2O Fruits and Fruit- Trees. 



Old Testament, whatever the Hebrews understood by 

 tappuach, we read upon six occasions of " apples " and 

 the "apple-tree." "Apples of gold in pictures of silver;" 

 "Stay ye me with raisins, comfort me with apples;" "As 

 the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my 

 beloved among the sons : I sat down under his shadow 

 with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." 

 Not one of the Scripture references carries allusion to the 

 apple of the English orchard. That the ancient Hebrews 

 ever saw or knew anything of apples of any kind is in the 

 highest degree improbable. The Hebrew word simply 

 denotes something fragrant. The quince, the citron, the 

 apricot, have all in turn been suggested as the fruit 

 meant. Conjectural the proper rendering must remain, 

 and seemingly for ever, since the " Revised " has allowed 

 "apple" and "apple-tree" to stand untouched. Their 

 idea of the words (apple and apple-tree) is very plainly 

 that they are to be understood as very elegant and intelli- 

 gible figures of speech. 



The tree, as well known, is one of medium dimensions, 

 disposed to be round-headed, but never lofty. The leaves 

 are ovate, and fall in autumn. The flowers come at the 

 same time as the cowslips and the poets' narcissus, in 

 little umbels of three to six ; in figure, as in all the rest of 

 their family, they are rosaceous, the five petals quite free, 

 white, and delicately shaded outside with pale carmine. 

 Hence the enchanting spectacle of an apple-tree in full 

 bloom a sight as lovely as the scarf of Iris* not simple 



* "Rich scarf to my proud earth." Tempest, iv. I. 



