^66 The fifteenth Booke of 



have put a difference betweene Aflies, according to the places : for that of the plaine and cham- G 

 pion countreyj hath a more curled or frifled grainc than the other of the mountainesj but con- ' 

 trariwilcj the wood of this is more compad and harder than the other. The leaves of this tree , 

 accorditigio the Grcckcs^arc hurtfulI,venomous,and deadly to HorfesjMuleSj and fuch labou- 

 ring garronsjbut otherwifc to bcafts that chew cud,they be harmcleileiHowbeitjin ItaliCjif hor- 

 fcs3&c»doe broufe of the leaves,they take no harme thereby.Morcover^they be excellent good^ 

 and nothing fofoveraigne can Ije found againft the poyfbnoi ferpentSjif the juice thereof bee 

 prcflcd forthj &given to drinkc ; or to cure old ulcersjif they be applied and laid thereto in man- ' 

 nerof a cataplallts : nay^jfb forcible is their vcrtue, that a ferpent dare not come neare the 

 fhaddow of that treCjCithcr morning or cvening,notwithftanding at thofe times it reacheth far- 

 , theft ; you may be furc then they will not approch the tree it felfejby a great way. And this am I H 

 '^'able to deliver by the experience which I have fccncjthat if a man doe make a round circle with 

 the leaves thcreof,and environ therewith a (erpent and fire together within^thc ferpent will chufe 

 lather to goeinto the firCjthan to flic from it to the leaves of the afh. A wonderful! goodnelTe 

 dame NaturCjthat the Afh doth bloome and flourifh alwaies before that ferpcnts come abroad 5 

 and never fheddcth leaves, butcontinueth green^uniill they be retired into their holes^and hid- 

 den within the ground. 



G 



Chap. Xiiir* 

 ^ of the Line ar Linden tree ^i m forts thereof^ 



» Rcat difference there is every way between the male and female Linden tree .-forjthe wood 

 J of the male is hard and knottie^ of a redder colour alfo, and more odoriferous than the 

 femalc.Thc barke moreover is thickctjand when it is plucked from the trcCjit is fliffe_j3nd 

 will not bend. It beareth neither feed nor flower, as the female doth : which alfd is rounder and 

 bigger in bodie, and the wood is whiter and morefaire and beautifull by farre than is the male. 

 A ftrangc thing it is to confider, that there is no living creature in the world will touch the fruit 

 of the Linden tree^and yet the juice both of leafe and barke is fwcet ynough. Between the barkc 

 and the wood of this tree there bee thin pellicles or skins lying in many folds together, whereof 

 are made bands and cords called Bazen ropes.The fineft of thcfe pellicles or membranes fcrvcd 

 in old time for to make the labels and ribbands belonging to chapiets,and it was reputed a great K 

 I? d^ifvcdTu" ^^"""'^ vic^^t fuch. The timber of the Lindefi or Tillct tree will never be wormc-eaten.^Tfac 

 the Line-trcc Ueeitfclfcis nothing tall_,butof a meane height,howbcitthe wood is very commodious. 



with us, is CO- V 

 parnblc to the 



highcftOkcs HA P. XV. 



^TenkindsoftheOMafetree. 



THe Maple in bignefTe is much about the Linden tree : the wood of it is very fine and beau- 

 tifulljin which regard, it may bee raunged in the fecond place,and next to the very Citron 

 tree. Of Maples there bee many kinds : to wit, the white, and that is exceeding faire and 

 bright indeed, growing about Piemont in Italic, beyond the river Po,and alio beyond the Alps, £ 

 and this is called the French Maple . A fecond kind there isj which hath a curled graine run* 

 ning to and fro with diverfe fpots ^ the more excellent worke wheteof, refcmbling the eics in 

 the Peacockes taile, thereupon tooke alfo the name. And for this rare and fingular wood,the 

 countries of Iftria and Rhsetia bee cheefe. As for that which hath a thicke and great grainc, it 

 is called Craflivenium of theLatines, and is counted totceofabafer kind .The Grcekes di- 

 ftinguifh Maples by the diverfe places where they grow. For that of the champion or plaine 

 countrey (which they name Glinon) is white,and nothingcrifpcd:contrariwifc,the wood of the 

 mountainc Maple is harder and more curled, and namely, the male of that fort, and therefor^ 

 it is in great requefl for moft cxquifue and fumptuous workes . A third fort they name Zygia, 

 which hath a reddifh wood, ^nd the fame eafie to cleave : with a barkc of a fwert colour, and M 

 rough in handling. Others would have it so be no Maple, but rather a tree by it felfejand in La- 

 line they call it Carpinus, 



