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a lm o n d .—According to an ancient tradition r n e n r t j J by
Servius the origin of the Almond-tree is to be traced te Phyllis, a
u Thracian nueen, who became enamoured of Demophoon,
ThLeus a E h l d r a , and was wedded to him. Demo-
the son returning from the Trojan war, had been cast
p h o o n , who soon after his marriage with the
O u L rw T r e c a l le d to Athens by his father's death. He promised
Eithfuilv to return to his royal bride at the expiration of a montK
but failed to do so, and Phyllis, distrafled at his continued absence
after s ^ e r d t o i l e Visits to + e s e a - sh o «
tr a L f o rm e d in to a n A lm o n d -tre e , w h ich is cal e d P k y lU b y th e
C r e e k s S om e tim e a fte r th is m e tam o rp h o s is th e tru a n t c o n so rt
reiurned, and upon hearing of the untimely fate ot Phyllis, he ran
a n d c la sp e d th e tre e in rem o rse fu l em b ra c e . L o v in g ev en m d e a th ,
his beautfful queen seems to have acknowledged his repentance
for the Almond-tree into which she had been transformed, although
at that tiTe stripped of its leaves, suddenly shot forth and
at tnat i to show how unchangeable was poor
p S i i v e — S e c o n d ~ t of the o r i + of the Almondtree
states that it sprang from the blood of the monster AgdisUs,
teee s J Tnniter This fable further narrates that the
d au gh teL f the r i v e r Sangarius fell in love with the beautiful tree,
a n d after gathering its fruit, gave birth to a ^ n nam J Atys.
A third account relates how lo, daughter of King Midas, was o -
saken by Atys, whom she loved ; and how Agdistis, on the dea
E v s mutdated his body, from which sprang the bitter A lm o J -
I r e t lh ! emblem of griei-— Virgil made the flowering of the
Almond a presage of the crop of Wheat.
“ With many a bud if flowering Almonds bloom,
And arch their gay festoons that breathe perfume,
So shall thy harvest like profusion yield
And cloudless suns mature the fertile held.
The Hebrew word Shakad, from which the Almond derives its
name means to make haste, or to awake early, given to the tree
Z acc^nnt of its hasty growth and early m ju r ity . Aaron s rod,
bfcb budded and brought forth fruit in the Tabernacle during one
w h i c h budded a J Drougm^^^ _ brought forth
l 7ds In d bloomed blossoms, and yielded Almonds.” (Numbers
xvii 81 Among the Hebrews, the Almond-tree was regarded as
A e symbol of hafte and vigilance, because of the suddenness of its
b t e s L in g , which announced the Spnng. 'The Mahommedans consider
its flowers typical of hope, because they bloom on the bare
branches. Romanists assign the blos^mmg Almond-tree to the
S S o n L , as Queen of Heaven. In Tuscany, and other countries
a branch of the Almond-tree is employed to discover
hidden treasures. It is carried to the place where the treasure is
SiDPOsed to be concealed, and, according to popular superstition,
i t s ^ n t will turn towards the exact spot. In the nuptial ceremonies
of the Czechs, Almonds are distributed amongst the
wedding guests. Pliny considered Almonds a most powerful
remedy against inebriation, and Plutarch relates an anecdote of a
notorious wine-bibber, who, by his habitual use of bitter Almonds,
used to escape being intoxicated. The Almond-tree is under
Jupiter. To dream of eating Almonds portends a journey : if they
taste sweet, it will be a prosperous one; if bitter, the contrary.
A L O E .—The Hebrews appear to have entertained a great
respect for the Aloe (Ahaloth). In the Bible it is frequently referred
to in commendatory terms, and its use as a perfume is of
very great antiquity. King David, in the Psalms, says: “ All thy
garments smell of Myrrh, and Aloes, and Cassia.” Solomon, in
the Canticles, mentions Aloes as one of the chief spices ; and in
Proverbs (vii., 17) refers to it as a scent. Aloes is one of the spices
mentioned by St. John as having been brought by Nicodemus to
embalm the body of our Lord. There are two trees which yield
this fragrant wood, viz., Aloexylum Agallochum, a native of the
mountains of Hindostán, and Aquilaria Malaccensis, which grows in
Malacca: the wood of these aromatic trees forms the principal
ingrejdient in the scented sticks burned by the Hindus and Chinese
in their temples. The heart of the Chinese Aloe, or Wood Aloes,
is called Calambac, or Tambac-wood, which is reckoned in the
Indies more precious than gold itse lf: it is used as a perfume ; as
a specific for persons affected with fainting fits or with the p a lsy ;
and as a setting for the most costly jewels. Both the name and
the plant of the aromatic Aloe are of Indian origin, and it must
not be confounded with the common Aloes, most of which have
an offensive smell and a bitter taste. In Wood’s Zoography
we re ad : “ The Mahommedans respect the Aloe as a plant of a
superior nature. In Eg)'pt, it may be said to bear some share in
their religious ceremonies, since whoever returns from a pilgrimage
to Mecca hangs it over his street door as a proof of his having performed
that holy journey. The superstitious Egyptians believe that
this plant hinders evil spirits and apparitions from entering the
house, and on this account whoever walks the streets in Cairo will
find it over the doors of both Christians and Jews.” The Arabic
name of the Aloe, Saher, signifies patience, and in Mecca at the end
of most graves, facing the epitaph, is planted an Aloe, as an
allusion to the patience required by those awaiting the arrival of
the great day of resurrection. Most Eastern poets, however,
speak of the Aloe as the symbol of bitterness ; and the Romans
seem to have been well acquainted with this qualification, judging
from the allusion to it in Ju v en a l:—“ Plus Aloes quam mellis hahere.”
“ As bitter as Aloes ” is a proverbial saying of considerable antiquity,
derived doubtless from the acrid taste of the medicines
obtained from the plant, and made principally from the pulp of
the fieshy leaf of the Succotrine Aloe, the leaves of which have a
remarkable efficacy in curing scalds and burns. Not only, hawp—
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