58 BRAMBLE. 



and therefore not able to defend itself, except from those who 

 would peaceably enjoy its fruit. Hence the appropriateness 

 of the representation which Jotham made to the people of 

 their future king in the fable of the bramble and the trees. 



It flourishes amid the ruins of Idumea, sadly fulfilling the 

 prophecy of Isaiah : &quot; Thorns shall come up in her palaces, 

 nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof, and it shall be 

 an habitation for dragons and a court for owls.&quot; The same 

 sentiment is expressed by the Persian poet: &quot;The spider 

 spreads the veil in the palace of the Caesars, and the owl stands 

 sentinel on the watch-tower of Afrasiab.&quot; There is a tradition 

 that a bramble-bush lately shown near Mount Sinai was the 

 identical bush in which Moses beheld the marvellous sight of 

 an unconsuming fire. It should be remembered that the word 

 translated &quot;bush&quot; in the passage spoken of is the same as that 

 elsewhere rendered &quot;bramble;&quot; which furnished some ground 

 for the tradition. 



The last mention of the bramble in Scripture gives force to 

 the moral which our Saviour conveyed in the following words : 

 &quot;Every tree is known by its fruits; for of thorns men do 

 not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes.&quot; 

 The contrast is remarkably fine. The clustering grapes are 

 in miniature represented in the clustering seed-fruits of the 

 bramble. Each fruit is formed of a number of little balls 

 gathered together in each berry upon the vine-like bushes of 

 the bramble. At a short distance there is some similarity in 

 size and growth, and even in the form of the leaves, but great 

 diversity in the value of the fruit. The fruit decides the cha- 



