r Andr „ Ms-

OFFOREST-TREES. 113

In Sum, whatever eats of them, will with Difficulty be reduced to en-CHAP.dure any Thing else, as long as they can come by them : To fay nothingof their other soveraign Qualities, as relaxing of the Belly, being eatenin the Morning, and curing Inflammations and Ulcers of the Mouthand Throat , mixed with Mel Rosarum , in which Receipt they do best,being taken before they are over-ripe. I have * read, that in Syria they ’,make Bread of them; but that the eating of it makes Men bald Asfor ‘Drink, the Juice of the Berry mixed with Cyder-Apples, makes Dei pn° s -an excellent Liquor, both for Colour and Taste. ^ x " i C ‘ lA '

lo. To proceed with the Leaf (for which they are chiefly cherilhed)the Benefit of it is so great, that they are frequently let to farm for vastSums; so as some one sole Tree has yielded the Froprietor a Rent oftwenty Shillings per Annum , for the Leaves only ; and six or sevenPounds of Silk, worth as many Pounds Sterling, in five or six Weeks,to those who keep the Worms. We know that till after Italy had madeSilk above a thousand Years (and where the Tree it self was not aStranger, none of the Antients writing any Thing concerning it) theyreceived it not in France ; it being hardly yet an hundred, since theybetook themselves to this ManufaCture in Frovence, Languedoc,Dauphine, Lionnois, &Cc. and not in Tourain and Orleans, tillHen. IVth’s Time; but it is incredible what a Revenue it now amountsto in that Kingdom. About the fame Time, ora little after, it was thatKing fames did with extraordinary Care recommend it to this Na-tion, by a Book of Directions, Acts of Council, and all other Prince-ly Assistance. But this did not take, no more than that of Hen. IVth’sProposal about the Environs of Bar is, who filled the High-ways,

Harks, and Gardens of France with the Trees, beginning in his ownGardens for Encouragement: Yet, I fay, this would not be brought in-to Example, till this present great Monarch, by the indefatigable Di-ligence of Monfleur Colbert ( Superintendent of his Majesty's Ma-nufactures') who has so successfully revived it, that ’tis prodigious toconsider what an happy Progress they have made in it • to our Shamebe it spoken, who have no other Discouragements from any insuperableDifficulty whatever, but our Sloth, and want of Industry ; since where-ever these Trees will grow and prosper, the Silk-worms will do so also ;and they were alike averse, and from the very same Suggestions, wherenow that ManufaCture flourishes in our Neighbour Countries. It is de-monstrable, that Mulberries in four or five Years may be made to spreadall over this Land ; and when the Indigent, and young Daughters inproud Families are as willing to gain three or four Shillings a Day forgathering Silk, and busying themselves in this sweet and easie Employ-ment, as some do to get four Hence a Day for hard Work at Hemp,

Flax and Wool', the Reputation of Mulberries will spread in Eng-land and other Plantations. I might fay something like this of Saffron,which we yet too much neglect the Culture of; but, which for all this Ido not despair of seeing re-assumed, when that good Genius returns.

In order "to this hopeful Frognostick, we will add a few Directions aboutthe gathering of their Leaves , to render this Chapter one of the mostaccomplished, for certainly one of the most accomplished and agreeableWorks in the World.

n. The Leaves of the Mulberry should be collected from Trees ofseven or eight Years old ; if of such as are very young, it impairs theirGrowth, neither are they so healthful for the Worms, making them

F f hydropical,