[ 36o ] 
fungi. The fpecimen now fent, being white on one 
fide, arifes from its either being wafhed or bleached 
by the fun ; for when wet, according to Mr Bofe, it 
was green : and this colour is mentioned both by 
Dillenius and Micheli in their feveral denominations. 
This" vegetable is found in England, as well as in 
many parts of Europe, in moift meadows, covering 
the ground like a carpet, and fometimes to a great 
extent. 
We muff be careful, however, how we connedt 
the fubftance in queftion, and others of the fame 
genus with the fivxros of the antient Greek writers, or 
the byjfus of the Latin. What that fubftance was, 
has been matter of great controverfy. Thus much is 
certain, that garments made of it were the apparel of 
the rich. And in the New Teftament, St. Luke, in 
the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, fays of the 
former, as a mark of his opulence, eveS'iS'vo-xelo 7 rop- 
qvgcty kj (6vojov ; this is tranflated in our Englifh ver- 
fion, “ he was cloathed in purple and fine linen”. 
It is more probable, that the byJJus of the ancients 
was a very fine fort of cotton : but whoever has the 
curiofity of examining what has been faid upon this 
fubjedt, may confult Pliny * and Wormius -f- ; but, 
above all, Bodacus a Stapel §, in his commentary up- 
on Theophraftus ; who has, upon this occafion, as 
well as upon a great variety of others, given us an 
ample teftimony of his vaft erudition. 
* Plinii lib. xix. c. I. 
§ Pag. 425, ct feq. 
t Muf. p. 139. 
LV. 
