264 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



for us. Shakespeare's only reference speaks of it as 

 baleful: Tarn or a says in "Titus Andronicus" : 1 



The trees, through summer, yet forlorn and lean, 

 O'ercome with moss and baleful mistletoe. 



BOX (Buxus sempervirens}. Shakespeare men- 

 tions the box once when Sir Toby Belch and Sir 

 Andrew Aguecheek and the Clown are in Olivia's 

 garden and Maria, running out to tell them that 

 Malvolio is coming, excitedly cries : 



Get ye all three into the box-tree. 2 



Every one knows how important a feature the 

 box-bush is in English gardens and in the old Ameri- 

 can gardens that were planted after English models. 



So fine in color, so deep and luxuriant in foliage, 

 so dignified and aristocratic in its atmosphere the 

 name box is almost synonymous with old gardens. 

 Its acrid yet aromatic scent most delicious after 

 rain is one of its characteristics. 



Greek myth consecrated the box to Pluto, and 

 the plant was said to be symbolical of the life in 

 the Underworld which continues all the year. The 

 ancients used it to border their flower-beds, and 

 probably the great use of box in England comes from 



1 Act II, Scene III. 



2 "Twelfth Night" ; Act II, Scene V. 



