C HAPTER III. 

 TREES. 



WE now advance a step higher in our botanical researches, and 

 proceed to a consideration of the dendrology of the sacred writings. 



The consecration of groves to the gods of Pagan antiquity is a 

 circumstance with which every reader of ancient history must be 

 familiar. The custom is so ancient, that it is thought to have been 

 antecedent to the consecration of temples and altars. This, how- 

 ever, is very questionable, for the ashel of Abraham, rendered 

 * grove' in the English version of the Bible, being differently ex- 

 pressed from the consecrated groves spoken of in the Old Testa- 

 ment, is rather to be understood of a single tree ; perhaps the oak, 

 or the tamarisk. But be this as it may, it is certain that the use of 

 sacred groves, for the celebration of mysteries, is of very high an- 

 tiquity, and perhaps of all others the most universal. At .first there 

 were in these groves neither temple nor altar : they were simple re- 

 treats, to which there was no access for the profane, or such as were 

 not devoted to the service of the gods. Afterwards temples were 

 built in these retreats, and to preserve so ancient a custom, they 

 took care, whenever they had it in their power, to plant groves round 

 the temples and altars, which groves were not only consecrated to 

 the gods in honor of whom the temples had been built, but were 

 themselves a place of sanctuary or an asylum for criminals, who fled 

 thither for refuge. 



This very prevalent custom seems to have originated in the con- 

 ception, that shade and solitude gave an air of mystery and devo- 

 tion to religious services ; and were adapted to inspire the worship- 

 pers with a solemn and superstitious dread of those divinities which 

 they were taught to believe were present in such sacred places. 

 'If you find,' says Seneca, 'a grove thick set with ancient oaks, that 

 have shot up to a vast height, the tallness of the wood, the retire- 

 ment of the place, and the pleasantness of the shade, immediately 

 make you think it to be the residence of some god.' The prophet 

 also intimates this to have been the reason : 'They sacrifice upon 

 the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under 

 oaks and poplars, and elms, because the shadow thereof is good? Hos. 

 iv. 13. 



As these groves were the more immediate scenes of these im- 

 pure rites which formed the leading feature of the systems of idol- 

 latrous worship, the Jewish legislator prohibited his people from 

 planting trees around or near the altar of God : ' Thou shalt not 



