At the engine that Marcellus brought upon the bridge of ships, which was called sambuca from some resemblance it had to an instrument of music, while it was as yet approaching the wall, there was discharged a piece of a rock of ten talents' weight, then a second and a third, which, striking upon it with immense force and with a noise like thunder, broke all its foundation to pieces, shook out all its fastenings, and completely dislodged it from the bridge.
"Plutarch-Lives-of-the-noble-Grecians-and-Romans"
Clough, Arthur Hugh
The sambuca rang quicker, the harp quicker yet.
"Mary Magdalen"
Edgar Saltus
Cino heard of it some time afterwards, and in due season was shown her tomb at Monte della sambuca high on the Apennine, a grey stone solitary in a grey waste of shale.
"Little Novels of Italy Madonna Of The Peach-Tree, Ippolita In The Hills, The Duchess Of Nona, Messer Cino And The Live Coal, The Judgment Of Borso"
Maurice Henry Hewlett