ANNUAL MEETING AT SAGINAW. 495 



This list of plants and trees mi2;ht be much extended. For a part of it I 

 am indebted to Dorman's Primitive Superstitions, and for some of it to 

 Tylor's very interesting work on anthropology. The Cyclopedia of Loudon, 

 a Avork of wonderful research and interest, contains many sketches of the 

 mythological stories of trees and plants of the old world, besides the accounts 

 already given of the elder, the thorn, and the rowan. By the ancient Druids 

 of England the oak was held to be a sacred tree, and when the mistletoe was 

 found growing upon it, ceremonies of great solemnity were performed. They 

 considered the oak as the type of the Supreme Being, and the mistletoe as the 

 type of man, wholly dependent upon his Maker for subsistence, yet retaining 

 an individual existence of his own. 



Legendary and poetical allusions in regard to the rose alone are sufficient 

 to fill a volume. It was dedicated by the Greeks to Aurora as an emblem of 

 youth, from its freshness and reviving fragrance; to Venus as an emblem of 

 love and beauty, from the elegance of its flowers; to Cupid as an emblem of 

 danger, from the fleeting nature of its charms and the wounds inflicted by 

 its thorns. It was given by Cupid to Harpocrates, the god of silence, as a 

 bribe to prevent him from betraying the amours of Venus, and hence was 

 adopted as an emblem of silence. For this reason it was sculptured upon 

 the ceilings of drinking and feasting rooms as a warning to the guests that 

 whatever was said in moments of convivialty was not to be repeated outside, 

 from which, whatever was to be kept secret was said to be spoken under the 

 rose. Some of the Grreek poets assert that the rose was originally white, but 

 that it changed to red from the blood of the feet of Venus, which were lacer- 

 ated upon its thorns, as she ran to the aid of Adonis. According to others 

 the color was from the blood of Adonis himself. The fragrance was said to- 

 be derived from the cup of nectar thrown over it by Cupid. Anacreon makes 

 the birth of the rose coeval with that of Venus and Minerva. Another fable 

 relating to the birth of the rose is that Flora, having found the dead body of 

 one of her nymphs whose beauty and virtue could not be surpassed, implored 

 the assistance of all the gods and godesses to aid in changing it to a flower that 

 all should acknowledge to be their queen. Apollo lent the vivifying power of 

 his beams, Bacchus bathed it in nectar, Vertumnus gave its perfume, Pomona 

 its fruit and Flora herself its diadem of flowers. 



Other mythological writers ascribe its origin to the transformation of the 

 beautiful lihodante, queen of Corinth, who, to escape the persecutions of her 

 lovers, fled to the temple of Diana, where she attempted to seclude herself, 

 but, being forced from the sanctuary by the clamor of the people, she prayed 

 the gods that she might be changed into a rose. Her request was granted, 

 and the blushes which dyed her cheek as she came before the people's gaze 

 are still universally admired. 



A pleasant story is told of the oak which has been justly celebrated in all 

 time for its majesty and beauty. Jupiter and Mercury when at one time 

 traveling in disguise, were hospitably entertained by Philemon and Baucis, 

 his wife. They lived in a poor cottage, and when the gods departed they 

 asked what blessing they desired. Baucis answered that she would choose 

 to die on the same day as her husband. Her prayer was granted. Their 

 cottage was transformed into a beautiful temple, and when they had reached 

 a good old age and were tired of life Philemon was transformed into an oak 

 and Baucis into a lime tree. While the change was taking place they con- 

 tinued to converse lovingly together until the bark had closed entirely 



