250 S Y L V A BOOK iv 



venerable than misselto, and the oak upon which it 

 grows, &c. Indeed they did nothing of importance, 

 without some leaves or branches of this tree, and its 

 very excrescence as sent from heaven, and with a 

 solemn sacrifice of two white bulls ; the misselto not 

 to be gather'd, but cut by the priest with a golden ax, 

 praying for a blessing on this divine gift, G?c. But 

 of this consult (besides the author) Mela, Lactantius, 

 Eusebius de praeparat. evangel, and the Aulularia of 

 Pseudo-Plautus, Camden and others ; whilst as to that 

 excrescence, I am told of the disasters which happened 

 to the two men who (not long since) fell'd a goodly 

 tree, call'd the Vicar's Oak, standing at Nor- Wood 

 (not far from Croydon) partly belonging to the arch- 

 bishop, and was limit to four parishes, which met in 

 a point ; on this oak grew an extraordinary branch 

 of misselto, which in the time of the sacriligious 

 usurpers they were wont to cut and sell to an apothe- 

 cary of London; and though warn'd of the misfortunes 

 observed to befall those who injured this plant, 

 proceeding not only to cut it quite off, without 

 leaving a sprig remaining, but to demolish and fell 

 the oak it self also : The first soon after lost his eye, 

 and the other brake his leg ; as if the Hamadryads 

 had revenged the indignity. 



It is reported that the Minturnensian grove was 

 esteem'd so venerable, that a stranger might not be 

 admitted into it ; and the great Xerxes himself, when 

 he passed through Achaia, would not touch a grove 

 which was dedicated to Jupiter, commanding his 

 army to do it no violence ; and the honours he did 

 to one single (but a goodly) platanus, we have already 

 mentioned. The like to this we find when the Per- 

 sians were put to flight by Pausanias ; though they 



