Principio arboribus varia est natura creandis : 

 Namque aliae, nullis hominum cogentibus, ipsae 

 Sponte sua veniunt, camposque et flumina late 

 Gurva tenent: ut molle siler, lentaeque genistae, 

 Populus, et glauca canentia fronde salicta. 

 Pars autem posito surgunt de setnine : ut altae 

 Castaneae, nemorumque lovi quae maxima frondet 

 Aesculus, atque habitae Graiis oracula quercus. 

 Pullulat ab radice aliis densissima silva : 

 Ut cerasis ulmisque ; etiam Parnasia laurus 

 Parva sub ingenti matris se subiicit umbra. 

 Hos natura modos primum dedit ; his genus omne 

 Silvarum fruticumque viret nemorumque sacrorum. 



Virgil, Georgtcon, Liber Secundus. 

 Some trees under no compulsion from men, grow up of themselves, of their 

 own accord, and spread widely over the plains and the winding river banks, 

 like the pliant osier and the limber broom, the poplar, and the willow groves- 

 that look so hoary with their grey leaves. Some again spring up from the 

 dropping of seed, like the tall chestnuts, and the forest-monarch which puts forth 

 its royal leaves for Jove, the aesculus, and the oaks— in Greece deemed oracular. 

 With others a forest of suckers shoots up from their roots, as with cherry-trees 

 and elms— nay, the bay of Parnassus rears its infant head under the mighty 

 covert of its mother's shade. These are the modes which Nature first gave 

 to men unasked— to these the whole race of forest-trees and shrubs and sacred 

 groves owe their verdure. — Conington. 



