DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9841#0063
XXIII.]
WILD ASPARAGUS.
45
inquiring about it, I learnt that a sheep had fallen sick,
and had thus been killed "for the children at Easter36."
Not wishing, therefore, to rob the children of any por-
tion of such an Easter Sunday's dinner, we supped on
eggs and a salad of wild asparagus, which, if not quite
so delicious as, like that met with in some parts of Italy,
to compensate any epicure for the pains of a pilgrimage
to eat it, was still most palatable after a ride of several
hours. Belon observed, that asparagus, such as we cul-
tivate in our gardens, could scarcely be seen in Crete,
and that the wild plant grew all over the island37.
The ancient epicures were well aware of the supe-
riority of this wild vegetable over the larger asparagus
which is produced by cultivation38.
castle and the walls of the modern town, he adds, " as they are so near the
sea, they would not be secure from the corsairs without this defence."
30 Aid to. vraidtd—vd (pdyioat TtjV Aapirpt'i.
37 Belon, Observations de plusieurs Singularitez, etc. f. 20. ed. 1555.
"A peine pourroit on voir celle maniere d'Asparges en Crete, telle que nous
cultiuons en noz iardins : car ils n'ont que la sauuage nominee Corruda, qui y
croist en tous lieux. Mais outre ceste la, ils en ont encor vne autre espece qui
de nom propre vulgaire et ancien est appelle'e Polytrichia." Wild asparagus
is also found on the continent of ancient Greece : see Chandler, Travels in
Greece, c. li. near the end.
38 AthENAEUS, II. 62. e. Ovtoi Kal e\eioi Kal apcioi Ka\oui/Taf <t>v
°i KaWurToi ou wrreipovrai, rrrdvTuyv oV-res tu>v ei/Tfis depaireuTtKoi* oi £fe
wapTol Kal a-tpuopa uneppeycdci^ yivovrai.
WILD ASPARAGUS.
45
inquiring about it, I learnt that a sheep had fallen sick,
and had thus been killed "for the children at Easter36."
Not wishing, therefore, to rob the children of any por-
tion of such an Easter Sunday's dinner, we supped on
eggs and a salad of wild asparagus, which, if not quite
so delicious as, like that met with in some parts of Italy,
to compensate any epicure for the pains of a pilgrimage
to eat it, was still most palatable after a ride of several
hours. Belon observed, that asparagus, such as we cul-
tivate in our gardens, could scarcely be seen in Crete,
and that the wild plant grew all over the island37.
The ancient epicures were well aware of the supe-
riority of this wild vegetable over the larger asparagus
which is produced by cultivation38.
castle and the walls of the modern town, he adds, " as they are so near the
sea, they would not be secure from the corsairs without this defence."
30 Aid to. vraidtd—vd (pdyioat TtjV Aapirpt'i.
37 Belon, Observations de plusieurs Singularitez, etc. f. 20. ed. 1555.
"A peine pourroit on voir celle maniere d'Asparges en Crete, telle que nous
cultiuons en noz iardins : car ils n'ont que la sauuage nominee Corruda, qui y
croist en tous lieux. Mais outre ceste la, ils en ont encor vne autre espece qui
de nom propre vulgaire et ancien est appelle'e Polytrichia." Wild asparagus
is also found on the continent of ancient Greece : see Chandler, Travels in
Greece, c. li. near the end.
38 AthENAEUS, II. 62. e. Ovtoi Kal e\eioi Kal apcioi Ka\oui/Taf <t>v
°i KaWurToi ou wrreipovrai, rrrdvTuyv oV-res tu>v ei/Tfis depaireuTtKoi* oi £fe
wapTol Kal a-tpuopa uneppeycdci^ yivovrai.