Among some of the many other equally wonderful plants may be
mentioned the "stony wood," which is thus described by Gerarde:--
"Being at Rugby, about such time as our fantastic people did with great
concourse and multitudes repair and run headlong unto the sacred wells
of Newnam Regis, in the edge of Warwickshire, as unto the Waters of
Life, which could cure all diseases." He visited these healing-wells,
where he, "found growing over the same a fair ash-tree, whose boughs
did hang over the spring of water, whereof some that were seare and
rotten, and some that of purpose were broken off, fell into the water and
were all turned into stone. Of these, boughs, or parts of the tree, I
brought into London, which, when I had broken into pieces, therein
might be seen that the pith and all the rest was turned into stones, still
remaining the same shape and fashion that they were of before they
were in the water." Similarly, Sir John Maundeville notices the "Dead Sea
fruit"—fruit found on the apple-trees near the Dead Sea. To quote his
own words:-- "There be full fair apples, and fair of colour to behold; but
whoso breaketh them or cutteth them in two, he shall find within them
coals and cinders, in token that by the wrath of God, the city and the
land were burnt and sunken into hell." Speaking of the many legendary
tales connected with the apple, may be mentioned the golden apples
which Hera received at her marriage with Zeus, and placed under the
guardianship of the dragon Ladon, in the garden of the Hesperides. The
northern Iduna kept guarded the sacred apples which, by a touch,
restored the aged gods to youth; and according to Sir J. Maundeville, the
apples of Pyban fed the pigmies with their smell only. This reminds us of
the singing apple in the fairy romance, which would persuade by its
smell alone, and enable the possessor to write poetry or prose, and to
display the most accomplished wit; and of the singing tree in the
"Arabian Nights," each leaf of which was musical, all the leaves joining
together in a delightful harmony.
But peculiarities of this kind are very varied, and form an extensive
section in "Plant-lore;"--very many curious examples being found in old
travels, and related with every semblance of truth. In some instances
trees have obtained a fabulous character from being connected with
certain events. Thus there was the "bleeding tree."[1] It appears that one
of the indictments laid to the charge of the Marquis of Argyll was this:--
"That a tree on which thirty-six of his enemies were hanged was
immediately blasted, and when hewn down, a copious stream of blood
ran from it, saturating the earth, and that blood for several years was
emitted from the roots." Then there is the "poet's tree," which grows over
the tomb of Tan-Sein, a musician at the court of Mohammed Akbar.
Whoever chews a leaf of this tree was long said to be inspired with sweet
melody of voice, an allusion to which is made by Moore, in "Lalla
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