166 



THE BOX. 



" Fresh sprigs of green box-wood, not six months before, 

 Filled the funeral basin at Timothy's door." 



In tlie north of Devon newly -made graves may 

 frequently be seen decked with sprigs of Box and 

 other tillage evergreens : and it takes its place 

 among Holly and Laurel as an ornament of our 

 churches generally^ at Christmas. 



By the ancients Box«wood was highly valued 

 as a material for musical instruments, Buxus^^ 

 the name by which it was known, often standing 

 for a flute ; " and in our o^vn country it is said 

 by Evelyn to have been of special use for the 

 turner, engraver, mathematical instrument maker, 

 comb, and pipe-maker, who give great prices for 

 it by weight, as well as measure ; and by the 

 seasoning, and divers manner of cutting, vigorous 

 insolations, politure and grinding the roots of this 

 tree (as of even our common and neglected Thorn), 

 do furnish the inlayer and cabinet-maker ^^-ith 

 pieces rarely undulated, and full of variety. Also 

 of Box are made wheels or shivers (as our sliip- 

 carp enters call them), and pins for blocks and pul- 

 leys : pegs for musical instruments : nut -crackers, 

 weavers' shuttles, hollar-sticks, bump-sticks, and 

 dressers for the shoe-maker, rulers, rolling-pins, 

 pestles, mall-balls, beetles, tops, chess-men, screws, 

 bobbins for bone-lace, spoons, nay the stoutest 

 axle-trees." 



The Box-wood used by the cabinet-makers 

 and turners in France is chiefly that of the root. 

 The to^yl\ of St. Claude, near which is one of the 



* Buxus was also used to signify "a comb" and "a boy's top,"' 

 which were usually made of the same material. 



