1 60 Veza- Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



scape in Poetry (1897), draws attention to the fact 

 that Chaucer and Spenser have described the same 

 forest in the two following passages, in both of 

 which the yew is mentioned : — 



' The builder oak ; and eke the hardy ash ; 

 The pillar elm, the coffer unto carrain ; 

 The box-tree pipes ; the holm to whippe's lash ; 

 The sailing fir ; the cypress death to plain ; 

 The shooter ew ; the aspe for shafte's plain ; 

 Th' olive of peace ; and eke the drunken vine ; 

 The victor palm ; the laurel to divine.' ^ 



And foorthe they passe, with pleasure forward led, 

 Joying to heare the birdes sweet harmony, 

 Which, therein shrouded from the tempest dred, 

 Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky. 

 Much can they praise the trees so straight and hy, 

 The sayling Pine ; the Cedar proud and tall ; 

 The vine-propp Elme, sole king of forrests all ; 

 The Aspine good for staves ; the Cypresse funerall ; 



The Laurell, meed of mightie Conquerours 



And Poets sage ; the Firre that weepeth still ; 



The Willow, worne of forlorne Paramours ; 



The Eugh, obedient to the benders w-ill ; 



The Birch for shaftes ; the Sallow for the mill ; 



The Mirrhe sweete-bleeding in the bitter wound; 



The warlike Beech ; the Ash for nothing ill ; 



The fruitfuU Oliye ; and the Platane round ; 



The carver Holme ; the Maple seeldom inward sound.' - 



Dekker^ (1603) describes a charnel-house as 



^ Parlemejit of Foiiles. ^ Faerie Qiieene, B. i. c. i. 



^ The IVofiderfiill Yea>r. 



