Lady Maria Callcott

“ Now, the Christians in most of the countries of Europe looked upon the bishop or pope of Rome with the same reverence that the Jews paid to their high-priest, and considered the chief church of Rome as holy as the old Temple of Jerusalem. Of course, it was impossible for many of them to go to Rome every year to worship there; but every one who could possibly afford it went thither once in his life, and carried offerings in money, or jewels, or curious things, such as he could afford. Noblemen and kings gave great estates to the church ”

“ It was natural that, as the first Christians were all Jews by birth, they should observe many of the customs and ceremonies of the Temple of Jerusalem in their own churches; and when the Christians became numerous, and gained riches and power in all countries, that their priests and bishops should wish to make the worship of the Christians at least as grand as the worship in the ancient temple of the Jews. Accordingly, they imitated as far as they could the dresses and music, and some of the offerings; and among these that of the palm leaves. ”

“ The palm, as I told you before, was a sign of victory; and the Jews loved to worship God as the leader of their hosts, as the Lord of Battles. The willow grows by the fresh water brooks, and is a sign of fertility; it was properly laid on the altar of Him ‘who openeth his hand and filleth all things living with plenteousness.’ The myrtle is a shade and shelter from the heat, and its bark and leaves preserve all materials tanned with them from decay ”

“ August and September ripen such as have most virtue in the seeds and roots. If your mamma likes it, I shall be very glad to tell you all I know about these things, and Jane can shew you all the plants I use in the fields.”
“Thank you!—thank you, dear Molly! but here comes Sam, with a whole bundle of sticks. What can they be? Oh, I see now, they are palms to wear to-morrow. Are they good to cure sickness? And why do we call them palms, and carry them about on Palm Sunday?” ”

“ Crowds assembled to behold the wonderful work. Silence was enjoined to all upon pain of death, that nothing might for one moment draw the attention of the workmen from what they were about, or prevent their hearing the signals agreed upon. ”

“ Look, I will cut the root across, and you will see a number of black spots in the form of a cross, upon the white part. In former days this root was used in washes and salves, for healing many kinds of sores. This pretty little green leaf, whose flower is just budding, lying close by, is adder’s-tongue; and I still often boil it with sweet oil and wax to make salve for the wounds and cuts that mowers and reapers are apt to meet with in the course of their work.”
“And what do you do with the lady’s-smocks?” cried Mary. “I see such a store of dried ones hanging up there!” ”

“ I need not say that palm-trees do not grow in all the countries where there are Christians. Even in Italy the climate does not suit them. There is, however, one small sandy valley, open to the sea and the southern sun, on the coast of Genoa, where the date-palm is cultivated on purpose to supply Rome with p. ”