40 



SYLVAN SKETCHES. 



the expressed oil instead of butter. In northern coun- 

 tries, however, they do not yield much oil; Linnaeus 

 informs us, scarcely any, in Sweden. 



It is certain that Henry Fielding, the author of those 

 exact pictures of EngHsh society in the begimiing of the 

 last century, " Tom Jones"*' and " Joseph Andrews,'" once 

 speculated largely on the manufacture of beech oil : and 

 the expression of it by a joint stock company was also 

 one of the bubbles, as they are emphatically and justly 

 called, of the South Sea year, or 17^1. It is said that 

 a project was once formed for paying off the national debt 

 with the oil of beech nuts. 



The wood, the leaves, the bark, the ashes, — every part 

 of this tree is useful. Cowley rather quaintly enumerates 

 some of its uses in housewifery : 



" Hence in the world's best years, 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." 



Beechen bowls are often mentioned in ancient pastorals, 

 and appear to have been much prized by the shepherds ; 

 but that was in the golden age : 



' — — Nec bella fuemnt, 

 Faginus adstabat cum scyphus ante dapes." 



TiBULLUS. 



— ^' No wars did men molest. 



When only beechen bowls were in request/' 



In VirgiFs third Eclogue, the two shepherds, Menalcas 

 and Damsetas, boast of their beechen bowls wrought by 

 the hand of Alcimedon. 



Milton, speaking of poets, says that the writers of 

 elegy may be allov/ed wine and good cheer, but that 



