398 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Omfi prefented himfelf before us, holding in his 

 hand an oaken bough, on which had grown a fprig 

 of the miftletoe. At fight of this little (hrub, 

 which had almoft proved fo fatal to me, T (hud- 

 dered with horror ; but I was not aware, that we 

 are frequently indebted for fafety to that which 

 menaced us with deftru6lion, as we likewife fre- 

 quently meet deftru<flion in what promifed us 

 fafety. *'OKing!" faid Omfi, "O Cephas I be 

 " compofed ; I bear in my hand the means of 

 *' faving your friend. Young ftranger," faid he 

 to me, " were all the Nations of Gaul combined 

 *' againft thee, armed with this, thou may eft pafs 

 *' through the thickeft of their hofts, while not one 

 *' of thy numerous foes durft fo much as look thee 

 ** in the face. It is a fprig of the miftletoe, 

 " which grew on this oaken branch. Permit me 

 *' to inform you from whence proceeds the power 

 " of this plant, equally formidable to the Gods 

 *' and to the men of this Country (25), Balder , 

 " one day, informed his mother Friga, that he 

 *' had dreamed he was going to die. Friga con- 

 "jured the fire, the metals, the ftones, difeafes, 

 *' the water, animals, ferpents, that they (hould 

 ** not hurt her fon ; and the incantations of Friga 

 " were fo powerful, that nothing could refift them. 

 " Balder mingled, therefore, in the combats of 

 •' the Gods, undaunted amidft ftiowers of arrows. 

 *' hoke^ his enemy, was eagerly defirous of dilco- 



<* vering 



