Palæographia sacra. Or discourses on sacred subjects / By William Stukeley.

  • Stukeley, William, 1687-1765.
Date:
1763
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Palæographia sacra. Or discourses on sacred subjects / By William Stukeley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ « ] acrofs. from fome molt antient prophetic notice of that tree, which was to be falutary to all mankind. Many people now a days, hang up a bough of mifle- toe, over their doors, at Chriflmas time ; as an 'omen of general good luck, and profperity to the family, for the enfuing year, thus Virgil makes the Druidefs Sybil hang the mifletoe branch upon the lintel. The beauty of the plant is certainly admirable, ’tis built on a triple fcheme, each joint confifting of three Hems, dividing from each other, with an equal angle, of the third part of the 360 degrees, that compleat the circle, each angle is adorned with a delicate, Ihining, pearl-like berry : which fet upon the golden color of the plant, produces an agreable efteCt. One great, and remarkable quality of the plant, is the manner of its production, from the feed contain’d in that berry, this will not grow upon the earth, but germinates only on the bough of another tree ; in a manner which to this day remains a myftery, in botany. I fhall not fpeak of its medicinal virtues, which are very powerful : but remark its lingular origin and time of florifhing, being in higheft perfection at this dead feafon of the year ; contrary to the common courfe of the vegetable kingdom, it fprings fuperior to winters cold, needs not the folar ftrength, ’tis perfectly a type of Chriftianity ; a divine plant, not of man’s fetting, not earth-born, earth nourifhed; but wonderfully in¬ oculating its felf on another, and that an old and worn- out tree effectually ftript of its foliage, fap going down¬ ward : which yet it adorns with new verdure and beauty, by its golden branches, its filver berrys.