BAY. 119 



Its lower branches were the roosting-place of 

 her poultry, and the higher boughs protected 

 the nests of various birds, who treated her 

 with Apollo's strains, for having planted 

 Apollo's tree ; which, of itself, refreshes her 

 family by the salubrious perfume it gives to 

 the air of her little garden — to say nothing 

 of the aromatic taste its leaves give to her 

 baked herrings; a dish not to be despised at 

 a country dejeune, as many a sea-side resident 

 will agree, who knows not, or cares not for 

 the happy allusions it affords to the classical 

 reader. They prefer its spicy taste to the 

 finest passages of the ancient poets. But we 

 would wish to inspire our marine friends with 

 a relish for plants as well as for fish: at any 

 rate, to preserve the few trees that nature 

 spontaneously scatters on the coast. For, some 

 years back, we saw a beautiful farm, about a 

 mile from Worthing, swept of every shrub 

 and tree by the farmer, who had purchased it 

 by his profits during the war. We almost 

 regretted at the time that he had not resided 

 in some despotic government, where, at every 

 change of the moon, he would have been 

 scourged with the leafless branches, until his 

 hedge-rows had recovered their wonted foliage. 

 But he resided in a land of liberty, and pos- 

 sessed a right either to please himself or his 



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