204 CHAPTERS ON BRITISH BOTANY. [July, 



was so highly esteemed by the Druids. They maintain this be- 

 cause the common Mistletoe rarely grows on the Oak, while the 

 Loranthus frequently is found on this tree. But the common 

 Mistletoe, Fiscum, is plentiful both in France and Britain, the 

 ancient seats of the Gauls, and where the Druidical religion was 

 chiefly prevalent. The Loranthus does not grow in Britain, 

 neither is it so common in France as it is in the south of Europe, 

 where the Druids were strangers. There does not appear to be 

 any good reason for doubting that our Mistletoe was the chief 

 mystic plant among these ancient herbalists. 



The mode of cutting this sacred plant has been often described, 

 viz. with a golden knife, when the moon was five days old, and 

 it was received on a white cloth ; also two white bulls were to 

 be sacrificed in honour of its discovery. 



Our knowledge of the sacredness of the Mistletoe is entirely 

 derived from Pliny, certainly not the best possible authority, be- 

 cause he did not live in the countries where these rites werfe 

 practised, and especially because many of his accounts are purely 

 fabulous. The Druidical accounts transmitted by the Bards are 

 more reliable than those of Pliny. Our botanists, like our histo- 

 rians, would rather quote a Greek or Latin than a Celtic autho- 

 rity. Unhappily most learned men are as ignorant of the Celtic 

 languages and literature as the Greeks and Latins were ignorant 

 of* the customs of these north-western parts. A quotation on the 

 gathering and uses of the Mistletoe from Llywarch Hen would 

 be more instructive and less trite than one from Pliny, whose 

 account, however, is the only available one. " The Mistletoe is 

 but rarely found upon the Oak, and when found is gathered with 

 rites replete with religious awe. This is done more particularly 

 on the fifth day of the moon, the day which is the beginning of 

 their months and years, as also of their ages, which with them 

 are but thirty years. This day they select because the moon, 

 though not yet in the middle of her course, has already conside- 

 rable power and influence, and they call her by a name which 

 signifies in their language the All-healing.^^ What do Celtic 

 scholars say about this ? " Having made all due preparation for 

 the sacrifice, and a banquet beneath the trees, they bring thither 

 two white bulls, the horns of which are bound then for the first 

 time. Clad in a white robe the priest ascends the tree, and cuts 

 the Mistletoe with a golden sickle, which is received by others 



