Plihics Naturall Hiftone* 



A nearc i^lnca.The worft be thofe of Perna{riis,& Euboea : for in thofc parts they be full of boughs 

 and grow twincdjbefidesjthey foonc doc putrifie and rot. ' ' 



As for Cedars^thc bcft fimply be thofe that grow in CandiejAffricIcCjand Syria. This vertue 

 hath the oile of Cedar, That if any wood or timber be throughly annointcd therewithjit is fub- 

 je6t neither to worme nor moih^ne yet to rottcnncflc. 



The luniper hath the fame propertie that the C cdar. They prove in Spaine to bee enceeding 

 big and huge^the Berries alfo greateft of a^l others. And whercfoever it growethjthe heart! iher- 

 of is more found than the Cedar. 



A general! fault and imperfedion there is common to aH wood, When the grain3& the knots 

 run into round balls 5and fuch they call in Latine Spir2e.AIfo in fome kind of timber, like as in 



B marble alfo there bcefoundcertaine knurs like kernilsj ashardtheybeasnaileheads_,and they 

 plague fawcsjwhcrelbcver they light upon thcm.Otherwhiles they fall out to be in trees,by fome 

 accidental! occafion,as namelyjwhen a ftone is gotten into the wood,and cnclofed within it : or, 

 in cafe the bough of fome other tree be incorporate or united to the forcfaid wood.There flood 

 a long time a wild Olive in the market place of Megara,upon which the hardie and valiant war- 

 riors of that citie ufed to hang and faften their armour, after fome worthie exploit performed : 

 which in tra(5l and continuance of time were overgrownc with the barke of the faid tree,& quite 

 • hidden.Now was this a fatal! tree unto the fame citie and the inhabitants thereof, who by way of 

 Oracle were forewarned of their wofuU deftinie and utter ruin; which was to happen,Wlien that 

 a tree fhould be with young,and delivered of harneis ; which Oracle was fulfilled when this tree 



C was cut downe,for within the wombe thereof were found the mourrions,jambriers or grcives,of 

 brave men in times paft. To conclude, it is faid,That fuch ftonesfo found in trees bee fingular 

 good for a woman with child jto carie about herjthat fhe may goc her full time; 



Chap, xl. 



^ of diverfcfirU of timber, of certaine trees of extraordimrie bigneffemai trees 

 they be that never be rvorme-eaten^nor decay and fall What mod doth 

 endure andcontinuealwaies good, 



THe greateft tree that to this day had ever bcenc knowne or feenc at Rome, was that,which 

 being brought with other timber forthe rebuilding of the forefaid bridge called Nau- 

 machiaria, T tbcnm Csfir commanded to be landed and laid abroad in view for a fingulat 

 and miraculous monument to all pofteritie : and it remained entire & whole,untill the time that 

 V^iero theEmperour built his ftately Amphitheatre. This peece of timber was of a Larch tree : 

 it contained in length 120 foot, and carried in thickneffe every way two foot, from one end 

 to the other .Whereby a man may guelfe and judge the incredible height of the whole treebe- 

 lides,io the very top. Such another tree there was to be feene in our daies, which CM^K^gri^^^ 

 left for the like fingularitie & wonder of men,in thofe ftately porches and cloifters that he made 

 in Mm field : and it continued ftill after the building of themufter place and trcafurers hall na- 

 med Diribitorium.Shorter it was than the former by twentie foot, and caried a foot and halfe in 

 £ thicknefie.i\s for the Fir tree, which (erved for a maft in that huge ihipjwhich by the commaun- 

 dement and direction of CCaliguli the Emperour tranfported and brought out of ^ypt, that 

 Obeliske which was creded and fet up intheVaticane hill, within the Cirque there, together 

 with the foure entire (tones which bare up the faid Obeliske as fupporters^it was feene of a won- 

 derful! andineftimableheightaboveallothers:andcertaineitis, thatthere was never knowne 

 to flote upon the fea amore wonderfullfhip than it was. She received 1 20000 Modij of Lentils 

 for the very ballaift ; fhee tooke up in length the greater part of the left fide of Hofiia harbour s 

 for Claudtm the Emperour caufedit there to be funkejtogether with three mightie great piles or 

 dams founded upon it^ and mounted to the height of towers, for which purpole there was 

 brought a huge quantitie of earth or fand from Puteoli.The maine bodie of this mafl contained 

 p in compaifc iourc fadoraefull. And a common by-word it is, currant ineucry mans mouth, that 

 Fir mafts for that purpofcjare ufually fold for eight hundred Sefterccs apeecejand more monies 

 whereas forthemoft part plankeswhich are fet together and ferve in ftead of boats,ordinatily 

 cofl but fortie.Howbeit,the kings of iEgypt and Syria,for default and want of Firjhave ufed(by 

 repoit)in If eed thereof Cedar wood about their (hipping. And verily^thc voice goeth of an ex- 

 ceeding 



