OCTOBER. 297 



Christ in his parables those most beautiful and 

 perfect of all allegories luxuriate in signs and 

 similes drawn from the fair trees of the East. 



In the earlier ages of Europe, kings were crowned, 

 councils were held, and justice dispensed beneath 

 the shade of some noble trees. From the shadow 

 of an oak was Christianity first proclaimed in these 

 realms ; in a more recent day of our dear and noble 

 country, the willows of Pope and Johnson, the mul- 

 berry of Shakspeare, and that of Milton, have asso- 

 ciated those great names with the love of trees and 

 of planting. Many noble works of our illustrious 

 countrymen it would be easy to mention, that have 

 been written, and more than one of our most dis- 

 tinguished living authors, who delights to compose, 

 amid the inspiring grace and freshness and purity of 

 trees. John Evelyn spent a considerable portion of 

 a valuable life in endeavouring to communicate his 

 admiration of trees and forests ; and besides imme- 

 diately effecting a great national service, by turning 

 the attention of government to the importance of 

 planting, has left a fine monument of his taste and 

 labour. Well might this venerable and enthusiastic 

 apostle of woods exclaim : " Here then is the true 

 Parnassus, Castalia and the Muses ; and at every 

 call in a grove of venerable oaks, methinks I hear 

 the answer of a hundred old Druids, and the bards 

 of our inspired ancestors. In a word, so charmed 

 were poets with those natural shades, that they 

 honoured temples with the names of groves, though 

 they had not a tree about them. In walks and 



