86 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



but almost tliroughout Europe. It attains a 

 great height in Smtzerland, and is abundant 

 in France. It is found too in America, and 

 many parts of Asia, growing wild on Mount 

 Caucasus, and extending even to the Hima- 

 layan mountains. On the slopes of the lofty 

 Lebanon its green stiff leaves exhibit them- 

 selves, when the siui has melted the snow from 

 its boughs. The names of various places in 

 oiu' own land remind us, that it was even 

 much more general and abundant than it now 

 is. Boxley in Kent, Boxwell in Gloucester- 

 shire, and. Boxhill in Surrey, were all named 

 from the quantity of this plant which was 

 formerly found in the neighbourhoods. The 

 ancients used its Avood for musical instruments, 

 and Virgil mentions that it was often inlaid 

 with ivory. It is still of great value to the 

 turner and engraver on Avood. 



The box is often alluded to in Scripture. 

 In the beautiful description given by the 

 prophet Isaiah, of the glory of the latter days 

 of the church of God — a glory yet remaining 

 to be looked and longed for, we find the in- 

 spired writer declaring in the powerful imagery 

 of holy writ, that "the glory of Lebanon shall 

 come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the 

 box together, to beautify the place of my sanc- 

 tuary; and I will make the place of my feet 

 glorious."* The prophet also enumerates it 

 among the myrtle and other trees whicli are to 

 flourish in the waste places of the wilderness, 



* Isaiah Ix. 13. 



