Latin Texts & Translations

In other respects, Egypt is the country that is the best suited of all for the production of unguents; and next to it, Campania, ^[Note] from its abundance of roses.

(4.) Judæa, too, is greatly renowned for its perfumes, and even still more so for its palm-trees, ^[Note] the nature of which I shall take this opportunity of enlarging upon. There are some found in Europe also. They are not uncommon in Italy, but are quite barren there. ^[Note] The palms on the coast of Spain bear fruit, but it is sour. ^[Note] The fruit of those of Africa is sweet, but quickly becomes vapid and loses its flavour; which, however is not the case with the fruit of those that grow in the East. ^[Note] From these trees a wine is made, and bread by some nations, ^[Note] and they afford an aliment for numerous quadrupeds. It will be with very fair reason then, that we shall confine our description to the palm-tree of foreign countries. There are

none in Italy that grow spontaneously, ^[Note] nor, in fact, in any other part of the world, with the exception of the warm countries: indeed, it is only in the very hottest climates that this tree will bear fruit.