HAZEL-NUT. 209 



shire, Haslinden, in Lancashire, &c. This tree is never 

 cultivated for the sake of the nut, which is considered 

 unwholesome, being hard of digestion, and causing short- 

 ness of breath and wheezing. Many young people have 

 suffered by eating too freely of this fruit ; and it has 

 caused the death of several who have taken immoderately 

 of it. 



Nevertheless Culpepper, in his " Astrologo-Physical 

 Discourse on Herbs," not only commends these nuts as a 

 medicine for the lungs, but quaintly gives us his curious 

 defence of nuts, which may be acceptable to idle boys, if 

 not amusing to modern medical writers, to see how their 

 brethren of 1681 indited. 



" Why should the vulgar so familiarly affirm, that eat* 

 ing nuts causeth shortness of breath, than which nothing 

 is falser ? or, how can that which strengthens the lungs, 

 cause shortness of breath ? I confess the opinion is far 

 elder than I am. I knew Tradition was a friend to errors 

 before, but never that he was the father of slanders : or 

 are men's tongues so given to slander one another, that 

 they must slander nuts too, to keep their tongues in use ? 

 If any thing of the hazel-nut be stopping, 'tis the husks 

 and shells, and nobody is so mad as to eat them unless 

 physically, and the red skin which covers the kernels, 

 which you may easily pull off. And thus have I made an 

 apology for nuts, which cannot speak for themselves." 



We have already noticed the elegance of the pendant 

 catkins of these trees in the history of the filbert, and it 

 appears that they did not escape the notice of the rustic 

 lasses of ancient Rome. Virgil makes Corydon say 



" With hazel Phyllis crowns her flowing hair ; 

 And while she loves that common wreath to wear, 

 Nor bays, nor myrtle-boughs, with hazel shall compare." 



The pleasure of nutting-parties is well known in this 



