198 
bark of the apple bough, passed into tbe Mistletoe, 
where its colour was even more clearly seen tban in 
the former. 
We will now regard this plant as £< the Draid’s 
magic Misseltoe,” for this is the well-spring of its 
famé. Calmet considers that the Druids transferred 
to Britain the sentiment of religious vénération their 
forefathers received in Eastern lands ; and a more 
modéra writer thinks that the origin of their super¬ 
stition may be traced to Greece. But, though the 
source of the reverence paid to the Mistletoe by our 
idolatrous ancestors is uncertain, no doubt can arise 
as to this plant, especially when growing on the Oak, 
having been to them an object of high vénération ; 
and for the reason of this superstition the united 
influence of two causes are assigned. First, the Oak 
itself was, with the Druids, so sacred a tree that 
they always decorated themselves with garlands of 
its leaves when about to perform any religious rite; 
and perceiving the Mistletoe to hâve no connexion 
with the earth, their unenlightened minds conceived 
it of supernatural origin. 
The ceremony of separating the Mistletoe from 
the Oak was the grandest of the Druidical rites. 
