OF FOREST-TREES. 



97 



Cur tamen apposita velatur janua lauro ; 



Cingit et Augustas arboi' opaca fores ? 

 Num quia perpetuos meruit domus ista triumphos ? 



An quia Leucadio semper amata Deo ? 



As still at present in Rome, and other cities, they use to trim up their 

 churches and monasteries on solemn festivals, when there is station and 

 indulgences granted in honour of the saint or patron ; as also on occasion 

 of signal victories, and other joyful tidings ; and those garlands, made 

 up with hobby-horse tinsel, make a glittering show, and rattHng noise 

 when the air nioves them. 



With the leaves of Laurel were made up the despatches and letters, 

 which were sent to the senate from the victorious general the spears, 

 lances °, and fasces, nay, tents and ships, &c. were all dressed up with 

 Laurels ; and in a triumph, every common soldier carried a sprig in his 

 hand, as we may see in the best basso-relievo of the ancients, as of virtue 

 to purge them from blood and slaughter. And now, after all this, might 

 one conjecture by a mere inspection of these several sculps, statues, and 

 medals yet extant, representing the heads of emperors, poets, &c. the 

 wreaths and coronets to be composed of a more flexible and compliant 

 species than the common Bay, and more applicable to the brows, except 

 where the ends and stalks of the tender branches were tied together witli 

 a lemnisc or riband. And there be yet who contend for the Alexandrian 

 Laurel, and the Tinus, as more ductile, but without any good evidence. 

 Pliny, I find, says nothing of this question, naming only the Cyprian 

 Delphic ; besides, the figure, colour of the rind, and leaf crackling in 

 the fire, which it impugns, (as it is said it does lightning,) gives plainly 

 the honour of it to the common Bay. 



' Publica victrices testantur gaudia chartaj. mart. 

 " Martia laurigera cuspide pila virent. Ib» 



CHAP. V 



OVID. 



