248 S Y L V A BOOK iv 



strange apparitions of spirits interceding for the stand- 

 ing and life of trees, when the ax has been ready for 

 execution, as you may see in that hymn of Callimachus, 

 Pausanias 1 , and the famous story of Paroebius related by 

 Apollonius in 2. Argonaut, with the fearful catastrophe 

 of such as causelesly and wantonly violated those goodly 

 plantations (from which fables arose that of the Do- 

 donean and vocal forests, frequent in heathen writers) 

 but by none so elegantly as the witty Ovid, describing 

 the fact of the wicked Erisichthon : 



2 Who Gods despis'd, 



Nor ever on their altars sacrific'd, 



Who Ceres groves with steel prophan'd : where stood 



An old huge oak ; even of it self a wood. 



Wreaths, ribbands, grateful tables deckt his boughs 



And sacred stem ; the dues of powerful vows. 



Full oft the Dryades, with chaplets crown'd, 



Danc'd in the shade, full oft they tript a round 



About his bole. Five cubits three times told 



His ample circuit hardly could infold. 



Whose stature other trees as far exceeds, 



As other trees surmount the humble weeds. 



Yet this his fury rather did provoke : 



Who bids his servants fell the sacred oak. 



And snatches, while they paus'd, an ax from one. 



Thus storming : Not the Goddess lov'd alone ; 



But, though this were the Goddess, she should down, 



And sweep the earth with her aspiring crown. 



As he advanced his arms to strike, the oak 



Both sigh'd and trembl'd at the threatning stroke ; 



His leaves and acorns, pale together grew, 



And colour-changing branches sweat cold dew : 



Then wounded by his impious hand, the blood 



Gush'd from the incision in a purple flood : 



1 In Phoe. & Arcad. 



2 Qui numina divom 



Sperneret, & nullos aris adoleret honores, &c. 



