101 
EOOK XII. 
THE NATURAL HISTOEY OP TREES. 
CHAP. 1. THE HONOUEABLE PLACE OCCUPIED BY TREES IK 
THE SYSTEM OF NATUEE. 
Such, then, is the history, according to their various species 
and their peculiar conformations, of all the animals within the 
compass of our knowledge. It now remains for us to speak of 
the vegetable productions of the earth, which are equally far 
from being destitute of a vital spirit,^ (for, indeed, nothing can 
live without it), that we may then proceed to describe the mine- 
rals extracted from it, and so none of the works of Nature may 
be passed by in silence. Long, indeed, were these last boun- 
ties of hers concealed beneath the ground, the trees and forests 
being regarded as the most valuable benefits conferred by 'Nsl- 
ture upon mankind. It was from the forest that man drew 
his first aliment, by the leaves of the trees was his cave ren- 
dered more habitable, and by their bark was his clothing sup- 
plied ; even at this very day,^ there are nations that live 
under similar circumstances to these. Still more and more, 
then, must we be struck with wonder and admiration, that 
from a primaeval state such as this, we should now be cleaving 
the mountains for their marbles, visiting the Seres ^ to obtain 
our clothing, seeking the pearl in the depths of the Eed Sea, 
and the emerald in the very bowels of the earth. Eor our 
adornment with these precious stones it is that we have devised 
those wounds which we make in our ears ; because, forsooth, 
it was deemed not enough to carry them on our hands, our 
necks, and our hair, if we did not insert them in our very flesh 
as well. It will be only proper, then, to follow the order of 
human inventions, and to speak of the trees before treating of 
^ " Anima." The notion that plants are possessed of a soul or spirit, is 
derived from the Greek philosophers, who attributed to them intellect also, 
and sense. 
Vitruvius mentions the people of Gaul, Hispania, Lusitania, and 
Aquitania, as living in his day in dwellings covered with oak shingles, or 
with straw. 
3 See B. vi. c. 20, and B. xi. c. 20. 
