pPant "bore, "ISRQer^f, anE "bijric/. ^yj 



In the South of England this species of divination is still extant, but 

 the procedure is different. When the Onions are bought, the pur- 

 chaser must take care to go in by one door of the shop and come 

 out by another — a shop being selecfted that has two doors. These 

 Onions, placed under your pillow on St. Thomas's Eve, are sure to 



bring visions of your true-love, your future husband. According 



to astrologers, the Onion is under the dominion of Mars. To 



dream of Onions is considered of evil augury, portending sickness 

 and misfortune. 



" To dream of eating Onions means 



Much strife in thy domestic scenes ; 



Secrets found out or else betrayed, 



And many falsehoods made and said." 



ORANGE. — Both Spenser and Milton held the opinion that 

 the Orange is the veritable " golden Apple " presented by Juno to 

 Jupiter on the day of their nuptials; hence, perhaps, the associa- 

 tion of the Orange with marriage rites. This golden fruit grew 

 only in the garden of the Hesperides, situated near Mount Atlas in 

 Africa, where they were carefully tended by the three daughters of 

 Hesperus — ^Egle, Arethusa, and Erythia — and guarded by an ever- 

 sleeping dragon. It was one of the labours of Hercules, to obtain 

 some of these golden Apples. After slaying the dragon, he 

 succeeded in plucking the auriferous fruit, and took them to 

 Eurystheus, but they were afterwards carried back to the garden of 

 the Hesperides by Minerva, as they could not be preserved else- 

 where. Milton alludes to the Orange as a tree 



" Whose fruit, burnished with golden rind, 

 Hung amiable, Hesperian fables true, 

 If true, here only, and of delicious taste." 



These, again, were the golden Apples given by Venus to the subtle 

 Hippomenes, and by means of which he cunningl}^ contrived to 

 wrest victory in his race with the swift-footed Atalanta. Perhaps, 

 also, Spenser's opinion is correct, and the Orange may be the 

 fruit, the bestowal of which upon Venus was the origin of the 

 Trojan war. Spenser states his opinion in the following stanzas 

 of his ' Faerie Queene ' : — 



" Next thereunto did grow a goodly tree, 



With branches broad dispread and body great, 

 Clothed with leaves, that none the wood might see. 

 And laden all with fruit, as thick as thick might be. 



" The fruit were golden Apples glistering bright, 

 That goodly was their glory to behold ; 

 On earth no better grew, nor living wight 



E'er better saw, but they from hence* were sold ; 

 For those which Hercules, with conquest bold. 

 Got from great Atlas' daughters, hence began, 



And planted there, did bring forth fruit of gold, 

 And those with which th' Eubcean young man wan [won] 

 Swift Atalanta, when, through craft, he her outran. 

 • The garden of Proserpina. 



