2l8 pfant Tsore, kecfenti/, aael bijnc/. 



Venus to Hippomenes, Atalanta lost her race, but gained him as 

 a husband. The fatal Apple — inscribed detur pulchriori — thrown 

 by the malevolent Discordia into the assembly of the gods, and 

 which Paris adjudged to Venus, caused the ruin of Troy and 

 infinite misfortune to the Greeks. 



The Apple was sacred to Venus, who is often represented with 

 the fruit in her hand. The Thebans worshipped Hercules, under 

 the name of Melius, and offered Apples at his altar, the custom 

 having, according to tradition, originated as follows : — The river 

 Asopus being once so swollen as to prevent some youths from 

 bringing across it a sheep destined to be sacrificed to Hercules, 

 one of them recollected that the Apple was called by the same 

 name — Melon. In this emergency, therefore, it was determined to 

 offer an Apple, with four little sticks stuck in it to resemble legs, 

 as a substitute for a sheep ; and it being deemed that the sacrifice 

 was acceptable, the Apple was thenceforth devoted to Hercules. 

 The god Apollo was sometimes represented with an Apple in his 

 hand. 



The Celtic " Isle of the Blest," the " fair Avalon," is the 

 " Island of Apples," 



" Where falls not hail, or raui, or any snow, 

 Nor ever wind blows loudly, but it lies 

 Deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard lawns, 

 And bowery hollows crowned with Summer sea. " 



It has been attempted to localise the Island of Apples either at 

 Glastonbury, in Somersetshire, or at Aiguilon, in Brittany. A 

 Gaelic legend which asserts the claims of an island in Loch Awe 

 to be identified as the Isle of the Blest, changes the mystic Apples 

 into the fruit of the Pynis cordata, a species of wild Pear, indigenous 

 both to the Scotch island and to Aiguilon. 



The Druids highly reverenced the Apple-tree, partly on account 

 of its fruit, but chiefly because they believed that the Mistletoe 

 thrived on it and on the Oak only. In consequence of its reputed 

 sandlity, therefore, the Apple was largely cultivated by the early 

 Britons, and Glastonbury was known as the " Apple Orchard," 

 from the quantity of fruit grown there previous to the Roman 

 invasion. The Druids were wont to cut their divining-rods from 

 the Apple-tree. 



The Saxons highly prized the Apple, and in many towns estab- 

 lished a separate market for the fruit. The following sentence 

 from their Coronation Benedicftion shows with what importance it 

 was regarded : — " May the Almighty bless thee with the blessing of 

 heaven above, and the mountains and the valleys, with the bless- 

 ings of the deep below, with the blessing of Grapes and Apples. 

 Bless, O Lord, the courage of this Prince, and prosper the work 

 of his hands ; and by Thy blessing may this land be filled with 

 Apples, with the fruit and dew of heaven, from the top of the 



