106 plikt's natueal history. [Book XII. 
in the island of Cyprus. Slips of the tree at Gortyna — so 
fond is man by nature of novelty — were at an early period 
planted at different places in Crete, and reproduced the natural 
imperfections of the tree though, indeed, there is no higher ji 
recommendation in the plane than the fact that in summer it ! 
protects us from the rays of the sun, while in winter it admits 
them. In later times, during the reign of the Emperor 
Claudius, a Thessalian eunuch, the freedman of Marcellus 
^serninus,^^ who, however, from motives of ambition had en- 
rolled himself in the number of the freedmen of the emperor, I 
and had acquired very considerable wealth, introduced this 
plane into Italy, in order to beautify his country-seat : so that 
he may not inappropriately be styled a second Dionysius. 1 
These monstrosities of other lands are still to be seen in Italy, | 
independently of those which that country has herself devised. : 
CHAP. 6. (2.) THE CHAMiEPLATAXUS. WHO WAS THE FIEST 
TO CLIP GREEN SHRUBS. 
For we find in Italy some plane-trees, which are known as j 
chamseplatani,^^ in consequence of their stunted growth ; for 1 
we have discovered the art of causing abortion in trees even, | 
and hence, even in the vegetable world we shall have occasion I 
to make mention of dwarfs, an unprepossessing subject in every j 
case. This result is obtained in trees, by a peculiar method | 
adopted in planting and lopping them. C. Matius,^^ a member 1 
of the Equestrian order, and a friend of the late Emperor 
Augustus, invented the art of clipping arbours, within the last 
eighty years. ' i 
CHAP. 7. (3.) HOW THE CITRON IS PLANTED. . ' 
The cherry and the peach, and all those trees which have 
either Greek or foreign names, are exotics : those, however, of ii 
i\ 
20 The tendency, namely, to lose their leaves. A 
21 Grandson of Asinius Pollio. Tacitus tells ns, that he was one of 
those whom Piso requested to undertake his defence, when charged with' } 
having poisoned Germanicus ; but he declined the ofBce. 
22 Qj. a ground plane-trees." It is by no means uncommon to see dwarf \ 
varieties of the larger trees, which are thus reduced to the dimensions of ■ 
mere shrubs. , , j 
23 C. Matius Calvena, the friend of Julius and Augustus Caesar, as q1s6 \ 
of Cicero. He is supposed to have translated the Iliad into Latin verse, 
and to have written a work on cookery. 
