to certain 'Natural Objects. 555 



the nocturnal culling of the simples: and it is not improbable 

 that the secrecy, formerly supposed to be requisite, was, in this 

 instance, adopted in order to obviate the chance of any one 

 discovering the ingredients of a nostrum from which the pro- 

 prietor derived considerable profit. 



[^Superstitions connected with Plants: with the Cyclamen,'] — 

 Of the supposed virtues which, in the olden time, were super- 

 stitiously attributed to plants, it would be tedious to enter 

 into a minute description.* They who are curious on such 

 subjects, may be referred to the quaint pages of our old 

 herbalists. (See Gerarde and Parkinson, passim.) As a spe- 

 cimen, however, I extract the following salutary caution, 

 relative to the virtues, or rather dangers, of the cyclamen, 

 from Gerarde's Herbal; just remarking, by the way, that the 

 extreme absurdity of attributing such extraordinary proper- 

 ties to plants may possibly, and very naturally, have brought 

 their real properties somewhat into disrepute : and, accord- 

 ingly, while our forefathers undoubtedly attributed far too 

 much efficacy to various articles of the vegetable kingdom, it 

 may admit of a question, whether we of the present day do 

 not incline rather to the opposite extreme, and attribute to 

 them too little. " It is not good," says this grave disciple of 

 -^sculapius, " for women with childe to touch or take this 

 herbe (cyclamen), or to come neere unto it, or stride over 

 the same where it groweth ; for the naturall attractive vertue 

 therein contained is such, that, without controversie, they 

 that attempt it in manner above said, shall be delivered before 

 their time : which danger and inconvenience to avoid, I have 

 (about the place where it groweth in my garden) fastened 

 stickes in the ground, and some other stickes I have fastened 

 also cross-waies over them, lest any woman should, by lament- 

 able experiment, finde my words to bee true, by their stepping 

 over the same." f In Johnson's Gerarde is appended the fol- 



* The following passage occurs in Sir Thomas Brown's works : — " We 

 omit to recite the many virtues and endless faculties ascribed unto plants, 

 which sometime occur in grave and serious authors ; and we shall make a 

 bad transaction for truth to concede a verity in half. To reckon up all, it 

 were imployment for Archimedes, who undertook to write the number of 

 the sands. Swarms of others there are, some whereof our future endea- 

 vours may discover; common reason, I hope, will save us a labour in many ; 

 whose absurdities stand naked unto every eye ; errors not able to deceive 

 the embleme of justice, and need no Argus to descry them. Herein there 

 surely wants expurgatory animadversions, whereby we might strike out 

 great numbers of hidden qualities ; and, having once a serious and con- 

 ceded list, we might, with more encouragement and safety, attempt their 

 reasons." {Vulgar Errors^ book ii. ch. 7.) 



f The same property has been ascribed to " brake, or female fern " 

 (Pteris aquilina?). See Brown's Vulgar Errors^ b i. chap. 8. 



