ASP 
longer and two (horter, the upper ones generally conjugate, 
but fometimes two very final! leaves appear betides; they 
are all entire, roughifh, and feffile, blunt but tipped with 
a (harp point. The flowers grow oneredt branches, from 
the axils of the leaves ; they are long and divided, forming 
thin faftigi'ate umbels, and they have a fweet fmell, rarely 
perceived, like thofe of the woodroof. Native of France, 
Germany, Switzerland, Carniola, Italy, and the Levant. 
Abundant in many parts of England, on chalk downs; as 
about Dartford in Kent, on Epfom-dovvns, Hertfordfliirc, 
Gogmagog-hills, Newmarket-heath, Swaffham in Nor¬ 
folk, Armingale-wood by Norwich, the Suflex downs, &c. 
lowering from June to Auguft. 
9. Afperula ariftata, or awn-flowered woodroof: leaves 
linear, rather flcfliy, the lower ones four in a whorl; flow- 
ers fubtern aw'ned. Stem upright. Flowers pale, yellow- 
j(h, placed parallel, with the divilions bluntly avvned. Na¬ 
tive of the fouth of Europe. 
10. Afperula laevigata, or fhining woodroof: leaves four 
in a whorl, elliptic, nervelefs, fmoothilh ; peduncles diva¬ 
ricate, trichotomous; feeds fcabrous. Steins fimple, 
fmootli, fpreading Flowers ufually in threes, peduncled, 
white. Native of the fouth of Europe. Introduced in 
1775 by M. Thcuin, and flowers in June and July. 
11. Afperula hexaphylla, or fix-leaved woodroof: leaves 
fix in a whorl, linear; flowers umbelled terminal, fubfef- 
ftle. Root perennial. Stems fometimes branching at the 
bafe, but generally fimple. The whole plant is linooth. 
It grows in the fiflTures of the rocks near Tende. 
Propagation and Culture. All thefe plants being peren¬ 
nial, except the fecond, may be increafed by the roots, as 
well as by feeds. The firft fort will profper under the 
Ihade of {limbs in wildernefs quarters. The fifth mu ft 
have the protection of a greenhoufe, and does not conti¬ 
nue many years, but it may be increafed both by feeds and 
cuttings. The eighth, growing naturally in chalk, and 
moll of the others being natives of rocks, muft have a dry 
open fituation. 
AS'PET, a town of France, in the department of the 
Upper Garonne, and chief place of a canton, in the diftridt 
of St. Gatidens, two leagues fouth-eaft of St. Gaudens. 
ASPEY'TIA, a town of Spain, in the province of Gui- 
pufcoa, feven leagues from St. Sebaftian. 
ASPHAL'TITES (Lake of), [fo called from the great 
quantity of bitumen it produces ; called alfo the Dead Sea, 
and, from its fituation, the Eaji Sea ; the Salt Sea, the Sea 
of Sodom, the Sea of the Defert, and the Set} of the Plain, by 
the facred writings.] A lakfe of Judea. Many things have 
been faid and written of this famed lake; fuch as that it 
arofe from the fubmerfion of the vale of Siddim, where 
once flood, as is commonly reported, the three cities which 
perifhed in the conflagration of Sodom and Gomorrah, for 
their unnatural and deteflable wickednefs: on this account 
this lake has been conlidered as a lading monument of the 
judgment of God, to deter mankind from fuch abomina¬ 
tions. Hence it is added, that the waters are fo impreg-. 
nated with fait, fulphur, and other bituminous matters, 
that nothing will fink or live in it; and, that it cads fuch a 
flench and fmoke, that the birds die in attempting to fly 
over it. The defeription likewife of the apples that grew 
about it, fair without, but only allies and bitternefs within, 
were looked upon as a farther monument of God’s anger. 
So likewife the defeription which many travellers give not 
only of the lake, but of all the country round about, of 
the whole appearing dreadful to behold, all fulpluireons, 
bituminous, dinking, and fuffocating: and, ladly, what 
hath been farther affirmed of the ruins of the five cities 
being dill to be feen in clear weather, and having been ac¬ 
tually feen in thefe latter times; all thefe furprifing things, 
and ill-grounded notions, though commonly, and fo long, 
received 'among"Chridians, have been of late fo much ex¬ 
ploded, not only by the teftimony of very credible witnef- 
fes, but even by arguments drawn from Scripture, that 
we muft give them up as inventions, unlefs we will fup- 
pofe the face and nature of all thefe things to have been 
Vol. II. No. 71. 
