44 Account of Tears formerly cultivated. 



gathered green, it must be kept on boards of Oak, that it 

 lose not its natural taste. Its shape is flattish, and sometimes 

 it mounts up a little also at the tail ; though at this end it 

 draws a little more to a point : it is pretty round, and mea- 

 sures quite or very near as much in compass as the length of 

 it from head to tail. The proportion of its bigness is some- 

 times 3 inches diameter, but most commonly only 1\ or 

 2 inches. It is commonly a little wider above the middle 

 than just about it, and abates by gentle degrees down to the 

 stalk, where it is pretty blunt, and a little streaked or pounced 

 with dark or grey russety specks or flakes ; but close round 

 the stalk it is a little tinged with black, sinking inwards at 

 that end, but it doth not encompass the stalk with such an 

 hollowness, as to call it hollow-sett. The Eye of this Pear is 

 of a middling size, sunk a little ; and I have seen it level with 

 the top of the head or crown, which is a little ribbed about 

 it, of a palish green close round it, which grows yellowish as 

 the fruit ripens : longish pointed, because it retains part of 

 the blossom leaves, which lie down flat upon the crown, but 

 hardly any of the pendants round in form ; open at top, but 

 shallow, of a blackish colour first within, but turns yellower 

 in keeping. The Stalk is of a palish green and russety brown, 

 spotted with white, and hath a little wart upon it, pretty 

 slender in substance, long and somewhat curved or bent; it 

 turns black and shrinks with keeping; it is not so hollow- 

 sett as that of our English Autumn Bergamot ; for though the 

 Pear falls inward at this end, yet it is wide, open, and loose 

 about it : it takes good hold within. The Skin is very sleek, 

 smooth, polished, and shines when turned yellowish, and 

 not near so much covered with russet as our English Autumn 



