ELM. 209 



that their husbandmen bent the young elms 

 whilst growing into the proper shape, for 

 their hurts, or plough-tail. 



Continue in silvis magna vijlexa domatur 



In burim, et curviformam accipit ulmus aratri. 



Geor. i. 170. * 



" Young elms with early force in copses bow, 

 Fit for the figure of the crooked plough." 



DRYDEN. 



But, above all, they considered the elm as 

 the necessary support and friend of the vine ; 

 and their belief that a sympathy existed be- 

 tween plants was so great, that they seldom 

 planted one without the other. The gravest 

 of the Latin authors do not hesitate to style 

 the elm the husband to the vine ; and 

 Pliny observes, that that elm is a poor spouse 

 which does not support three wives. This 

 mode of marrying the vine to the elm, gave 

 rise to the elegant insinuation of Vertumnus 

 to Pomona, whose story may be found in 



Ovid. 



* 



" 6 If that fair elm,' he cried, 6 alone should stand, 



No grapes would glow with gold, and tempt the hand : 

 Or, if that vine without her elm should grow, 

 'Twould creep a poor neglected shrub below.' " 



Tacitus states, that vineyards were planted 

 by the Romans in Britain. They would, there- 

 VOL. i. p 



