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upon the Oak. "When it is discovered, they proceed to collect it 

 with very great devotion and ceremony, and especially on the 

 sixth day of the Moon. This period of the Moon's age, when 

 it has sufficient size without having attained the half of its ful- 

 ness — makes the beginning of their [months, and years, and of 

 an age, which consists but of thirty years." (C. Plinii Nat. His. 

 lib. xvi. c. 44.) 



The grand ceremony of cutting the Mistletoe from the Oak, 

 was the New-year's day festival of the ancient Britons, and it was 

 held on the sixth day of the moon, as near to the 10th of March, 

 as the age of the Moon permitted. The New-year's day festival 

 of our forefathers would have fallen, this present year, on the 

 14th 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 years, this grand festival would have 

 been held last Monday, and we should now, doubtless, have been 

 discussing the events of the day. The exact proceedings of the 

 Druids on this great Annual Festival, are thus described by 

 Pliny. "Calling the Mistletoe in their manner of speaking — a 

 cure-all, (or all-heal) and having got the sacrifices, 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 tails in a white cloth. Then they oifer 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." {ibid.) 



The Animali were killed, cut up, and cooked ; meantime 

 prayers were ofi'ered up ; hymns were sung ; and the heaven- 

 bom plant, thus carefully saved from pollution by any 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 every disease ; a remedy for poisons ; and a safe 



