OF FOREST-TREES. 



365 



I am sure plants and trees afford more matter for medicine, and the BOOK iv. 

 use of man, than either animals or minerals ; are more familiar at hand '^■-^V'^*^ 

 and safe ; and within this late age being wonderfully improved, increased, viae Petri 

 and searched into, they seem, by the Divine Wisdom, an inexhaustible Monspei. 

 subject for our disquisition and admiration. 



There are ten thousand considerations more, besides that of their 

 medicinal and sanative properties, and the mechanical uses mentioned in 

 this Treatise, which a contemplative person may derive from the groves 

 and woods ; all of them the subject of wonder. And though he had 

 only the Palm (which Strabo affirms is fit for three hundred and sixty vide Mon?. 



... . . . Dodart's Hist. 



uses) or the Coco, (which yields wine, bread, milk, oil, sugar, vinegar, de l Academ. 



des Sciences. 



P For the enumeration of the virtues of the Palm-tree, Mr. Evelyn was indebted to a 

 Portuguese missionary of the name of Jeronymo, whose manuscript was translated into 

 English by Sir Peter Wyche, at the request of the Royal Society, in 1 668. The account 

 being extremely curious, I here transcribe it. 



" Of all the trees created by Almighty God for the ornament of the eatth and service 

 of man, the Palm-tree is the most useful and profitable to human society ; though for this 

 end the Author of Nature created all plants, all which, with all their virtues, are at man's 

 devotion, yet none serves so munificentljf, and for so many uses as the Palm-tree. For, 

 from her deepest roots, which take first possession of the earth in vegetation, to the higliest 

 leaf of her adorned head, with the variety, propriety, and excellency of her fruit ; in fine, 

 with all her virtue, is man substantially served, and paid his due tribute. What I shall say 

 in this tract will fully unfold tlie truth. 



" The Palm-tree is advanced by one peculiar excellency, by which, without any second, 

 she hath the advantage of all. Other trees, well satisfied in paying man once a-year their 

 tribute, rest from their labour ; the Palm-tree takes no repose, but every month in the year 

 presents new fruit. A beautiful cluster of thirty, forty, and sometimes more. Cocoas, or nuts, 

 monthly appearing ; and though not above seven, twelve at the most, come to be ripe, 

 gind attain the last pei-fection, (there not being strength and nourishment for so many,) yet 

 is it questionless, that the Palm-tree by her fruitfulness, was by God peculiarly created for 

 the advantage of mankind : if vigour to perform her natural propensity be wanting, yet 

 is her generous inclination apparent. The most favourable climate or soil, and which 

 with greatest propriety and in most abundance, produceth this famous tree, (which 

 strangers, divine and human writings, and the natives, call the Palm-tree,) is Asia, particu- 

 larly that part of it called India, containing the kingdoms and provinces, which lie betwixt 

 and are bounded by the two famous rivers Indus and Ganges, both so well known in 

 history. The land nearest the sea-side produceth the fairest ; the air from the sea, being 

 very favourable and benign to them. Though strangers give the same name of Palm-tree 

 to divers sorts of this tree, all cannot challenge it, neither enjoy tlie excellences proper to 

 Volume II. 2 



