The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 3H. G. Bohn, 1855 - 545 pages |
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acorn alludes amurca ancient animals appearance apple bark bears bees berry blood blossom branches buds Cæsar called Cato CHAP colour Columella cultivated Cuvier Cyprus denarii denarii per pound Dioscorides earth Egypt employed esteemed fact Fée remarks Fée says Fée thinks feet flavour flowers frankincense fruit graft grape Greek ground grow hence holm oak holm-oak honey insects instance Italy jugerum juice known larvæ laurel leaf leaves Linnæus male mentioned method mode myrrh myrtle nard nature odour olive oviparous particularly pear peculiar perfumes persons plant Pliny pomegranate poplar present day probably produced pruning purpose quercus reed resemblance resin ripen robur Roman Rome roots Rust seed sesterces sextarii shoots shrub similar smell soil sorb substance sweet Syria teeth terebinth Theophrastus tree trunk unguents varieties Varro vicinity viii vine wild wine wood
Popular passages
Page 74 - It is quite surprising that the use of pepper has come so much into fashion, seeing that in other substances which we use, it is sometimes their sweetness, and sometimes their appearance that has attracted our notice ; whereas, pepper has nothing in it that can plead as a recommendation to either fruit or berry, its only desirable quality being a certain pungency ; and yet it is for this that we import it all the way from India!
Page 72 - It puts forth its fruit from the bark, a fruit remarkable for the sweetness of its juice, a single one containing sufficient to satisfy four persons.
Page 151 - This table being first inclined, the leaves of papyrus are laid upon it lengthwise, as long, indeed, as the papyrus will admit of, the jagged edges being cut off at either end; after which a cross layer is placed over it, the same way, in fact, that hurdles are made. When this is done, the leaves are pressed close together, and then dried in the sun...
Page 3 - It has the colour of a cat and is in size as large as an Egyptian wolf. This gold .... is taken by the Indians during the heats of summer, while the ants are compelled by the excessive warmth to hide themselves in their holes. Still, however, on being aroused by catching the scent of the Indians, they sally forth and frequently tear them to pieces, though provided with the swiftest camels for the purpose of flight; so great is their fleetness combined with their ferocity and their passion for gold".
Page 64 - Indeed, we feel ourselves inspired to adoration not less by the sacred groves, and their very stillness, than by the statues of the gods, resplendent as they are with gold and ivory. Each kind of tree remains immutably consecrated to some divinity : the beech to Jupiter, the laurel to Apollo, the olive to Minerva, the myrtle to Venus, and the poplar to Hercules...
Page 6 - So long as it remains in the fire, it will live, but if it comes out and flies a little distance from it it will instantly die".
Page 90 - At this place the priests take by measure, and not by weight, a tenth part in honour of their god, whom they call Sabis ; indeed, it is not allowable to dispose of it before this has been done ; out of this tenth the public expenses are defrayed, for the divinity generously entertains all those strangers who have made a certain number of days
Page 131 - L. Plautius Plancus, being proscribed by the Triumvirs, was betrayed in his place of concealment at Salernum by the smell of unguents. See Pliny, HN, xiii. 5. Hence his perfumes would be rightly termed 'fatall'.
Page 64 - The trees formed the first temples of the Gods, and even at the present day the country people, preserving in all simplicity their ancient rites, consecrate the finest trees in their vicinity to some divinity.
Page 87 - Arabians, that behold the incense- tree;* and not all of them, for not over 3000 families have a right to that privilege by hereditary succession; for this reason these persons are called sacred, and are not allowed, while pruning the trees or gathering the harvest, to receive any pollution, either by intercourse with women or coming in contact with the dead; by these religious observances it is that the price of the commodity is so enhanced.