76 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



" The basin of box-wood, just six months before, 

 Had stood on the table at Timothy's door ; 

 A coffin through Timothy's threshold had pass'd, 

 One child did it bear, and that child was his last." 



WORDSWORTH. 



Gerarde informs us, that turners and cutlers call Box- 

 wood dudgeon, because they make dudgeon-hafted knives 

 of it. The box-tree is a native of most parts of Europe, 

 from Britain southwards : it also abounds in many parts of 

 Asia and America. In England it was formerly much more 

 common than at present. 



" These trees," says Evelyn, " grow naturally at Boxley 

 in Kent, and at Box-hill in Surrey : giving name to them. 

 He that in winter should behold some of our highest hills 

 in Surrey, clad with whole woods of them, for divers miles 

 in circuit, as in those delicious groves of them belonging 

 to the late Sir Adam Brown of Beckworth Castle, might 

 easily fancy himself transported into some new or enchanted 

 country." 



But this enchantment has been long since dissolved. 

 Mr. Millar, in 1759, lamented the great havoc made among 

 the trees on Box-hill, though there then remained several of 

 considerable magnitude ; but since that time the destruction 

 has been yet greater. Not only this hill in Surrey, and 

 Boxley in Kent, but Boxwell in Coteswold, Gloucester- 

 shire, is said to be named from the Box tree. It has been 

 made a serious and heavy complaint against Box, that it 

 emits an exceedingly unpleasant odour, of which the poets 

 speak as a thing notorious : yet it is only when fresh cut 

 that the scent is unpleasant, and a little water poured over 

 it immediately removes this objection. 



According to Herrick it was the custom with our fore- 

 fathers, on Candlemas day, to replace the Christmas ever- 

 greens with sprigs of Box : 



