BEECH TREE. 



41 



such as treat of heroes and of gods must live more fru- 

 gally : 



" Let herbs to them a bloodless banquet give^ 

 In beechen goblets let their bev'rage shine^ 

 Cool from the crystal spring their sober wine." 



Milton. 



The Beech has been particularly celebrated for its 

 shade : 



" Tityre, tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi 

 Sylvestrem tenui Musam meditaris avena." 



Eclogue i. 



" Beneath the shade which beechen boughs diffuse, 

 YoUj Tityrusj entertain your sylvan muse." 



It seems to have had the honour of shading the sylvan 

 god himself. In the Faithful Shepherdess, the satyr who 

 brings fruit to Clorin says — 



" Till when humbly leave I take. 

 Lest the great Pan do awake. 

 That sleeping lies in a deep glade. 

 Under a broad Beech's shade." 



Beaumont and Fletcher. 



" There, at the foot of yonder nodding Beech 

 That rears its old fantastic roots so high, 

 His listless length at noontide would he stretch, 

 And pore upon the brook that bubbles by." 



Gray. 



Garcilasso has some delightful lines upon this subject : 



The sun, from rosy billows risen, had rayed 

 With gold the mountain tops, when at the foot 

 Of a tall Beech romantic, whose green shade 

 Fell on a brook, that, sweet-voiced as a lute. 

 Through lively pastures wound its sparkling way. 

 Sad on the daisied turf Salicio lay : 

 And with a voice in concord to the sound 



