Oak Tree
The oak, from time immemorial, has held a high place as a sacred tree. The Druids worshipped the oak, and performed many of their rites ander the shadow of its branches. When Augustine preached Christianity to the ancient Britons, he stood under an oak tree. The ancient 0 Oak Tree was reputed a man of extraordinary learning, and was author of numerous alchymical works. For many months Norton sought this person in vain, but at length the Canon, yielding to the other's importunity, wrote to him in the following manner :-" I shall not longer delay; the time is come; you shall receive this grace. Your honest desire and approved virtue, your love of truth, wisdom, and long perseverance, shall accomplish your sorrowful desires. It is necessary that, as soon as convenient, we speak together face to face, lest I should by writing betray my trust. I will make you my heir and brother in this art, as I am setting out to travel in foreign countries. Give thanks to God, Who next to His spiritual servants, honours the sons of this sacred science."
After receiving this very friendly and encouraging letter, Norton hurried straightway to Ripley's presence, and thereafter for upwards of a month the two were constantly together, the elder man taught the novice many things, while he even promised that, if he showed himself an apt and worthy pupil, he would impart to him the secret of the medicinal stone. And in due course this promise was fulfilled, yet it is reported that Norton's own chymical researches met with various signal disappointments. On one occasion, for instance, when he had almost perfected a certain tincture, his servant absconded with the crucible containing the precious fluid; while at a later time, when the alchemist was at work on the same experiment, and thought he was just about to reach the goal, his entire paraphernalia was stolen by a Mayoress of Bristol. And this defeat must have been doubly galling to the unfortunate philosopher, for soon afterwards the Mayoress became very wealthy, presumably as a result of her theft.
Norton himself does not appear to have reaped pecuniary benefit at any time from his erudition, but to have been a comparatively poor man throughout the whole of his life; and the fact is a little surprising, for his Ordinall of Alchimy was a popular work in the middle ages, and was repeatedly published. The original edition was anonymous, but the writer's identity has been determined because the initial syllables in the first six lines of the seventh chapter compose the following couplet :- "Thomas Norton of Briseto A parfet master you may him trow."
Norton died in 1477, and his predilections descended to one of his grandsons. This was Samuel Norton, who was born in 1548, studied science at St. John's College, Cambridge, and afterwards became a Justice of the Peace and Sheriff of Somersetshire. He died about 1604, and in 1630 a collection of his alchemistic tracts was published at Frankfort.
Noualli: Aztec magicians (See Mexico and Central America.) Nuan: In Irish romance, the last of the sorceress-daughters of Conaran. Having put Finn under taboo to send his men in single combat against her as long as she wished, she was slain by Goll, her sister's slayer.
Numbers, Magical (See Magie.) Hebrews evidently held the oak as a sacred tree. There is a tradition that Abraham received his heavenly visitors under an oak. Rebekah's nurse was buried under an oak, called afterwards the oak of weeping. Jacob buried the idols of Shechem under an oak. It was under the oak of Ophra, Gideon saw the angel sitting, who gave him instructions as to what he was to do to free Israel. When Joshua and Israel made a covenant to serve God, a great stone was set up in evidence under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. The prophet sent to prophesy against Jeroboam was found at Bethel sitting under an oak. Saul and his sons were buried under an oak, and, according to Isaiah, idols were made of oak wood. Abimelech was made king by the oak that was in Shechem. During the eighteenth century its influence in curing diseases was believed in. The toothache could be cured by boring with a nail the tooth or gum till blood came, and then driving the nail into an oak tree. A child with rupture could be cured by splitting an oak branch, and passing the child through the opening backwards three times; if the splits grew together afterwards, the child would be cured.
Obambo, The: (See Africa.)