Thefixteenth Bookeof 



G 



Chap, kxxii. 



of certaint frodighm trees ^<tnd frefages obfiwed by them 3^ what memis trees 

 grow of their orvne acmdX hat all plants grow not every where : and 

 what frees the) be that are appropriate to cert aim regi- 

 ons ^and are not eljerphere to befomd, 



WE wad in Chronicles and rccordsjthatmany trees have fallen without wind and tem* 

 peft, or any other apparent caufe, but oncly by way of prodigie and prcfage of fome 

 future event : and the famp.have rifen againe of themfcives without mans helpe. This 

 happened during the warres againft the Cymbriansyto the great aftonifhment of the people of H 

 Rome, who thereupon gathered afore-tokeningof great confequcnce :for at Niiceria in the 

 grove of lune^ there was an oldEIme fell, and aftcrthe head was lopped offjbecaufe it light up- 

 on the very altar of luno^xi arofe of it ownie accord^and that which mote is^immediatcly upon it 

 put forth bloflbmcs and flouriflied. And this was ob(crved,That from that very inftant^the maje- 

 flic of thcpeople of Romcrbegan to take hearrjrcvivCjand rife againe, which had been decaied 

 and enfeebled by fo many and fogreatloffes that the Romanes had received. The like chanced 

 (by report)neare the citie Philippi, unto a Willow tree which wasf alien downCjand the head of 

 it cut off clcane.-femblablyjto an Aipen tree at StagyrjCjneare unto the colledge or publick place 

 of Exercife there. And all theie were fortunate prefages of good lucke.But the grcatef^ wonder 

 of all other was this^of aPlane-trceinthelfle Antandrosj which was not onelyfallen^ but alfo \ 

 hewed and fquared on all fides by the Carpenter : and yet it rofe againe by it fclfe, and recovered 

 the former grecnenefic and livedjnotwithftanding it bare fifteene cubits in length, and foure elns 

 in thicknefleorcompafle. 



Ail trees that we are beholden unto the goodnefle of Nature for^ wee have by three meanes : 

 For either they grow of their own accord,or come of feed^or clie by fome (hoot fpringingfrom 

 the root.Asfor llich as we enjoy by the .art and induftrie of mcujihere bee a great number more 

 of devifesto thateffed : whereof weewijl fpeakeapart inafeverall booke for that purpofe. For 

 the prefent our treatife is of trees that grow in Natures garden onely, wherein ihee hath (hewed 

 her lelfe many waies after a wonderful! mannerpght memorable. 



Firff and formoltjas we have ihewed and declared before, every thing will not grow in every ^ 

 place indifferently '.neither if they bee iranfplantedjwill they live. This happencth fometimes 

 upon a difdaine, otherwhiles upon a peevifhfrowardncfle and contumaciCjbut ofiener by occa- 

 fion of imbecilitie andfeeblenefleof the very things that arercmooved and tranflatedmayjonc 

 while the climate is againfl it, and envious 5 otherwhiles the foils is contrarie thereunto . The 

 Baulme tree can abide no other place but lurie.The Aflyrian Pome-Citron tree will not beare 

 clfewhere than in Syria. As for the Date-tree, it icornes to grow under all climates : or, if it bee 

 brought to that pafle by traniplantingjit refufeth to beare fruit . But lay, that it fortune by ibmc 

 meanes, that ("he giveth fome fhew and apparence of fruitjfhee is not fo kind as to nourifh and 

 rcarc up to perfe(iiion, that which fhe brought forth, forced againit her will. The Cinnamon 

 fhrub hath no power and itrength to endure either the aire or earth of Syria, notwithftanding £ 

 it be a neare neighbour to the natural! region of her nativitie.The dainiie plants of Araomum 

 or Spikenard,may not away with Arabia,albeit they be brought put of India thither by fea : for 

 king Seleucm made trial! thereof : fo ftrange they are to live in any other countrey but their own, 

 Certainely,this is a mofl wonderful! thing to bee noted,That many times ilie trees for their pare 

 may be entreated to remove into a forraine countrey ,and there to live ; yeajand otherwhiles the 

 ground and fbile may bee perfuaded and brought to accord fo well with plants (bee they never 

 iucKi^rangers) that it will feed and nourilTi them 5 but unpoffible it is to bring the temperature 

 of the aire,and theelimate,tocondifcend thereto and beefavourabie unto them, ThePepper- 

 ^lees live in Italic ; the llirub of Cafiaor tlicCanell likewilc in the Northerly regions 5 the 

 Frankincenfe tree alfo hath been knowne to live in Lydia; but where were the hotc gleames of the 

 Sunnctobefound in thole regionsjcither to drie up the waietifli humor of the one, or to con- 

 coct and thicken the gumme and rofin of rhc other ? Moreover, there is another marvel! in Na- 

 ture, welneere as great as that, namely jthat llie (hould fo change and alter in thofe fame places, 

 and yet exercife her vcrtues and operations otherwhiles againe, as if there were no change nor 

 . . aite- 



