TRE RAWTRORN 
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riety — the yellow - berried hawthorn (Crataegus aurea) — 
which is often planted in shrubberies, is still more beauti- 
ful. It is familiarly called the golden thorn, and well 
deserves its appellation, for its fruit has the appearance 
of golden berries, and its young buds are of a bright 
yellow. 
All the species of hawthorn are ornamental shrubs. 
The pyracanthus, or evergreen thorn (Crataegus pyra- 
cantha), is a well-known and favourite species, often 
planted against houses, and covering the wall with its bril- 
liant and abundant scarlet berries and evergreen foliage. 
It is one of the most beautiful shrubs in the garden during 
the month of October. The Mexican thorn has large 
yellow fruit, which might rival the golden apples of the 
Hesperides in appearance ; and the fruit of the scented 
thorn is very agreeable in flavour. 
A variety of the common hawthorn called the Glaston- 
bury thorn, instead of flowering in May, blossoms during 
winter, and was for many years believed to blow regularly 
on Christmas day. The Abbey of Glastonbury, in Somer. 
setshire, now a heap of ruins, and of whose origin none 
but vague memorials exist, was said, by the monks, to 
have been the residence of Joseph of Arimathea. Ac- 
cording to their legend, he came to Britain accompanied 
by eleven followers, and raised to the memory of the 
Virgin the first Christian temple erected in this country. 
The celebrated hawthorn bush is said to have sprung from 
a staff which Joseph stuck into the ground on Christmas 
day, which, blossoming immediately, attested the appro- 
bation of God to his mission, as the blooming of Aaron's 
rod confirmed the priesthood to the family of Israel ; while 
the yearly blooming of this hawthorn at this unusual sea- 
son, was regarded by the monks as sufficient confirmation 
of the truth of their statement, A fable propagated pro- 
bably by some who had an interest in attaching sacredness 
to the Abbey and its precincts, easily obtained belief in 
those superstitious times, when all that was not evident 
to the senses was recognised as miraculous. And this 
thorn, which is certainly interesting from its singularity, 
was regarded formerly almost universally with blind vene- 
ration. 
The flowering of the Glastonbury thorn was once 
II 
