MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 403 



OX TREES. 



BY G. C. BEOADHEAD. 



[Delivered before teachers and pupils of Pleasant Hill public 

 school April, 15, 1886.] 



There is a beauty in the pathless woods. There is magnificent 

 grandeur mid a forest of big trees. There is grandeur and awful 

 loneliness mid the deep shade of a tropical forest. To me the sighing 

 of the winds through a pine grove is attractive and soothing in its 

 subdued music. 



Certain trees have a sacred significance attached to them. In 

 ancient times the olive was held in great reverence among the 

 Grecians. Its branches formed wreaths for the victims at the Olym- 

 pic games and its oil was used in pouring out libations to divinity. The 

 poets from time immemorial have sung praises in the name of certain 

 trees. Yirgil attunes his lyre under a spreading beach and sings 

 "Tytire tu recubans sub tegraioe fagi." 



In our times Southey, Hemans, Longfellow and Burns have in 

 like manner sung. Some of the prettiest poetry attuned to the sweet- 

 est melody has been sung. Among such I might name " The brave 

 old oak," "The Rowan tree." Macbeth had cause to be frightened to ' 

 death at the approach of Biruams wood. 



During the American revolution trees were planted as symbols of 

 growing freedom. 



In France, in 1790, the Jacobins planted the first trees of liberty, 

 and they were found throughout every village in France crowned with 

 a liberty cap, and the people danced around them singing revolution- 

 ary songs, and during the Reign of Terror thousands lost their lives sim- 

 ply for having injured a tree of liberty. 



In the revolution of July, 1830, (in France) trees of liberty were 

 again planted in Paris. In the revolution of 1848 liberty trees were 

 once more planted in places where the people held republican princi- 

 ples, and in Paris they were consecrated by the priests. 



During the election contests, we, of the United States, put up 

 poles and named them after our favorite candidates. Some trees are of 

 historic importance. Treaties have been framed beneath their spread- 



