"E così fu ordinato."
See Teseide, v. 98.
A. L. X.
The Almond Tree, &c. (Vol. iii., p. 203.).—The allusions in Hall's poem, stanzas iii. & v., refer to the fine allegorical description of human decrepitude in Ecclesiastes, xii. 5, 6., when
"'The almond tree shall flourish' (white hairs), and 'the silver cord shall be loosed,' and 'the golden bowl broken,' and 'the mourners shall go about the streets.'"
The pertinence of these solemn figures has been sufficiently explained by biblical commentators. It is to be presumed that the reference to a source so well known as the Bible would have occurred at once to the Querist, had not the allusions, in the preceding stanza, to the heathen fable of Medea, diverted his thoughts from that more familiar channel.
V.
Belgravia.
[Similar explanations have been kindly furnished by S. C., Hermes, P. K., R. P., J. F. M., J. D. A., and also by W. (2), who refers to Mead's Medica Sacra for an explanation of the whole passage.]
St. Thomas's Onions (Vol. iii., p. 187.).—In reference to the Query, Why is St. Thomas frequently mentioned in connexion with onions? I fancy the reason to be this. There is a variety of the onion tribe commonly called potato or multiplying onion. It is the rule to plant this onion on St. Thomas's day. From this circumstance it appears to me likely that this sort of onion may be so called, though I never heard of it before. They are fit for use as large hard onions some time before the other sort.