333 



the half of its fulness-makes the beginning of their months, and years, and o. 

 an age, which consists but of thirty years." (C. Piinii Nat. H>s. hb. xv. c. 44-) 



The grand ceremonv of cutting the Mistletoe from the Oak, was the New- 

 year's dav festival of the ancient Britons, and it was held on the s.xth day oHhe 

 moon, as near to the xoth of March, as the age of the Moon permuted. The New 

 year- dav festival of our forefathers would have fallen, th:s present year, on the 

 i4th of March, and if we, and the Eastnor Oak with its fine luxuriant bunches of 

 Mistletoe, could throw ourselves back into history some 2000 or 3000 >-ears this 

 grand festival would have been held last Monday, and we should now, doubtless, 

 Le been discussing the events of the day. The exact proceedmgs of the Druids 

 on this great .^nual Festival are thus described by Pliny. Callmg the Mistle- 

 toe in their manner of speaking-a cure-all (or all-heal), and having got the sacri- 

 fices, and the good things for the feast, all properly ready under the tree, they 

 lead up two white bulls, and begin by tying them by their horns to the tree. The 

 Arch-Druid, clothed in a white robe, then mounts the tree, and cuts the Mistletoe 

 with a golden sickle. It is caught as it falls in a white cloth. Then they offer up 

 the victims as a sacrifice, praying that God would make His gift prosperous to 

 those to whom it had been presented. They believed it would give fruitfulness 

 to all barren animals, and would act as a remedy against all poisons. [ibtd.) 



The animals were killed, cut up, and cooked, meantime prayers were offered 

 up ; hvmns were sung ; and the heaven-born plant, thus carefully saved from 

 pollution bv anv touch of the earth, was distributed in small sprigs amongst the 

 people, as a sacred relic for the new year ; a charm to ensure fecundity ; a panacea 

 against everv disease ; a remedy for poisons ; and a safe protection agamst ^vltch- 

 craft and the possession of the devil. Many a good wife has travelled for days, 

 perchance, on a pillion behind her husband, through bogs and fords, and over 

 wide tracts of uncultivated land and primeval forest, to attend this festival; 

 leading a sumpter horse, laden with their offerings to the priesthood, and all he 

 good things they could muster for the festival ; venison and salmon ; roasted 

 bustards and boars' hams, with cakes and other delicacies ; not forgetting some 

 well filled skins of Metheglin, or mead: happy, in being able, as a recompense 

 for so much toil, to procure from the hand of the Arch-Druid, for herself and her 

 husband, so many blessings in the coming year.* 



The memorv of the Druidical ceremonies is still kept up in Normandy, as 

 thev give the Mistletoe to each other on new year's-day. by the saying " Au guy 

 ran neuf." and in Picardy they add the word " plantez " to wish a plentiful and 

 prospe rous new year to each other. (Chambers' Encyclopaedia.) 



. .>You recognise amongst the ^ruMs the condu; s^f ^'^P^Tad Sl:ed^co'm;retdy 

 found in the East amongst the Egyptians, the Israel tes &c. p"- fi^^ ■ i^i,„ ^nd many of 

 In themselves the -hole conduct a,_^ rule of the people nsthejre,^^^^^^^^^ ^^^.^ 



their customs accorded fully with hose of the h-ast ine^ .^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ j 



mental doctrines and customs only to the '"" ^'^^ ^X^acred services, the Druids, like the 

 remote places. (Cssar hb. lu. , c .4.) ^" '^^. "/'^^^ °' be They healed s cknesses and diseases 

 Ec-yptiansandthe Pythagoreans, were clad in a *°iterobe iney ne _ proclaimed 



by'm'agical practices, "h.le they profcsed to have ^nter^^^^^^^ 



^^::^:^^^J^t^^t:^'^^^^^ ^v Mary Howi«. 



