JTTNE. 201 



divided, or pinnated, as the common male and female 

 ferns, and the Brake or Eagle Pern ; or with a long 

 entire scaly-stalked green leaf such as the Hart's- 

 tongue, so frequently seen about the mouths of wells, 

 and in other damp spots. The fructification appears 

 for the most part upon the back of the frond, and 

 presenting itself all at once about Midsummer, from 

 the unfurling or circinate vernation of the plant, was 

 superstitiously supposed to come to perfection only 

 on St. John's night, in each year, at the hour the 

 Baptist was born. Hence it was supposed that if it 

 could be gathered at this time, it would possess many 

 magical properties, and was even reputed to give its 

 possessor the power to walk invisible. SHAKSPEARE 

 has alluded to this superstition in the often quoted 

 passage in his Henry tlie Fourth, Part I. 



" We steal as in a castle, cock-sure ; we have the receipt 

 of Fern-seed, we walk invisible." * 



* The old Herbalists and Simplers had many disputes and divers 



opinions as to the fructification of Ferns. Dr. TURNER, writing in 1560, 



thus remarks: " DIOSCORIDES denyeth that the Feme hath anye frute, 



and therebye that it hath also no seede, but not onlye the opinion of the 



commen people is that the Ferae hath seede, but also it is the opinion of 



a Christien Phisicion, named HIERONYMUS THAGUS, who doth not onlye 



saye that Feme hath sede, but wrytith that he found upon mydsomer 



even seede upon Brakes. I have taken out of his Herbal his wordes 



concernyng that matter, and have translated that into English after this 



manner followinge. Although that all they that have writen of herbes, 



have affyrmed and holden that the Brake hath nether sede nor frute : yet 



have I dyvers times proved the contrarye, which thinge I will testefye 



here in this place for there sakes that be students in the knowledge of 



herbes. I have foure yeres together one after another upon the vigill of 



Saynt John the Baptiste, (which we call in English Midsummer even) 



soughte for this seede of Brakes upon the nyghte, and in dede I fownde it 



earlye in the mornynge before the daye brake, the sede was small blacke, 



and lyke unto poppye. I gatherid it after this maner : I laide shetes and 



mollen leaves underneath the brakes whiche received the sede, that was 



by shakynge and beatynge broughte out of the branches and leaves. 



Many brakes in some places had no sede at all, but in other places agayne 



a man shall find sede in everye brake, so that a mail maye gether a hund- 



