The sugar-cane: a poem in four books with notes / [James Grainger].

  • Grainger, James, 1721?-1766
Date:
1766
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The sugar-cane: a poem in four books with notes / [James Grainger]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Pi We .S UNG AR: C AIN Es Book To Fame’s eternal Dome, where Maro reigns ;__ Where paftoral Dyer, where Pomona’s Bard, And Smart and Sommerville, in varying ftrains, Their, fylvan.lore convey : O may I join This choral band, and from their preceptslearn 15 To deck my theme, which though to fong unknown, Is moft momentous to niy Country’s weal! | So fhall my numbers win the Public ear: And not difpleafe Aurelius; him, to whom ‘Imperial George, the monarch of the main, 20 Hath given to wield the fcepter of thofe ifles, Where firft the Mufe beheld the fpiry Cane, Supreme of plants, rich fubjeét of my fong. WHuERE-E’ER Ver 22. the fpiry Cane,] The botanic name of the Cane is Saccharum. ‘The Greeks and Romans feem to have known very little of this moft ufeful and beautiful plant. Lucan and stor are the only Authors among the former who mention it; and, fo far as I can find, Arrian is the only Greek. ‘The firft of thefe _ «JWritersy in enumerating Pompey’s Eaftern auxiliaries, defcribes a ation who made ufe of the Cane-juice as a drink : =. Dulces bibebant ex -arundiné fuccos. “'The induftrious Naturalift fays. * Saccharum et - Arabia fert, = «+ (ed laudatius India ;? and the Greek Hiftorian, in his wepemAous _.. of the Red-fea, tells us of a neighbouring nation who drank it alfo; is words are, UAL To XaAcpLIVOY To ASyOULEVCY TAR NAPE The Cane, however, as it was a native of the Eaft, fo has it been probably cultivated there time immemorial. The raw juice was doubtlefs firlt made ufe of; they afterwards boiled it into a fyrup; and, in procefs of time, an inebriated {pirit was prepared there- _ from by~fermehtation. This conjecture is confirmed by the a mology, for the Arabic word “| SJB) is evidently derived from the Hebrew “|S t#?, which fignifies an ‘ intoxicating liquor.” When. _ the Indians began to make the Cane-juice into fugar, I cannordi® fet ; iS POVERS ~°