Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. ^^65 



A For to dra\^ tofin out of the ^Pitch-treCjit muft be opened on the Sun fide^not by giving a flit 

 or gafll in the barkc^but by cutting out a peece thcrof^fb that the tree may gape and lie bare two 

 footatthcmoft: and from the earth,this wound to beeatleaftacubite. Neither doe tliey Iparc 

 the entire bodie and wood of the tree, as they doe in the reft : for tliere is no daunger thereof, 

 confidering that the very chips of the wood being cut out, are full of liquor, and doe fervc to 

 makcpitch.But the nearer that the faid ouverture or hole is made to the earth, the better is thtf 

 rofin that ifTueth forth: for if it be higher, it is bitter. When this is done, all the humour after- 

 wards runneth to the ulcer or incifion aforefaid, from every part of the tree. The like it doth ini 

 the Torch pine. When it hath left running to the firft hole, there is a fecond likewife made on 

 another fidc,andfb ftill is the tree openedevery way: uniill at length tree and all is hewed down, 



B and the very pith and marrow thereof ferveth for Torch wood to burnc . Semblably, in Syria 

 they ufe to pluckc.thebarke from the Terebinth, yea,and they pill the boughs and roots too for 

 Terpentine, hdwfocver in other trees the rofin iftijing out of thole parts, is not counted good. 

 In Maccdonic the manner is to burne the male Larch, but the roots onely of the female for to 

 draw out pitch Xheo^omfus wratCjthat there is found in the territorie of the ApolloniateSja kind 

 of mincrall pitch,called Pififaiph3ltum,nothing inferiour in goodnefle to the Macedonian. 



The beft pitch in all countrics,is that which is gathered from treesjftanding upon the North 

 wind, and in places expofed to the Sunne-fhinc . As for that which commeih from fhadowic 

 placesjit is more unpleafant to the eie,and cancth befides a ftrong and ftinking favour.lf it be a 

 cold and hard winter,the pitch then made is the worfe,thereisalfo leffeftore of it, and nothing 

 - C is it fo well coloured. Someareof opinion. That the pitch ifllieth in more abundance out of 

 • trees in the mountaines,alfo that it is better coloured ,fweeter in taft,more plealant alfo in n-nell, 

 namelyjwhileitisraw pitch-rofin,and as it runneth from thetree:butif itbeboiled,ityeeideth 

 lefle plentie of pitch than that which commeth of trees intiie plaine,and runneth all into a thin 

 liquor in manner of whey jyea,& the very trees themfelves-are fmaller.But both the one and the 

 ■other, as well the mountaine pines and pitch-trees, as thofcof theplaines, yeeldnotlbmuch 

 pitch in a fairc and drie feafonjas when the weather is rainie and full of clouds. Moreover, fomc 

 there be of theic trees that yeeldforth fruit(which is their rofin)the very fame yeare that imme- 

 diately followeth their incifion jolliers, two yeares after ; yeajand fome again in the third yeare. 

 As for the incifion or open wound thiit is madCjit filleih up with rofin : for neither dooth it fou- 



j) der or unite in manner of a skar,nc yet clofech the barke againe : for in this tree, being once dc- 

 videdit will never come together and meet. 



Among thefe trees, fome have reckoned one kind by it fclfe named Sapium, becaufc it is re- 

 planted and groweth of fome of the fions or imps of the faid trees, in manner as hath been fhe- 

 wed before in our treatife of nut-kernels.The nether parts of which tree they call Tedap.Torch- 

 wood:] whereas indeed this tree is no other than the Pitch-tree, brought to a more mild and 

 gentle nature by tranfplanting . As for that which the Latincs call Sapinus, it is nothing elfe 

 but the wood of timber of thele kind of trees, being hewed or cut downc,as we will *hereafierd£- *Ch&\\^9ol 

 dare in place convenient. thisbooke. 



£ Chap. X III. 



Of the Jflj^foure kwds thereof, 



THerc be many trees befides that Nature hath brought forth,on€ly for their wood and tirri- 

 berrand among them the Afh, which of all others, groweth moft plentcoufly in every 

 place. A tall tree this is, and groweth round, bearing leaves fet in manner of feathers oi 

 wings; much ennobled by the praile and commendation rhat the Poet /^^w^givcth it, as alfo 

 for the fpeare or launce of Ac hides, Yn^dQ thereof. And in very truth,the wood ferveth right well 

 for many ufes. As for the timber of the Afh, growing upon the forreft Ida in Troas, it is fo like 

 the Citron-woodjthatwhen thebarkis oflfja man may hardly difccrn the one from the otlier^in- 

 p fomuch,asthe merchants and chapmen arc deceived therewith. 



The iGreekes have made two kinds of the Afli : the one runneth up tall and even without a 

 knot: the otherislower,more tough and hard,andwithaIl,of a more brown and duskifh colour: 

 and the leaves refemble the Lawrell. In Macedonic they have an Afh, which they call Bumelia, 

 which of all other is the tallcft and biggeft,the wood wherof is moft pliable and bending.Oiheis 



have 



» 



