66 THE MISTLETOE. 



A barren and detested vale, you see it is ; 



The trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean, 



O'ercome with moss, and baneful mistletoe. 



SHAK.SPEARE. 



We might almost suppose that Shakspeare took 

 the above description of trees " o'ercome " with 

 mistletoe from those which may now be seen in 

 the Home Park, Windsor. So completely has the 

 mistletoe taken possession of them, that they have 

 become ragged, " forlorn and lean." Our great 

 bard must have been a close observer of nature,, 

 for it is in summer more particularly that the 

 baneful effects of this parasite on trees is con- 

 spicuous. It is then that the dead and decay- 

 ing branches, which the mistletoe has deprived of 

 their usual nourishment, can be contrasted with 

 those which shew more life and vigour. This is 

 the case with the lime trees in " Datchet mead," 

 a place so often mentioned in the Merry Wives of 

 Windsor. It is always pleasing to trace Shak- 

 speare's knowledge of particular localities, and 

 even to fancy that he formed his ideas from facts 

 connected with them. 



I have never yet met with any trees so much 

 infested with mistletoe, as those I have referred 



