III. THE LEAF. 69 



the idea more strongly for us in the Septuagint, 

 even the ordinary Greek word for tree is not used, 

 but the word £v\ov, — literally, every 'wood,' every 

 piece of timber that was pleasant or good. They 

 are indeed the "vivi travi," — living rafters, — of 

 Dante's Apennine. 



Do you remember how those trees were said to 

 be watered ? Not by the four rivers only. The 

 rivers could not supply the place of rain. No 

 rivers do ; for in truth they are the refuse of rain. 

 No storm-clouds were there, nor hidings of the 

 blue by darkening veil ; but there went up a mist 

 from the earth, and watered the face of the ground, 

 — or, as in Septuagint and Vulgate, "There went 

 forth a fountain from the earth, and gave the earth 

 to drink." 



30. And now, lastly, we continually think of that 

 Garden of Delight, as if it existed, or could exist, 

 no longer ; wholly forgetting that it is spoken of in 

 Scripture as perpetually existent ; and some of its 

 fairest trees as existent also, or only recently de- 

 stroyed. When Ezekiel is describing to Pharaoh the 

 greatness of the Assyrians, do you remember what 

 image he gives of them ? " Behold, the Assyrian was 

 a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches ; and his top 

 was among the thick boughs ; the waters nourished 

 him, and the deep brought him up, with her rivers 



