492 pPaat Tsore, "bege"^/, cmi. Tsi^ric/. 



ground. They sprinkled him with water, and when, after consider- 

 able trouble, he was restored to consciousness, he sprinkled on the 

 roots one hundred jars full of milk; then prostrating himself with 

 his face to the earth, he pronounced this vow: — " If the tree does 

 not revive, I shall never arise again." The tree at the same 

 moment shot forth branches, and little by little raised itself until 

 it attained its present height, which is about 120 feet. The number 

 of Bo-trees which have become objecfts of veneration among the 

 Hindus, and especially the Buddhists, is infinite, and the worship 



of the sacred Bodhidruma is still extant in India. The Bo-tree 



is also specially consecrated to Vishnu, who is often portrayed as 

 seated on its heart-shaped and pointed leaves. It is represented 

 in the Vedas as being frequented by various birds, who eat its 



sweet Figs. In the sacred city of Anuradhapura, in Ceylon, is a 



Bo-tree, which is supposed to be one of the oldest trees in existence, 

 and its age is not merely legendary, but substantiated by authentic 

 records. Kings have dedicated their dominions to it, in testimony 

 of their belief that it sprang from a branch of the identical tree 

 under which Buddha reclined for seven years whilst undergoing 

 his apotheosis. The precious branch was taken to Ceylon by the 

 king Asoka, and the tree of which it was the parent was planted 

 by the king Tissa, in the year 288 b.c. When planting it Tissa 

 prophesied that it should flourish eternally, and that it should be 

 an evergreen. It is too sacred to be touched by a knife, but the 

 leaves, as they fall, are eagerly gathered and treasured by Buddhist 



pilgrims. In Java, the Bo-tree is also held sacred, and a species of 



Mistletoe which grows on its branches is supposed to afford much 

 gratification to the shades of the departed which revisit earth. 

 The Buddhists of Thibet call the sacred Bo-tree the bridge of 

 safety — the bridge by which mortals pass from the shores of the 

 world to the shores of the immortal land, 



PENNYROYAL.— The Pennyroyal {Mentha Pulegium) used 

 formerly to be called Puliol Royal, and derived its name from the 

 Latin word pulices, fleas — insecSts it was thought to be specially effi- 

 cacious in destroying. In most of the Western Counties the plant 

 is known as Organ-herb, and is much prized by old-women her- 

 balists as a blood purifier. According to an ancient recipe. Organ 



broth was used in witchcraft to make people see double. In 



Sicily, children put Pennyroyal in their cots on Christmas Day, under 

 the belief that at the exacfl hour and minute when the infant Jesus 

 was born this plant puts forth its blossom. The same wonder is 

 repeated on Midsummer Night. In Sicily, also, Pennyroyal is 

 given to husbands and wives who quarrel. According to astro- 

 logers, Pennyroyal is a herb of Venus. 



PEONY. — The Peony, or healing plant [Pcsonia), commemo- 

 rates the Homeric god Pseon, the first physician of the gods, who 

 healed the divinities Ares and Hades of their wounds. Tradition 



