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olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my 

 fatness, wherewith by me they honour God 

 and man, and go to be promoted over other 

 trees?" Judges, chap. ix. verse 7. 



David also seems to have considered the 

 olive as a blessing when he says, " Thy chil- 

 dren like the olive-branches round about thy 

 table: Lo! thus shall the man be blessed 

 that feareth the Lord/' 



The Grecians appear to have thought no 

 less of this tree and it's fruit than the Israelites. 

 In their fabulous histories, we are informed, 

 that the gods having been called on to settle 

 a dispute between Neptune and Minerva, 

 arising from the desire of each of them to 

 give name to the new city of Cecrops ; they 

 determined to give the preference to the one 

 who should produce the most beneficial gift 

 to mankind. Neptune, striking the ground 

 with his trident, created a horse; but Mi- 

 nerva, by causing an olive-tree to spring from 

 the earth, gained her point, and from her was 

 the city called Athenae, now Athens, since 

 the olive, the emblem of peace or agriculture, 

 was much preferable to th$ horse, the sym- 

 bol of war and bloodshed. Minerva and the 

 Graces are also represented as crowned with 

 olive-branches. 



A contribution of olives was given by all 



1 



