to certain Natural Objects* 557 



ferer be drawn, nine mornings, fasting, through the arch 

 formed by a briar that is rooted into the soil at both ends ; 

 i. e., the young shoot of a bramble (jR^bus), which, when it 

 comes in contact with the ground, usually takes root again 

 at the end, like the runner of a strawberry. 



[^ recent Instance of constituting a Rupture- Ash."] — One 

 other instance of credulity and superstition I must mention, 

 which fell under my own observation within these few years. 

 In a plantation which I had made and nursed with some in- 

 terest, I observed a thriving young ash plant carefully lapped 

 round with a taching end, i. e., a shoemaker's waxed string.. 

 On closer examination I perceived that the tree had been 

 cut through in a horizontal direction to the centre, and then 

 split upwards perpendicularly to the length of about 2 ft. I 

 was not a little puzzled even to conjecture for what purpose 

 the tree had been subjected to such severe treatment. The 

 injury sustained, it was plain, could not have been done acci- 

 dentally ; and, had it been done for mere mischiePs sake, the 

 perpetrator, I thought, would hardly have been at the pains 

 carefully to lap the injured stem round with a taching end. 

 After some enquiry, the whole history came to light : a neigh- 

 bouring shoemaker had a child badly ruptured; and, in order 

 to effect a cure, the tree had been split, and the infant passed 

 between the two halves thus separated for the purpose ; these 

 were then bound together, as already described ; and if the 

 parts finally united (so the belief goes), the child would 

 recover I * With the knowledge of so ready and effectual a 

 remedy, who need ever again apply to Sir Astley Cooper, or 

 any of his fraternity, in a case of strangulated hernia ? 



Such are among the superstitious usages and opinions which 

 obtained in former times, and which, it seems, even yet, in 

 these enlightened days, have not quite lost their influence over 

 tjae minds of men. While we smile, however, as well we 

 may, at the ignorance and credulity of past ages, and plume 

 ourselves, perhaps, with no little self-complacency, on our 

 own superior knowledge, it becomes us not to sit down lazily 

 satisfied with present acquirements, as if we ourselves had 

 already attained the very pinnacle of wisdom. The advance 

 of knowledge should only stimulate us to farther exertions. 



* According to Brand, " this is a very ancient and extensive piece of 

 superstition." See Brand, ii. 591., where an account is given from the 

 Gentleman^ s Magazine ^ for October, 1804, of the ceremony having been 

 practised in the parish of Solihull, in Warwickshire. See also Gilbert 

 White's account of this superstition, and of the " shrew-ash." (Letter 28. 

 to Daines Barrington.) 



