pfanC "kjorc, "bcgel^^/, an3. Isijriq/", 407 



later, Polemates defeated the invaders, and immediately instituted 

 the Festival of Daphnephoria. 



The Laurel formerly had the power ascribed to it of being a 

 safeguard against lightning, of which Tiberius was very fearful, 

 and in order to avoid which he is stated to have crept under his 

 bed and protected his head with Laurel-leaves. In Sicily, it has 

 long been popularly believed that the shrub is a protecflion from 

 thunder and lightning. The same superstition survived till recently 

 in our own country. W. Browne tells us that " Baies being the 

 material of poets' ghirlands, are supposed not subjecft to any hurt 

 of Jupiter's thunder-bolts, as other trees are." Culpeper alludes 

 to the old belief that neither witch nor devil, thunder nor lightning, 

 will hurt a man where a Bay-tree is; and remarks further, that 

 Laurels resist " witchcraft very potently, as also all the evils old 

 Saturn can do the body of man, and they are not a few. The 

 berries are very elTecftual against all poisons of venomous creatures, 

 as also against the pestilence and other infecflious diseases." 



The decay of the Bay-tree, which is generally rapid, was for- 

 merly considered as an omen of disaster. It is said that before the 

 death of Nero, though in a very mild winter, all these trees withered 

 to the root, and a great pestilence in Padua is reputed to have been 

 preceded by the same phenomenon. So great a reputation had the 

 Laurel for clearing the air and resisting contagion, that the Em- 

 peror Claudius was advised by his physicians during a raging pes- 

 tilence to remove his court to Laurentum. That city, in the reign 

 of Latinus, was the capital of Latium, whose inhabitants were 

 called Laurentini from the great number of Laurels which flourished 

 in their country. King Latinus discovered one of unusual size 

 and beauty when about to build a temple to Apollo, and the tree 

 was consecrated to the god, and preserved wnth religious care. 



The Laurel had the reputation of being generally propitious to 

 man. At Rome, on the 15th of May, merchants used to celebrate 

 a festival in honour of Mercury, and proceeding to a public foun- 

 tain, they drew water wherein they dipped a Laurel-branch, which 

 they then employed to bless all their merchandise. The Laurus 

 (Bay) was held in high esteem by the old Greek physicians ; and 

 among the people there existed a belief that spirits could be 

 banished by its means. The Greeks had a saying, " I carry a 

 branch of Laurel," to indicate that the speaker had no fear of 

 poison or sorcery. They had a custom of affixing a Laurel-bough 

 over the doorway, in the case of a severe illness, in order to avert 

 death and drive away evil spirits. Presumably from these asso- 

 ciations, it became the fashion to crown young doctors of physic 

 with Laurel-berries {Bacca Lauri), and the students were called 

 Baccalaureats, Bay-laureats, or Bachelors. Theophrastus tells us 

 that in his time the superstitious kept Bay-leaves in their mouths 

 all day, to guard them from misfortune. Theocritus says that 

 young girls were wont to burn Laurel as a charm to recall errant. 



