342 



THE BEECH. 



If thoTi, without a sigh, or golden T\'ish, 

 Canst look upon thy Beechen bowl and dish, — 

 If in thy mind such power and greatness be, — 

 The Persian king 's a slave, compared T\dth thee. 



" Hence, in the world's best rears, the humble shed 

 Was happily and fully furnished : 



Beech made their chests, their beds, and their join'd stools ; 

 Beech made the board, the platters, and the bowls." 



Cowley, 



" Let herbs to them a bloodless banquet gire. 

 In Beechen goblets let their bev'rage shine, 

 Cool from the crystal spring their sober wine." 



Milton. 



" A Beechen bowl, 

 A Maple dish, my furniture should be. 

 Crisp, yellow leaves my bed." 



Wordsworth. 



Several singular varieties of the British Beech 

 are in cultivation, which deserve a passing notice. 

 The Purple Beech has its leaves in their early 

 stage of a bright rose-coloui^, which, as the season 

 advances, deepens to a rich purple, approaching 

 black. It is a native of Germany, where it was 

 discovered about the middle of the last century. 

 It is usually propagated by grafts, plants raised 

 from seed having a tendency to revert to the 

 common form of the tree. This variety presents 

 a beautiful appearance, when scantily interspersed 

 among other trees in a lawn or grove, but should 

 never be planted alone. The Cut-leavedi. Beech 

 has its leaves indented, so as almost to resemble in 

 shape the leaves of a fern. The Weej)ing Beech 

 is said to be the most elegant tree of British 

 growth. A writer in the Gardener''s Magazine 

 (vol. vii. p. 375) states, that, in the park of J. C. 

 Mountray, county of Tyrone, Ireland, there are 



