Old Mother D’Acier, in her Notes On Homer, some hard Greek Word quotes, Calls it Nep, nep,—­I know not what, And says it is the very Plant that The tawny Queen to Helen sent, To cure her Griefs at all Event.

Great Milton’s Murd’rer says it is The fam’d Machaera Herculis, And proves from some old Grecian Poet, So plain that all Men sure must know it, That of this Tree the Club was made, With which he overcame (’tis said) Thespius’ Daughters, all grown wild, And fifty Mad-Women made mild; Which very Club—­(it makes one Laugh) Omphale turn’d into a Distaff.  Nay, the Hesperian Tree was this, As shew the Poma Veneris; These Apples doubtless were the Fruit That ’twixt the Queens rais’d such Dispute, To make ’em all stark-naked stand, While Paris held it in his Hand, And chuck’d it into Venus’ Mouth, ’Cause she with Beauty fir’d the Youth.

  The Virtues are of such great Note,
  That twenty Volumes might be wrote;
  The Juice alone Green-Sickness cures,
  And purges thro’ all corporal Pores;
  If any Maid be sick, or faint
  Of Love, or Father’s close Constraint,
  One Spoonfull of this Cordial Balm
  Soon stops each Grief, and every Qualm;
  ’Tis true, they sometimes Tumours cause,
  And in the Belly make strange Flaws,
  But a few Moons will make ’em sound,
  And safely fetch the Swelling down.

  Not Saffron chears the Heart like this,
  Nor can Champaign give such a Bliss: 
  When Wife and Husband do fall out,
  And both remain in sullen pout,
  This brings them to themselves again,
  And fast unites the broken Chain;
  Makes Feuds and Discords straightway cease
  And gives at least a Night of Peace.

This Rarity may now be seen In Lambeth, at a Garden Green, Bowen his Name, who in high Tone, Calls it the Tree of Silver Spoon, Which all the Maids of curious Eyes May there behold of largest Size.

THE Natural HISTORY OF THE TREE of LIFE.

The DESCRIPTION and PLACE.

The Tree of Life is a succulent Plant, consisting of one only strait stem, on the top of which is a Pistillum or Apex, at some times Glandiform and resembling a May-Cherry, tho’ at others, more like the Nut of the Avellana or Filbeard-Tree.

Its fruits, contrary to most others, grow near the Root; they are usually no more than two in number, their bigness somewhat exceeding that of an ordinary Nutmeg both contained in one strong Siliqua, or purse; which, together with the whole root of the plant, is commonly thick set with numerous Fibrilla or capillary Tendrils.