164 
PLINY's jS" at URAL HISTORY. 
[Book XIII. 
and cardamum, calamus, aspalathus,^^ and abrotonum. There 
are some persons who, when making unguent of Cyprus, em- 
ploy myrrh also, and panax : the best is that made at Sidon, 
and the next best that of Egypt : care must be taken not to 
add oil of sesamum : it will keep as long as four years, and its ! 
odour is strengthened by the addition of cinnamon. Telinum 
is made of fresh olive- oil, cypirus,^^ calamus, melilote,°® fenu- 
greek, honey, marum," and sweet marjoram. This last was 
the perfume most in vogue in the time of the Comic poet 
Menander: a considerable time after that known as me- 
galium'* took its place, being so called as holding the very i 
highest rank;^^ it was composed of oil of balanus, balsamum, 
calamus, sweet-rush, xylobalsamum,^^ cassia, and resin. One 
peculiar property of this unguent is, that it requires to be 
constantly stirred while boiling, until it has lost all smell : 
when it becomes cold, it recovers its odour.^^ 
There are some single essences also which, individually, 
afford unguents of very high character : the first rank is due 
to malobathrum,^^ and the next to the iris of lUyricum and 
the sweet marjoram of Cyzicus, both of them herbs. There 
are perfumers who sometimes add some few other ingredients 
to these : those who use the most, employ for the purpose 
honey, flour of salt, omphacium, leaves of agnus,^^ and panax, 
all of them foreign ingredients.^^ The price of ung;ient^* of 
52 See B. xii. c. 52. 
^ The gum resin of the Pastinaca opopanax of Linnajus. See B, xii. 
c. 57. , 
Or unguent of fenugreek, from the Greek T tjXiQ, meaning that plant, 
tlio Trigonella foenum Graecum of Linnaeus. See B. xxiv. c. 120. 
See B. ii. c. 26, and B. xxi. c. 68—70. 
The Trifolium meliiotus of Linnaeus. See B. xxi. c. 30. 
See B. xii. c. 53. 
He would imply that it was so called from the Greek fieyag^ " great 
but it was more generally said that it received its name from its inventor, 
Megalus. 
59 See B. xii. c. 5. 
Fee does not appear to credit this statement. By the use of the 
word " ventiletur," ''fanned'' may be possibly implied. 
See B. xii. c. 59. 
The Agnus castus of Linnaeus. See B. xxiv. c. 38. The leaves are 
quite inodorous, though the fruit of this plant is slightly aromatic. 
^ " Externa." The reading is doubtful, and it is difficult to say what is 
tiie exact meaning of the word, 
Cinnamomino. 
