MOCK ORANGE. 



its substance. The Druids had a sort of adoration for a 

 weakness so superior to strength. This master of the oak 

 appeared to them to be equally formidable to men and to 

 gods. Balder, son of the goddess Friga, was invulnerable 

 through her powerful conjurations. His principal enemy, 

 however, discovered that she had overlooked the Mistletoe, 

 and during the fight of the gods, he came to the blind Heder, 

 and desired him to aim at Balder, presenting him with a 

 piece of the plant. Heder hurled the branch, and Balder fell 

 lifeless. Thus was the invulnerable son of a goddess killed 

 by a Mistletoe branch thrown by one blind. Such is said to 

 be the origin of the reverence shown to this shrub by the 

 Gauls. 



Longfellow sings of this, 



" Balder the Beautiful is dead, is dead. 

 * * tC- * # 



All things in earth and air bound were by magic spell 

 Never to do him harm ; even the plants and stones ; 

 All save the Mistletoe, the sacred Mistletoe ! 



Haeder, the blind old god, whose feet are shod with silence, 

 Pierced through that gentle breast with his sharp spear, by fraud 

 Made of the Mistletoe, the accursed Mistletoe !" 



MOCK ORANGE {PJiiladclpJins corona^^iiis). — FRATERNAL 



Affection. 



One of the Ptolemies, Kings of Egypt, made himself 

 worthy of the highest regard by the love he showed for his 

 brother. A kind of syringa has been consecrated to his 



140 



:^ o-^P 



