yew. 295 



Some years back Mr. Stubbs, a farmer at 

 Lancing, near Worthing, bought a flock of 

 sheep at a west-country fair, which arriving 

 home late in the evening, were turned into a 

 little grass court at the front of his house, in 

 which were some yew-hedges, on which the 

 sheep browzed, and in the morning, the greater 

 part of the flock were dead. 



It is true that the yew-trees in the sheep- 

 wklks on the Surrey hills, and other places, 

 appear to have had their lower branches 

 browzed on by these animals ; but it is also 

 true that a sheep is frequently found dead, 

 and that it is passed over without enquiring 

 into the cause. 



Martyn mentions a circumstance where six 

 or eight sheep perished by browzing on this 

 tree. 



Of the fruit of this tree Theophrastus says, 

 it is eaten by some persons, being sweet, and 

 considered harmless; butDioscorides says, the 

 berries bring on a dysentery. However, like 

 most other boys, I have frequently eaten them 

 in my youth, without inconvenience ; and old 

 Gerard tells us, in his usual quaint style, that 

 when he was young, and went to school, he 

 and divers of his school-fellows did eat their 

 fills of the berries of this tree. In Kensing- 



u 4 



