OF POUEST-TREES. 



55 



who lop off the boughs, and make it their pruning ; and it is a tolerable chap. II. 



way, so it be discreetly done in the over-thick parts of the tree ; but ^■^^r^^-' 



these leaves, gathered from a separated branch, will die, and wither much 



sooner than those which are taken from the tree immediately, unless you 



set the stem in water. Leaves gathered from boughs cut off, will shrink 



in three hours ; whereas those you take from the living tree will last as 



many days ; and, being thus a while kept, are better than over-fresh 



ones. It is a rule never to gather in a rainy season, nor cut any branch 



whilst the wet is upon it ; and therefore against such suspected times 



you are to provide before-hand, and to reserve them in some fresh but 



dry place. The same caution you must observe for the dew, though 



it do not rain ; for wet food kills the worms. But if this cannot be 



altogether prevented, put the leaves between a pair of sheets, well dried 



by the fire, and shake them up and down till the moisture be drunk up 



in the linen ; and then spreading them to the air a little, on another dry 



cloth, you may feed with them boldly. The top-leaves and oldest, should 



" set up for visits, and have their day of audience and idle pastime. Honest Gleik, Riiff, 

 " and Honours, diverted the ladies at Christmas, and they knew not so much as the names 

 " of Ombre, Comet, and Basset. Their retirements were devout and religious books, and 

 " their recreations in the distillatory, the knowledge of plants and their virtues, for the 

 " comfort of their poor neighbours, and use of the family, which wholesome, plain diet 

 and kitchen physic preserved in perfect health. In those days the scurvy, spleen, &c. were 

 " scarce heard of, till foreign drinks and mixtures were wantonly introduced. Nor were 

 " the young gentlewomen so universally afflicted with hysterical fits, nor, though extremely 

 " modest, at all melancholy, or less gay, and in good humour ; they could touch the lute and 

 " virginals, sing " Like io the damask rose ;" and their breath was as sweet as their voices.— 

 " They danced the Canarys, Spanish Pavan, and Sillc7igers Round upon sippets, with as 

 " much grace and loveliness, as any Isaac, Monsieur, or Italian of them all can teach with 

 " his fop-call and apish postures." 



^ This seems a pi-ophetic expression, as Saffron is now cultivated very largely at Saffron- 

 Walden, in Essex. The English Saffron is greatly superior to that which grows in France 

 or Spain. Its cultivation employs a number of women and children ; and it were to be 

 wished that every encouragement was given to the culture of such plants as employ the 

 hands of the feeble poor. In this excellent chapter upon the Mulberry-tree, Mr. Evelyn 

 endeavours to prove that silk may be produced in this Country to a great national advantage. 

 The food of the silk-worm certainly grows with great luxuriancy in every part of this island, 

 and, from many accurate experiments made upon every branch of this business, we may 

 venture to conclude that the manufacture of raw silk may be successfully and profitably 

 conducted in all the southern counties of Great Britain. 



H 2 



