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hers deceased, told her mother, that if she gave her 

 daughter a drink of yew pounded, she should recover : 

 She accordingly gave it her, and she presently died : 

 The mother being almost distracted for the loss of 

 her daughter, her chambermaid, to comfort her, said, 

 surely what she gave her was not the occasion of her 

 death, and that she would adventure on it her self ; 

 she did so, and died also \ Whether all this be but a 

 dream, I cannot tell, but it was haply from these 

 lugubrous effects, that garlands of taxus were usually 

 carried at funerals, as Statius implies in Epicedium vernae : 

 However, to prevent all funest accidents, I commend 

 the tree only for the usefulness of the timber, and 

 hortulan ornament. That we find it so universally 

 planted in our church-yards, was doubtless some symbol 

 of immortality, the tree being so lasting, and always 

 green : Our bee-masters banish it from about their 

 apiaries. 



One thing more, whilst I am speaking of this tree ; 

 it minds me of that very odd story I find related by 

 Mr. Camden, of a certain amorous clergy-man, that 

 falling in love with a pretty maid who refus'd his 

 addresses, cut off her head ; which being hung upon 

 a yew-tree 'till it was rotten, the tree was reputed so 

 sacred, not only whilst the virgin's head hung on it, 

 but as long as the tree it self lasted ; to which the 

 people went in pilgrimage, plucking and bearing 

 away branches of it, as an holy relique, whilst there 

 remain'd any of the trunk left, persuading themselves, 

 that those small veins and filaments, (resembling hairs 

 between the bark and the body of the tree) were the 

 hairs of the virgin : But what is yet stranger, that the 

 resort to this place (then call'd Houton) (from a 

 despicable village) occasion'd the building of the now 



