164 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



the great court of his palace was with three 

 rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar 

 beams." 



At the same time, Solomon built a fleet of 

 merchant ships, at Tyre, which must also 

 have thinned the forest, both of fir and of 

 cedar. We observe Hiram's answer to So- 

 lomon is, " I will do all thy desire, concerning 

 timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir." 



Solomon, also, celebrated the cedar in his 

 writings which still remain ; although a vest- 

 ige of his gorgeous palaces is not to be 

 found. 



i " His countenance is as Lebanon, ex- 

 cellent as the cedars." 



"The beams of our houses are cedar, and 

 our rafters of fir." 



Josephus relates, that Solomon planted 

 cedars in Judea, and the Scripture says, 

 "he made cedars to be as the sycamore 

 trees, that are in the vale, for abundance." 

 Evelyn says, " he doubtless tried many expe- 

 riments of this nature, none being more 

 kingly than that of planting for posterity." 



From that time, it became a custom with 

 the Jews to plant a cedar when they had a 

 son born, and for a daughter a pine, which at 

 their marriage, was cut to form their nuptial 

 bed. The cedar was considered the symbol 



