' Foreig n' Ve get ables.’ .. jft 
teen ufed for fome Ages as the true Sort, is not the 
fame with the Coftus of the Ancients. 
But to make this more evident, we muft take 
Notice that Biofcorides fpeaks of no Bitternefs be- 
longing to Coftus ; and though Galen* does, yet 
he tells us it is very gentle ; and they both ob- 
lerve that it has an acrid, biting, hot or burning 
Tafte. It is true Avicenna fays, from Biofcorides , 
the Arabian Coftus is white; but adds of himfelf, 
that it has a Tendency to rednefs, which was the 
Colour of what was then made ufe of. He like- 
wife fays from Biofcorides , that the Indian Coftus is 
black ; but afterwards adds that it is bitter. Macer y 
on the contrary, defcribes the Indian Coftus as hav- 
ing a reddilh Colour, and an extremely’ bitter 
Tafte. Further, the Coftus of the Ancients had 
a very ftrong fragrant Smell, even fo as to prove 
offenfive to the Head. They ufed it in aromatick 
Compounds and Perfumes ; and they burnt it alfo 
upon their Altars as Incenfe. Whence this Line of 
Propertius : 
Coftummolle date , et blandi mihi Thuris Honor es. 
And Pliny likewife exprefles himfelf thus : ,c Thefe 
“ Roots are purchafedon Account of their Smell, 
<c to mix with Unguents and Dainties, or, If I may 
ic be allowed to fay fo, for the Sake of Superfti- 
<c tion ; becaufe, fays he, we ufe Frankincenfe and 
€< Coftus in religious Worlhip.” Now as this ex- 
quifite Fragrancy and ftrong Smell, taken Notice 
of by Biofcorides , Galen and Pliny , is not obferv- 
able in the Coftus of our Shops, I think we may 
reafonably conclude that it is entirely different from 
that of the Ancients. 
Moreover, the Druggifts are not agreed upon # 
the true Coftus ; fmce in their Shops we fome- 
times 
