94. 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK 11. concerning its derivation ; a Laucle, says Isidore. And from the in- 

 ■^-^Y^-^ genious poet, we learn how it became sacred to Apollo, the patron of 

 the wits, and ever since the meed of conquerors and heroic persons. 

 But leaving fiction, we pass to the culture of this noble and fragrant tree, 

 propagated both by seeds, cuttings, suckers, and layers. They (namely 

 the berries) should be gathered dropping ripe : Pliny has a particular 

 process for the ordering of them, not to be rejected, which is to gather 

 them in January, and spreading them till their sweat be oyer, he then 

 puts them in dung, and sows them : as for the steeping in wine, water 

 does altogether as well : others wasb the seeds from their mucilage, by 

 breaking and bruising the glutinous berries, then sow them in rich 

 ground in March, by scores in a heap ; and indeed so they will come up 

 in clusters, but nothing so well, nor fit for transplantation, as where they 

 are interred with a competent scattering, so as you would furrow peas, 



qualified for adorning the borders of woods and pleasure-grounds. The leaves begin to 

 open about the middle of March, and are quite out by the beginning of May. The flowers 

 are of a light yellow colour^ but make no show. It is a native of Italy. The Bay-tree, and 

 not the Laurel, is undoubtedly the Laurus of the ancients. The Laurel was not known in 

 Europe till the latter end of the sixteenth century, about which time it was brought from 

 Trebisond to Constantinople, and from thence it spread over most parts of Europe. Besides, 

 our Laurel has not the properties ascribed by the ancients to ihei,r Laurus. Virgil says it 

 has a fine sniell, which our Laurel has not : 



Et vos, O Lauri, carpam, et te, proxima Myrte^ 



Sic positiE, quoniam suaves miscetis odores. ecl. ii. 



And in the sixth jEneid, " Oderatum Lauri nemus." 



The Pythian priestess chewed the leaves of this tree before she placed herself upon tlie 

 •sacred tripod. These being used after an abstinence of three days, naturally produced 

 that wild enthusiasm with which her oracles were always attended. From its being thus 

 used, it obtained the name of the " Prophetic Tree." Whence Claudian, 



venturi prsescia La^us. 



Amongst the ancients, crowns of Laurel were worn by successful generals at their 

 triumphal entries : Apollo, when he made this tree his own, says, 



Tu ducibus Latiis aderis, emu laeta triumphum 



Vox canet ; et longe visent Capitolia pompae, ovid. 

 'J'he Bay=tree is said to liaye a natural aversion to fire, which it shews by crackling in 



