ON THE AGE AND 
176 
The Vine, however, when planted in a foil it delights in, 
will grow to an amazing fize and expanlion, even in this 
country. I diall beg leave here to produce two or three inllances 
of Vines covering a furpriling area of walling. 
At 
“ countries of Europe, and the natives were encouraged, by an open and pro- 
“ fitable commerce, to multiply the former, as well as improve the latter. It 
“ would be almofl: impoffible to enumerate all the articles, either of the animal 
“ or the vegetable reign, which were fucccllively imported into Europe from 
“ Afia and Egypt*; but it will not be unworthy of the dignity, and much 
“ lefs of the utility of an hiftorical work, {lightly to [tpuch on a few of the 
** principal heads. 
III. Almofl all the flowers, the herbs, and the fruits, that grow in our European 
“ gardens, are of foreign extraftlon, which, in many cafes, is betrayed, even 
“ by their names : The apple was a native of Italy, and when the Romans 
“ had tailed the richer flavour of the apricot, the peach, the pomegranate, 
“ the citron, and the orange, they contented tliemfelves with applying to all 
“ thefe new fruits the common denomination of apple, difcriminating them 
“ from each other by the additional epithet of their country. 
“ 2d. In the time of Homer, the Vine grew wild in the ifland of Sicily, and, pro- 
“ bably, in the adjacent continent ; but it was not improved by fklll, nor did it 
“ afford a liquor grateful to the tafle of the favage inhabitants f. A thoufand 
“ years afterv/ards, Italy could boafl, that of the fourfcore mofl generous 
“ and celebrated wines, more than two-thirds were produced from her ov/n 
“ foil J. The bleffing was foon communicated to the Narbonnefe province 
“ of 
* It is not improbable that the Greeks and Phoenicians introduced fome neiv arts and 
produitions into the neighbourhood of Marfeilles and Gades. 
I See Homer Odyjf. Lib. xiv. ver. 358. 
i Plin. Hijl. Natur. Lib. xiv. 
