43 <5 The (jar den of plea/ant Flowers. 
Chap. CXVIII. 
Arhor vit*. The tree of life. 
T He tree of life rifeth vp in fome places whereit hath flood Ion?, to be a tree of 
a reafonable great bignefTe and height , couered with a redder barke then any 
other tree in our Country that I know, thewood whereof is firme and hard 
and fpreadeth abroad m any armes and branches, which againe fend forth many fmal- 
lertwigges, bending downewards; from which twiggy or {lender branches, bein® 
flat thcmfelues like the leaues,comc forth on both fides many flat winged leaues fome- 
whatlikevntoSauine, being fhort and fmall , but not pricking, feeming as if they 
were brayded or folded like vnto a lace or point , of a darke ycllowilh greene colour 
abiding greene on the branches W inter and Summer , of a ftrong refinous tafte not 
pleafiag to moft, but in fome ready to procure calling, yet very cordiall and pe&orall 
alfo to them that can endure it : at the toppesof the branches {land fmall yellowifli 
dounie flowers, fet in fmall fcaly heads , wherein lye fmall, long, brownifli feede 
which ripen well in many places, and being fowne, doe fpring and bring forth plants’ 
which with fome fmall care will abide the extreameft Winters we haue. 
The Place. 
The firft or originali place where it naturally groweth , as farreas I can 
learne or vndcrftand , is that part of America which the French doe inha- 
bite, aboutthe riuer of Canada, which is at thebacke of Virginia North- 
ward, and as it feemeth, firft brought by them from thence into Europe, in 
the time of Francis the firft French King, whereit hath fo plentifully en- 
creafed, and fo largely beene diftributed, that now few Gardens of refpedl 
either in France, Germany, the Lowe. Countries, or England, are without it! 
The Time. 
It flowreth in the end of May , and in Iune- the fruit is ripe in the end 
«f Auguftand Sptember. 
The Names. 
A 11 the Writers that haue written of it, fincc it was firft Inownc haue 
made it to be Tbujegemu, a kinde of Thuya, which Theophraftus compa- 
reth vnto a Cy preffc tree, in his fifth Book and fifth Chapter : but Omnef. 
mile non cjl idem, and although it haue fome likenefte, yet I veril'ybeleeucitis 
proprium fui genu,, a proper kinde of it owne , not to beeparalleld with any 
other. For wee finde but very few trees, herbes, or plants in America 
like vnto thofe that growein Europe, the hither part of Africa , or in the’ 
Iefler Afia, as experienceteftificth. Some would make it to be Cedrus Licit 
but fo it cannot be. The French that firft brought it , called it Arbor vite 
with what reafon or vpon what ground I know riot : but euer fince it hath 
continued vnder the title of the T ree of life. 
TheVertucs. 
It hath beene found by often experience, that the leaues hereof chewed 
in the morning faft ing, for fome few day es together, haue done much good 
to diucrs,that haue beene troubled with IhortnefTe of breath and to heloe 
to expedio rate t hin ne purulentous matter fluffing the lungs. Other proper 
ties I haue not heard that it hath 5 but doubtlefte, the hot refinous fmell and 
tafte 
