PINE TREE. 313 



Some that the moist earth yields, 



Beneath the shadows of those pine trees high, 



Which, branching, shield the far Thessalian plains 



From the fierce anger of Apollo's eye ; 



And some that Delphic swains 



Pluck by the silver springs of Castaly." 



B. CORNWALL'S Worship of Dian. 



These straight dark pines have a grand and imposing 

 appearance in the mountainous situations to which they 

 naturally belong. This is frequently noticed by tra- 

 vellers : 



" Tall straight Pines, in rising order, lined the rugged 

 sides, and by their darkening gloom heightened the 

 grandeur of the scene*."" 



##***## 



" On looking down, the landscape below was a perfect 

 miniature, to such a height had we attained : the tall 

 pines rising one above another in wild succession under 

 our feet, presented the appearance of a dark-green sea, 

 by the waving of their pliant tops, strongly agitated by 

 the blast that blew around us-f/ 1 



Mr. Drummond, in his First Steps to Botany, observes, 

 that what is called the needle-leaf of the Pines is neces- 

 sary to them on account of the northern or Alpine regions 

 they inhabit ; for that with any other they could not 

 have been evergreens, " for in winter they would be 

 overpowered with a weight of snow, and blown down by 

 the hurricanes. The acerose leaf enables them to evade 

 both ; the snow falls through, and the wind penetrates 

 the interstices. The winds struggling through the boughs 



* Brooke's Travels in Norway, &c. p. 1 12. 

 t Ibid. p. lit. 



