I 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 187 



of New Spain. " The reafon of there being fo many 

 " favages in America," fays Montefquieu (7), " is that 

 c< the land there produces of itfelf many fruits on which 

 " they can feed." I believe that thofe advantages 

 would not be obtained in Europe if the land were left 

 to itfelf without culture ; it would produce nothing but 

 woods of oaks and other ufelefs trees. " Examining," 

 fays M. de Paw, " the hiftory and origin of our plants, 

 " our kitchen-herbs, our fruit-trees, and alfo our grains, 

 " we find they are all foreign, and have been tranf- 

 " planted from other climes to our own. We can eafily 

 " imagine the mifery of the ancient Gauls, and even 

 <c that of the Germans, in whofe land no fruit-trees 

 " were produced in the time of Tacitus. If Germany 

 " was to reftore the foreign vegetables which are not 

 " originals of its foil or climate, almoft none would re- 

 " main, nor would it preferve among its feeds which 

 " ferve for nourifhment any but the wild poppy and the 

 " wild Vena (m)." What Mr. de Paw openly confelfes 

 refpe&ing Germany and Gaul, might alfo be faid of the 

 other countries of Europe, and alfo of Greece and Italy, 

 which fupplied the others. If Italy was obliged to re* 

 (tore all thofe fruits which, do not belong originally to 

 its foil, what would remain but acorns ? Thefe terms, 

 C malum Perjicum, malum Medtcum, Affyrium, Punicum, 

 Cidonium, nux Pontica, &c.J ferve to keep us in remem* 

 brance that thofe fruits came from Afia and from Africa. 

 " It is known," fays Mr. Bufching (rc), " that the beft 

 " and mofl beautiful fruits pafTed from Italy into thofe 

 46 countries which produce them at prefent. Italy receiv- 

 " ed them from Greece, from Afia, and from Africa. Ap- 

 ples 



(/) Montefquieu L'Efprit des Loix, lib. xviii. chap. 9. 

 (») Recherch. Philofoph. part i. 

 (a) Bufching Geograph, torn. i. 



