THE “LOTOS” OF THE ANCIENTS. 
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We touched, "by various errors tossed, 
The land of Lotos, and the flowery coast. 
We climbed the beach, and springs of water found, 
Then spread our hasty banquet on the ground. 
Three men were sent, deputed from the crew, 
(A herald one), the dubious coast to view, 
And learn what habitants possessed the place. 
They went, and found a hospitable race ; 
Not prone to ill, nor strange to foreign guest, 
They eat, they drink, and Nature gives the feast ; 
The trees around them all their fruit produce ; 
Lotos the name ; divine nectareous juice ! 
(Thence called Lotophagi) which whoso tastes, 
Insatiate riots in the sweet repasts, 
Nor other home, nor other care intends, 
But quits his house, his country, and his friends : 
The three we sent, from off the enchanting ground 
We dragged reluctant, and by force we bound : 
The rest in haste forsook the pleasing shore, 
Or, the charm tasted, had returned no more. 
This tree, the fruit of which was eaten by the Lotophagi, is 
mentioned by Herodotus, Theophrastus, Polybius, Dioscorides, 
and Pliny, and from them we gather the following particulars. 
“ Of the Lotos, this particular kind is of a considerable size, 
about as large as a pear-tree, or somewhat less, having a leaf 
serrated like that of the Quercus ilex . The wood is of a dark 
colour ” (Theophrastus). “ The Lotus is a tree of no great 
height, rough and thorny, and bears a yellowish-green leaf, 
somewhat thicker and broader than that of the bramble ” 
(Polybius). “ The Lotos-tree is of a considerable size ” (Dios- 
corides). “ Of the size of a pear-tree, though Cornelius Nepos 
speaks of it as a shrub ; the leaf is more serrated, otherwise it 
might be taken for the leaf of the evergreen oak ” (Pliny). 
Virgil also includes it amongst trees. Hence we gather that 
it is a small, rough, thorny tree, with serrated leaves, and a 
dark wood, for Pliny adds, “ the wood is of a black colour, and 
in request to make pipes to play upon.” So much for the 
tree, and now as to its fruit. “ This fruit of the Lotos is in 
size about as large as that of the Lentiscus (mastic) ; in sweet- 
ness it is like the fruit of the palm-tree. From this fruit the 
Lotophagi also make wine ” (Herodotus). “ The fruit is like 
the bean (Egyptian bean, or Kyamos) ; as the grape, it changes 
colour as it ripens ; but, like myrtle-berries, it is produced 
thick and close upon the shoots. It is eaten by those people 
called Lotophagi; it is innocent, of an agreeable sweetness, 
and good for the bowels. There is one kind which has no 
stone, and that is sweeter ; of this wine is made. The army 
