacke withall,]ike to lice or fleas : which is the reafon, thatthe Greekes call itPhthiropho- 

 ros.Th^/aid Catkins of the male Pitch;trees are more flat, and nothing fo round as thofe of 

 the females,lefle gummie alfo and notfo moiff of the rofin. 



To come now to the Yugh, becaufe we would overpaffe none : it is to fee to jlike the reft, but 

 that it is not fo grecne , more flender alfb and fmaller,unplcafant and fearefull to looke upon, as 



F acurfedtreejwithoutanyhquidfublfanceatalhandofthefekind of treeSjit alone bearcth Ber- 

 ries. Thefiuit of the male ishtirtfull -.for the berricsinSpaineelpecially,havein them a deadly 

 poyfon. And found it hath been by experience, that in Fraunce the wine bottles made thereof 

 for wayfaring men and travellers, have poyfoned and killed thofe that drunke out of them. Say 

 Jim faithpthat the Greekes call it Smilax : and that in Arcadia it is fo ycnomQuSjtbat whofoevcc 



take 



