T R I BE 1$. 
The Theater of Tlantt. 
Chap^c?. 1207 
Chap, XXXIX. 
Pafiriu. The Pape r Reedc. 
He ancient Reede called Fitpyrtu by T^itcybr hHm,T) iofc ondt t liny others, whcrcofche Paper, 
and bookes were made.that were ufed in their and their former times, we may out of their writings 
deficri'ue unto you.if it be the fame which Alfimu and others fay, growethnow in <£>rtr and they 
call by that name : however we will fhew you what they faid it was.andhow it grew, ’and with- 
all lire tv you how jilfintu and others deferibe ic now,and likewife (hew you another fort thereof, as 
r. Papyru* anti/yuemm Nilotic*. The Paper Reedeoi the ancients growing in Nilm. 
This annent Paper reede(which Tkcofhriftmfic from him Pliny, do defcribe)growing fay they not in the depth 
of the River A >/m but in the pooles of £giyr,whereinto 1 he River Nilm hath broken out, and in the River it fclfe 
alio, yee not in the depth of the flreame.but necre the bankes, where the wacer is ofiely about two cubirs from the 
fhore, or leffe.whoic roote is of the thickeneffe ofa great mans writ! or fill,as he can grafpe, ( Pliny hath an arines 
thicknefle J abouttenne cubits tn length, fp eading diversofthelongbut.fmalland thicke rootes,above on 
the toppe of the mudde and earth wherein it groweth, from whence rife threefquare corned [hikes frhevare 
lathe Texc termed which I lotranflate, for of leaves they have no mention) of foure cubits bigneffe 
alrnolf, fpreadingmto many parts,and growing fmaller to the toppe, where it carrieth an unprofitable bu(h 0- 
tuft,without any fruite or feed. This is Thcophrtjhtt his p umaoie Dum 0. 
relation word for word,as neere as the defeription could 
Typer as Nilotic* Alpine. 
The Paper Rcede ©f Nilm now growing* 
' 7-- .-;-a— utitiipLiyn coma 
be brought into fence, which Flinj hath altered in fome 
things and curtailed in others, fctcing downe Thyrfm for 
c ™«, they being of different forme, yet Pcflingim faith 
the tufeexpreffeth them both, and leaving out Thicphra- 
fius his foure cubits greatneffe, which is fomewliat diffi¬ 
cult well to underhand and to apply to the purpofe : 
therefore will I here give you the deferiprion therof, as 
silfiKM firft,and Vefingim fince hath amended it. It ri- 
feth up above the water, from a rcede like roote, with 
many fibres therear, with fundry three fquare (tallies, 
foanetimes feven cubits high or more, with a pith in the 
middle, with leaves both above and below ir,the greater 
that are at thebottomeare large ("and three (quare as At- 
yinui faith,lull Veflingiuf faith nothing thereof) bending 
downeward like to the Burre reede or Cyperus, the Id¬ 
ler arc under the tufts at the toppes, which are CCmpofed 
of divers long and upright t'nreds,fet thicke togechcr.and 
fmall flowers at the toppes of them, which pafleaway 
without feede, as it is thought, for none hath beeneob- 
lerved. This is their exaft defeription ofit, fothatby 
comparing them both together, we may fay chat the roote 
is like other Reedes, but much greater, that is as bimze as 
ones wriflorarmc, yet not often cubits long, for that 
fize I thinke is more proper to the Qalke, from the roote 
to the toppe of the tuft, the (hike it felfe ( cannot be of 
foure cubits greatneffe,forthat compsffe exceedeth a great 
tree but) are about foureteenc or fiftecne inches com- 
pafle,which may very well agree to the naturall larged 
breadthof Paper, which was thirteene inches a s Pliny 
recordeth it, which was after it was wetted with the 
water of Nilm and fmoothed out, and thereby enlarged 
each fold cloven out from the (kike, thofe inward b?inz 
leffer and lefler. Jhe plant fay the ancients is fweere and 
uledby the Egyptian x, before that bread of Come was 
knowne unto them for their foodjand in their time was 
chawed and the fweeteneffe fucked forth, the reftheino-- », v -- 
(pit out, the roote ferveth them not onely for fewel! to burne hnr m n,l-. - , T J“ ' 
yeelded much matter for the purpofe: Papyrus ipf e (fay they) that is the ffalk rJT ^ ^ ufe ' f,ric 
bleto many ufes.as to make Ships,and of the barke to weave, andS i trannated f K bt, ? r . e > J is P roh ' ta ~ 
mentsand ropesalfo. w cave, ana maite lailes.mats.carpcts, fome kmdesof gar- 
T m j , 2 * ^ a f > f r tn Sicilian a. The Paper Reede of cVr//* 
This other Paper Reedc (which may be the Sari ofTtjcopbrafl»s mentioned \J‘u * 
4 .htfl’r.c. 9 - which as he faith is very like it but leffe, bein° three fauare by r h ! m ; I1£Kt “ nt0 the P W»>, M. 
the water,having many three fquare and foft " T ^ 
p.:r,; s 
with many fibres theieat. 
The 