ASP 27^ 
entirely changed. Thole, in particular, of bodies not fink¬ 
ing in the water, and of birds being difled by the exhala¬ 
tions of it, appear now falfe in faff. It is true, the quan¬ 
tity of fait, alum, and fulphur, with which it is impregna¬ 
ted, render- it-fo much fpecifically heavier (Dr. Pococke 
fays one-fifth) than frefti water, that bodies w ill not lb ea- 
fily fink: yet that author, and others, allure us, they have 
fwam and dived in it; and, as to the birds, we arc toid 
likewife, that they will fly over it without any harm. To 
reconcile thefe things with the experiments which Pliny 
tells us had been made by Vefpafian, is impodible, without 
fuppofing that thofe ingredients have been lince much ex- 
haufted, which is not at all improbable ; fuch quantities of 
them, that is, of the bitumen and (alt, having been all 
along, and being dill, taken off, and fuch dreams of frelh 
water continually pouring into it, as may reafonably be 
fuppofed to have condderably diminiflied its gravity and 
denfenefs. For, witli refpedt to its fait, we are told, the 
Arabs made quantities of.it from that lake, in large pits 
about the diore, which they dll with that water, and leave 
to be crydallized by the fun. This (alt is in dome cafes 
much commended by Galen, as very wholefome, and a 
ftrengthener of the ftomach, &c. on account of its unplea- 
fant bitternefs. 
What likewife relates to the condant fmoke a Lending 
from the lake, its changing the colour of its water three 
times a-day, fo conddently affirmed by Jofephusand othcr 
ancients, and conftrmed by prince Radziville and other 
moderns, who pretend to have been eye-witnelfes of it, is 
all now in the fame manner exploded by others of more 
modern date, and of at lead equal candour. The nnheal- 
thinefs of the air about the lake was affirmed by Jofephus 
and Pliny, efpecially on the wed: the monks'that live ia 
the neighbourhood confirm the fame, and would have dif- 
fuaded Dr. Pococke from going to it on that account: and, 
as he ventured to go and bathe in it, and was, two days 
after, feized with a dizzinefs, and violent pain in the fto¬ 
mach which laded near three weeks, they made no doubt 
but it was occafioned by it; and he doth not feem to eon- 
tradidf them. As to the water, it is, though clear, fo im¬ 
pregnated with fait, that thofe who dive into it come out 
covered with a kind of faline matter. There is one re¬ 
markable thing relating to this lake, generally agreed on 
by all travellers and geographers, viz. that it receives the 
waters of Jordan, a confiderable river, the brooks of Jab- 
bole, Kidion, Arnon, and other fprings, which flow into it 
from the adjacent mountains, and yet never overflows, 
though there is no vifible way to be found by which it dif- 
charges that great influx. Some naturalifts have been 
greatly embarrafled to find a difeharge for thefe waters; 
and have therefore been inclined to fufpedt the lake had a 
communication with the Mediterranean. But, beddes that 
we know of no gulph to corroborate this fuppodtion, it has 
been-demonftrated by accurate calculations, that evapora- . 
tion is more than fufficient to carry off’ the waters brought 
by the river. It is, in fad, very confiderable; and fre¬ 
quently becomes fendble to the eye, by the fogs with which 
the lake is covered at the riling of the fun, and which are 
afterwards difperfed by the heat. It is enclofed on the 
eaft and weft with exceeding high mountains, many of them 
craggy and dreadful to behold. O11 the north it has the 
plain of Jericho; or, if we take in both (ides of the Jor¬ 
dan, it has the Great Plain, properly fo called, on the 
fouth ; which is open, and extends beyond tire reach of the 
eye. Jofephus gives this lake 580 furlongs in length, 
from the mouth of the Jordan to the town of Segor, on 
the oppofite end, that is about twenty-two leagues ; and 
about 150 furlongs, or five leagues, in its larged breadth ; 
but our modern accounts commonly give it twenty-four 
leagues in length, and fix or (even in breadth. On the weft 
fide is a kind of promontory, where they pretend to (hew 
the remains of Lot’s wife. Jofephus fays it was dill ftan i- 
ing in his time ; but, when prince Radziville enquired af¬ 
ter it, they told him there was no fuch fait pillar or ftatue 
to be found. However, about a century after him, they 
4 A pretended 
