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heroes, the Palm is represented as borne by those who suffered
rnartyrdom; and, in some instances, by those conspicuous for their
vicffory over pain and temptation. In old religious paintings,
St. Christopher (who lived in the middle of the fourth century)
is represented as a man of Herculean proportions, who uses, as a
supporting staff, an entire Palm-tree with leaves and branches.
The legend is, that having, when still unconverted, entreated a
hermit to show him Christ, the holy man admonished him that he
must do some good and acceptable work, and recommended him
to go to the banks of a deep and swollen river, and by his great
strength assist travellers to cross over it. Christopher readily
undertook the task, and went and dwelt by the side of the river.
Having rooted up a Palm-tree, he used it as a staff to guide and
support his steps, and aided all who were overcome by the stream,
and carried the weak on his shoulders across it. After he had
spent many days at this toil, he, one night, whilst lying resting in
his hut, heard a voice calling* him from the shore. He arose and
looked out, but saw nothing. So he lay down again, and the same
thing occurred to him a second and third time. Then he took his
lantern and searched about the river bank, and at last discovered
a httle child, who plaintively said to him: “ Christopher, carry me
over this night.” Thereupon the stalwart young man lifted the
little child on his shoulders, and grasping his Palm-staff, entered
the stream. As he struggled across, the waters kept rising higher
and higher; the waves roared, and beat against him, and the
winds blew. The infant on his shoulder became heavier and still
heavier, till Christopher felt that he must sink under the excessive
weight, and began to feel afraid: nevertheless, taking fresh courage,
and staying his tottering steps with his Palm-staff, he at length
reached the opposite bank. Gently placing the child down, he
looked at him with astonishment, and asked, “ Who art thou, child,
that hast placed me in such extreme peril ? Had I carried the
whole world on my shoulders, the burthen had not been heavier.”
Then the child replied: “ Wonder not, Christopher, for thou hast
not only borne the world, but Him who made the world, upon thy
shoulders.. Me wouldst thou serve in this thy work of charity;
and, behold, I have accepted thy service; and in testimony that I
have accepted thy service and thee, plant thy staff in the ground, and
It shall put forth leaves and fruit.” Christopher did so, and the dry
Palm-staff flourished as a Palm-tree in the season, and was covered
with clusters of Dates. But the miraculous child had vanished. Then
Christopher fell on his face, and confessed and worshipped Christ
According to the legend of the death of the Virgin Mary, she
was, one day, filled with an inexpressible longing to behold her Son
again, and whilst weeping, an angel suddenly appeared, and said*
“ Hail, O Mary! I bring thee here a branch of Palm, gathered in
Paradise; command that it be carried before thy bier in the
day of thy death; for in three days thy soul shall leave thy body,
p l a a t l9oi*e, l9 e g e r^ /, a n e l Isijrle/*, 4 8 3
and thou shalt enter into Paradise, where thy Son awaits thy
coming.” After conversing with the Holy Mother, the angel departed
into heaven, and the Palm-branch which he had left behinc.
him shed light from every leaf, and sparkled as the stars of the
morning. At the same instant, the apostles, who were dispersed
in various parts of the world, were miraculously caught up and
deposited at Mary’s door. Then, having thanked the Lord, she
placed in the hands of St. John the shining Palm, and desired him
to bear it before her at the time of the burial—an office which he
faithfully discharged. Some authorities mention the Palm as
one of the four trees which furnished the wood of which the
Redeemer’s Cross was composed; this notion is derived from
Canticles vii., 8 : “ I will go up to the Palm-tree,” &c. Hence the
old rhyme:—
“ Nailed were His feet to Cedar, to Palm His hands—
Cypress His body bore, title on Olive stands.”
The praises of the Palm have been sung by Hebrew, Indian,
Persian, and Arabian poets of all ages. According to Strabo, a
Persian hymn, but according to Plutarch a Babylonian hymn,
records the three hundred and sixty benefits conferred on mankind
by this noble tree ; whilst a poem in the Tamil language, although
enumerating eight hundred and one uses of the Palmyra Palm,
does not exhaust the catalogue.- In the Indian Vishnu Purâna,
the fruitfulness of the Date Palm is alluded to. The youthful
Bala Râma slays the monster Dhenuka, and casts the carcase at
the foot of a Date Palm : then the Dates fell upon him just as rain,
3eaten by the winds, patters down on the earth. In India, the
Palm has given rise to a proverb on account of the facility with
which it takes root : the natives say of a vile and despised enemy,
that he takes root as a Palm. To dream of a Palm-tree is a very
good omen, particularly if it is in full blossom, in which case it
predicifs much success and good fortune.
P A N S Y .—The Pansy {Viola tricolor) derives its name from a
corruption of the French word/¿»sm, thoughts : thus poor Ophelia
says :—
“ Pray you love, remember,
And there's Pansies^— that's for thoughts.”—Shakspeare.
Spenser designated the fiower “ the pretty Pawnee;’’ Milton spoke
of it as the Pansy freak’d with jet ; ” and Drayton sings :—
“ The pretty Pansy then I ’ll tye,
Like stones some chain enchasing-
The next to them, their near ally,
The purple VicJet placing.”
Rapin writes of the fiower as Flos Jo v k—ihe fiower of Jove :—;
“ With all the beauties in the valleys bred.
Spearmint, that’s born with Myrtle crowns to wed,
And Jove’s own flower, in which three colours meet,
ffo rival Violets, though without their sweet.”
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