Chap. G8.] THE RUMMEE SOLSTICE. 93 



after doing so, commences his return towards the south ; the 

 consequence of which is, that for the next six montlis ho 

 increases the nights and subtracts from the length of the days. 

 From this period, then, it is the proper time to gather in and 

 store awaj^ the various crops in succession, and so make all 

 due preparations for the rigour and severity of the Avinter. 



It was only to be expected that Nature should point out to 

 us the moment of this change by certain signs of an indubi- 

 table character ; and she has accordingly placed them beneath 

 the very hands of the agriculturist, bidding the leaves turn 

 round'^^ upon that day, and so denote that the luminary has now 

 run its course. And it is not the leaves of trees only that are 

 wild and far remote that do this, nor have those persons who 

 are on the look-out for these signs to go into devious forests 

 and mountain tracts to seek them. Nor yet, on the other 

 hand, are they to be seen in the leaves of trees only that are 

 grown in the vicinity of cities or reared by the hand of the 

 ornamental gardener, although in them they are to be seen 

 as well. Nature upon this occasion turns the leaf of the 

 olive which meets us at every step ; she turns the leaf of 

 the linden, sought by us, as it is, for a thousand purposes ; 

 she turns the leaf of the white poplar, too, wedded to the vine 

 that grows upon its trunk. And still, for her, all this is not 

 enough. '' You have the elm," she says, ''reared for the sup- 

 port of the vine, and the leaf of that I will make to turn as 

 well. The leaves of this tree you have to gather for fodder, the 

 leaves of the vine you prune away. Only look upon them, 

 and there you behold the solstice ;^'^ they are now pointing 

 towards a quarter of the heavens the reverse of that towards 

 which they looked the day before. The twigs of the withy, 

 that most lowly of trees, you employ for tying things without 

 number. You are a head taller than it — I will make its 

 leaves to turn round as well. Why complain, then, that you 

 are but a rustic peasant ? It shall be no fault of mine if 

 you do not understand the heavens and become acquainted 

 with the movements of the celestial bodies. I will give 

 another sign, too, that shall address itself to your ear — only 

 listen for the cooing of the ring-doves ; and beware of sup- 



35 On tliis subject see B. xvi. c. 36. See also Varro, De Re Rust. B. i. 

 c. 46, and Aulus Gollius, B, ix.c. 7. 



36 «i Xenes Sidus." 



