99 



"Dear Cozen, 



Pray if you have any of the itiselto of 



r 



yo fathers oke, oblidge me so far as to send sum of it to 



r 



yo most affectionat servant 



Bridget Danby." 

 (K & Q. Yol. vii. p. 119., 1st s.) 



Let us hope that the Countess's desires -were fulfilled in 

 all respects ! 



It has occured to me whether the "fructifying virtue," given 

 to the Mistletoe by the Druids might not explain, in part, why the 

 Mistletoe should never have been generally used in decorating our 

 Churches. As a symbol of the Paganism of the Druids, its signi- 

 ficance has passed away centuries since ; and if this were the ob- 

 jection to its use, the Holly also should be rejected. "The Holly" 

 says Shirley Hibbeed, (Xotes & Queries 1st ser. Vol. v. p. 208,) 

 "owes also its importance in the Christmas festivities to Pagan- 

 ism. The Eomans dedicated the Holly to Saturn, whose festival 

 was held in December ; and the early Christians, to screen them- 

 selves from persecution, decked their houses with its branches dur- 

 ing their own celebration of the Ifativity." It may be, however, 

 that the fact of the Mistletoe being the especial emblem of the 

 New-year's-day festivities, has prevented its use for Christmas 

 decoration : or it may be also, I must add, that this favourite 

 parasite has taken too prominent a place in the rejoicings of the 

 kitchen, to secure for itself a place in the Church. 



For a time, indeed, it seems to have been used in decking the 

 church, the poet Gay, (Trivia, Book ii. p. 437.) thus refers to it : — 

 "When rosemary and bays, the poets crown, 

 Are bawl'd in frequent cries through all the town ; 

 Then judge the festival of Christmas near, — 

 Christmas, the joyous period of the year; 

 Now with bright holly aU the temples strow, 

 "With laurel green and sacred Mistletoe." 



