502 pfant Tsor©, Iste^^'r^f, ani. Isijric/", 



daughter, Queen Mary, took the Pomegranate and white and red 



Roses. Parkinson tells us that from the rind of the Pomegranate 



is made writing-ink " which is durable to the world's end." 



The Athenian matrons, during the Thesmophoria (festivals in 

 honour of Ceres), were expressly forbidden to eat Pomegranates. 



To dream of Pomegranates is a fortunate augury, foretelUng 



good fortune and success; to the lover such a drearjj implies a 

 faithful and accomplished sweetheart, and to the married an 

 increase of riches and children, and great success in trade. 



Poor Man's Parmacetty. — See Shepherd's Purse. 

 POPLAR. — In allusion to the reputed origin of this tree, 

 Rene Rapin, in his poem on Gardens, says : — 



" Nor must the Heliads' fate in silence pass, 

 Whose sorrow first produced the Poplar race ; 

 Their tears, while at a brother's grave they mourn, 

 To golden drops of fragrant Amber turn. " 



The Heliades, sisters of the rash Phaethon (who had yoked the 

 horses to the chariot of the Sun before his fatal drive), on finding 

 his tomb upon the banks of the river Po, became distracfted with 

 grief, and for four days and nights kept mournful watch with their 

 disconsolate mother around the grave. Tired out with their 

 exhausting vigil, they endeavoured at length to obtain some repose 

 for their weary limbs, when to their dismay they found them rooted 

 to the ground. The gods, pitying their intense grief, had changed 

 the seven sisters into Poplars, and their tears into Amber. Ovid 

 thus narrates the incident : — 



" Each nymph in wild affliction, as she grieves, 

 Would rend her hair, but fills her hand with leaves ; 

 One sees her limbs transformed, another views 

 Her arms shot out and branching into boughs. 

 And now their legs, and breasts, and bodies stood 

 Crusted with bark and hardening into wood, 

 • ♦»♦*♦» 



Then the bark increased, 

 Closed in their faces, and their words suppressed. 



The new-made trees in tears of Amber run, 

 Which, hardened into value by the sun, 

 Distil for ever on the streams below ; 

 The limpid streams their radiant treasure show. 

 Mixed in the sand ; whence the rich drops conveyed 

 Shine in the dress of the bright Latian maid." — Addiscm. 



The species of Poplar into which the Heliades were transformed 

 was the Black Poplar {Populus nigra). This Poplar was consecrated 

 to the goddess Proserpine. The White Poplar was considered to 

 be an antidote to the bite of a serpent, and was dedicated to 

 Hercules, who sometimes wore a crown of Poplar-leaves. When 

 the demi-god destroyed Cacus in a cavern on Mount Aventine, 

 which was covered with Poplars, he bound a branch of one round 

 his brow in token of his vi(ftory. On his return from Hades, he 



