124 EXCURSIOX FP.OM RUABON; 



of t\^o lovers: — *' Here refls their duil, CuUiullirv; 

 thele lonely vews fprang from their tomb, and fliade 

 them from the iLorm." — A ihort inquiry into the 

 origin of this cuftom may deferve attention. 



Were they planted t« proteft the churches from 

 ftorms? 



By a flatute pafTed in the thirteenth year of Ed- 

 ward I., which fettles the property of trees in church- 

 yards, it is ftated that trees were.often planted " to 

 defend the force of the wind from hurting the 

 church." This remark, however, feems, by the 

 context, only to apply to fuch trees as were adapted 

 to the repairs of the church and chancel ; which 

 were therefore ordered to be cut down for no other 

 purpofe. The growth of yews is much too flow to 

 aljow us to fuppofe that they could be intended as 

 any protection to the buildings ; and if we could 

 pvercpme this objeftion, we ought to find them 

 more generally adopted, and in great numbers in 

 each churchyard, to be rendered of extenfive ufe. 



Were they plaiited to furnilli bow-ftaves ? 



Our ancient Ifgiflators do not appear to haye 

 ordered any plantations of yews for this purpofe j 

 although there are various laws which encourage 

 archery, and eveji enter into mhiute particulars re- 

 lative to bows and arro\ys. On the contrary, our 

 old laws, although full of compl3,ints of the fcarcity 

 and dearnefs of bow-ftaves, inftead of directing the 

 cultivation of the yew at home, oblige merchants to 

 import materials for bows from abroad, — A ftatute 



of 



