I 



Plimcs Naturali Hiftone* 



^ hatdOkc, waved and indented round about the edges ; of the brier and bramble^ (liarpe like 

 |b thornes all the skin ovcr.Of fome^they be ftinging and biting^as of Nettles : ofothcrs/eadie to . 

 * prickelike pins or needles, as of the Pine^the Pitch tree, the Larch ^the Firre, the Cedar^ and all 

 the forts of Holly* The leaves of the Olive tree, and the maft-Holnie^ hang by a fhort ftele, the 

 k Vine leaves by a long. The Poplar or Aipen leaves doe fhake and tremblejand they alone kcepe 

 W awhiftlingandrufthngnoifeonewith another. Moreovetjintheveryfruit it felfe^and namely in 

 P a certaine kind of Apples, ye fhall have fluall leaves brcake out of the very fides in the mids, in 

 fomc finglcj in others double and two cogither . Furthermore^ there bee trees that have thdt 

 leaves comming forth about their boughs and branches , others at the very end and iTioot of the 

 twig: as for the wild okeRobutjitputteth leaves forth of the trunke and maincftockCi Ovcrand 

 B befidesjthcleaves grow thicker or thinner in fome than in others ; but alwaies the broad aiid 

 large kaves, arc more thin than others . In the Myrtle trce^ the leaves grow in order by rankes ;' 

 thole of the Box tree turne hollow 5 but in the Apple trees they are fetinno ordcratall. InPyr-* 

 ries and Apple trees both,yee lliallfce ordinarily many leaves put forth at one bud, hanging at 

 one and the fame taile.TheElmc,and the Trec-trifolie,arefull of fniall and little bfaunches.G^/^^ 

 addeth moreover and faith, Thatfuch as fall from the Poplar or the Oke^ may bee given as fod- 

 der to beafts, but he willeth that they be not over dric : and he faith expreflelyjthat for kine and 

 oxen. Fig leaves, maft-Holme leaves,and Ivie,are good fodder : yea and fuch kind of beafts may 

 wcllbroufeand feed of Reed leaves and Bay leaves. Finally, the Servife tree loofeth her leaves 

 all at once, others ihed them by little and little one after another. And thus much for theleaves 

 C of trees. 



Chap, xxv. 



I 



^ The order and courfe ohferved in ?iature as touchwg pUnts and trees ^in their con^ 

 ceptionjloivriiig^buddmg^ knotting y And fru^ffying, K^ljo in what 

 order they put forth their blojjoms, 



THc manner and order of Nature yeare by yearejholdeth in this wife : firft, trees and plants 

 doe conceive by the means of the Wefterne wind Favonius, which commonly beginneth 

 to blow about fixe daies before the Ides of Februarie.' for this wind is in ftead of an huP* 

 D band to all things that grow out of the earthjand of it they dcfire naturally to be conccived,hkc 

 as the Marcs in Spaine, ofwhich we have written heretofore. This wind is that fpirit of genera- 

 tion which doth breath life into all the world ; which the Latines call thereupon Favonius^ afa- 

 'uendo^ [/. of cherifhing and nourifhing every thing] asfome have thought. It bloweih directly 

 from the i5iquino(5tiall Sun-fctting, and evermore beginneth the Spring. This time, our rufti- 

 callpeafants call the Sealbningjwhen as Nature feemeth to goe proud or alTautj and is in the 

 rut and furious rage of lovej defirous to conceive by this wind, which indeed dothvivifie and 

 quicken all plants and (eeds fowne in the ground. Now all of them conceive not at once, but in 

 fundric ^aies : for fome are prefently iped in a momentjlike as living creatures: others are notfo 

 haftie to conceive, but long it is fitfi ere they retainCjand as long againe before their vitall feed 

 £ doth putforth ; and this is thereupon called their budding time.Now are they faid to bringforth 

 and be delivered, when in the Spring they bloome, and that blofiomcbreaketh foorth of cer- 

 taine matrices or ventricles. After tins, they become nources all the while they cherifh & bring 

 up the fruit: and this time alfo the Latins call Germinatio, [/.the breeding feafon.] When trees 

 arefullof blolTomeSj it isafigne that the Spring is at the heigth,and the yeare become nev« 

 againe. The blofibme, is the very joy oftrees, and therein ftandeth their chiefs felicitie:then 

 they lliew themfelves frelh and new,as ifthey were not the fame ; then be they in their gay coats ; 

 then it feemeth they ftrive avie one with another in varietie of colours, whic^i of them lliould 

 excell and exceed in beauiifull hew. But this is not generall, for many of them are denied this 

 pieafure, and enjoy not this delight; for all trees bloflbme not: fome are of an heavie and fad 

 p countenance, neither chearc they at the comming of this new feafon and gladfome Spring : for 

 thcmaif Holmej the Pitch tree, the Larch, and the Pine, doe not bloome at all, they arcno£ 

 arrayed in their robes, they have not their liveries of divers colours to fore-fignifie (as mcflcn- 

 gers and vantcourriers)the arrival! of the new yeare, or towelcome andlblemnize thcbirth of 

 ncwfruics.The Figge trees likewile both tame and wild, make nofhew of flowers :for they arc 



Sfij not 



