THE IVY. 333 



unamiable character ; for though the facts are true enough, 

 a very different inference may be drawn from them. It 

 certainly does grow most luxuriantly over the ruined walls 

 of buildings, but with its verdure " never sere " rather takes 

 from their gloominess than adds to it ; and if it does begin 

 its chilly summer when winter reigns over all the forest 

 beside, surely it deserves not a little gratitude for exerting 

 itself to prolong the season of flowers, and to spin out the 

 existence of the myriads of insects which would certainly 

 perish were it not for the copious supply of honey afforded 

 by its abundant clusters of flowers. Even if the accusa- 

 tion be true, that it is never at ease unless it be getting up 

 in the world, its ambition is scarcely to be blamed ; for it 

 mostly avails itself of the support afforded by trees whose 

 own vigour is irrecoverably gone, and which, but for the 

 borrowed verdure of the visitor, would be stark and un- 

 sightly trunks. 



As an ingredient in the landscape it does not need any 

 apologist. The opinion of Gilpin, the greatest authority 

 in such matters, is impartial and decisive : " Ivy is another 

 mischief incident to trees which has a good effect. It 

 gives great richness to an old trunk, both by its stem, 

 which winds round it in thick, hairy, irregular volumes, 

 and by its leaf, which either decks the furrowed bark, or 

 creeps among the branches, or hangs carelessly from them. 

 In all these circumstances it unites with the mosses and 

 other furniture of the tree in adorning and enriching it ; 

 but when it gathers into a heavy body, which is often the 

 case, it becomes rather a deformity. In autumn I have 

 seen a beautiful contrast between a bush of Ivy, which 

 had completely invested a Pollard Oak, and the dark-brown 

 tint of the withered leaves, which still held possession of 

 the branches. In the spring also we sometimes have a 

 pleasing appearance of a similar kind. About the end of 

 April, when the foliage of the Oak is just beginning to 

 expand, its varied tints are often delightfully contrasted 

 with the deep green of an Ivy-bush which has overspread 



