5 78 pfant "bore, "begef^/, anil Isijric/, 



The wood of the Vitis sylvestris was used by the Greeks in the in- 

 strument they employed for producing fire. The Aryan method of 

 kindhng sacred fire by wood fricftion was pra(5lised both by Greeks 

 and Romans down to a late period. The Greeks called their 

 kindling instrument pyreia, and the drilling stick which worked in 

 it tnipanon ; and according to Theophrastus and Pliny, the lower 

 part of ihe pyreia was formed of the wood of the wild Vine, Ivy, or 



Athragene. To dream of Vines denotes health, prosperity, 



abundance, and fertility, "for which," says a dream oracle, "we 

 have the example of Astyages, King of the Medes, who dreamed 

 that his daughter brought forth a Vine, which was a prognostic of 

 the grandeur, riches, and felicity of the great Cyrus, who was born 



of her after this dream." Culpeper states that the Vine is " a 



gallant tree of the Sun, very sympathetical with the body of man ; 

 and that is the reason spirits of wine is the greatest cordial among 

 all vegetables." 



VIOLET. — According to Rapin, the Violet was once a fair 

 nymph, who was changed by Diana into this flower to avoid the 

 importunities of Apollo. The poet thus describes the metamor- 

 phosis : — 



" Next from the Vi'let choice perfumes exhale ; 



She now disguised in a blue dusky veil 



Springs through the humble grass an humble flow'r, 



Her stature little and her raiment poor. 



If truth in ancient poems is convey'd, 



This modest flower was once a charming maid, 



Her name lanthis, of Diana's train, 



The brightest nymph that ever graced a plain ; 



Whom (while Pherean herds the virgin fed) 



Apollo saw, and courted to his bed ; 



But, lov'd in vain, the frighted virgin fled 



To woods herself and her complaints she bore 



And sought protection from Diana's pow'r, 



Who thus advis'd : ' From mountains, sister, fly ; 



Phoebus loves mountains and an open sky.' 



To vales and shady springs she bashful ran. 



In thickets hid her charms, but all in vain : 



For he her virtue and her flight admir'd, 



The more she blush'd, the more the god was fired. 



And now his love and wit new frauds prepare, 



The goddess cried, ' Since beauty's such a snare. 



Ah, rather perish that destructive grace.' 



Then stain'd with dusky blue the virgin's face : ■*■ 



Discolour'd thus an humbler state she prov'd, 



Less fair, but by the goddess more belov'd ; 



Changed to a Violet with this praise she meets, 



Chaste she retires to keep her former sweets. 



The lowest places vrith this flower abound, 



The valuable gift of untill'd ground ; 



Nor yet disgraced, though amongst Briars brought forth. 



So rich her odour is, so true her worth." 



Ion, the Greek name for the Violet, is reputed to have been 

 bestowed on it because, when Jupiter had metamorphosed lo into 



