THE OAK. 



29 



sexes in court and others, ecclesiastical persons. 

 But in these last troublesome times, a diveKsh 

 fellow (of Herostratus humour) having hewen itt 

 round at the roote, made his last stroke on his 

 own legg, whereof he died, together with the old 

 wondrous tree : which now sproutes up againe, 

 and may renew his oakye age againe, iff some 

 such envious chance doe not hinder or prevent 

 itt ; from vrhich the example of the former 

 \illane may perchance deterr the attempte. This 

 I thought to testifie to all future times, and there- 

 fore subscribe with the same hand through which 

 those little oakye slips past." 



In many of the rural districts oak-leaves and 

 oak-apples (to be mentioned hereafter) are worn 

 by boys on the 29th of May, the anniversary of 

 the Restoration of Charles II., who is said to 

 have concealed himself in an Oak-tree from the 

 Parhamentary soldiers."^ 



I must not omit to mention here that the Ro- 

 mans were accustomed to bestow a wreath com- 

 posed of Oak-leaves, called a civic crown, on any 

 one who saved the life of a citizen ; which was 

 considered the highest service that could be ren- 

 dered to the state. 



*^ And oaken wreath his hardy temples bore 

 Mark of a citizen preserved he wore." 



Rowers Lucan. 



Here, too, I may mention the absurd belief, 

 once popularly prevalent, that the Barnacle-goose 

 owed its origin to this tree. The v>'ord harjiacle 

 is said to be derived from bair?i, a child, and acle, 

 the aac, or oak. The quaint old botanist, Gerard, 



* For a full account of King Charles's Oak, see page 83. 



