MULBERRY-TREE, in Latin Morus. The Author of Psalm lxxviii. at Verse 47, says, that among other Plagues with which the Lord visited Egypt, he destroyed their Vines with Hail, and their Mulberry-trees with Frost. [So the Vulgate; the English Translation in our Bibles reads Sycomore-trees.Heb.] The Hebrew Word made use of in this Place, according to the Generality of Interpreters, signifies Sycomores. He killed their Sycomore-trees with Frost, or great Hail-stones. The Sycomore is frequent in Egypt, and has a Leaf near resembling that of a Mulberry-tree, and Fruit something like Figs; hence the Word Sycomore, from Sycos a Fig or Figtree, and Morus a Mulberry-tree. The Hebrew Word Skikamah is evidently the Radix of Sycaminus, which signifies also a Sycomore.
It is said in the first Book of the Maccabees1 Macc. vi. 34., that the young King Antiochus Eupator coming into Judæa with a powerful Army1, in which were a good many Elephants; those that had the Care of these Animals shewed them the Blood of Grapes and Mulberries, that they might provoke them to fight. The Elephant of its own Nature is not at all cruel; to make him fierce he must be vexed, urged, made drunk, or shewed some Blood, or something like Blood. We read in the third Book of the Maccabees, that to provoke the Elephants to tread under Foot, or under their Knees, those Jews of Egypt that Ptolemy Philopator had a Mind to put to Death, they gave them to drink a medicated Wine, to intoxicate their Brain, and to stifle that Sentiment of Pity and Compassion that is natural to them. It must indeed be allowed, that we do not find in any profane Author, that they used to shew these Creatures the Juice of Grapes or Mulberries, in Order to make them fierce. Plutarch2 and Seneca3 tell us, that Bulls are provoked by seeing red Colours, and Elephants by seeing white. But we cannot doubt of what is here related in the Maccabees; and since Experience shews us, that there are few Animals but what are provoked at the Sight of Blood, or even at the Sight of any lively red Colour, as Vallesius4 affirms; why may not the same happen to Elephants also?
Read this article in its place on the printed pages