18 FLORA HISTORICA. 



latter people should bring their superstitions to 

 this country is natural, and, in many instances, we 

 may still perceive the impression these customs 

 made on the minds of the ignorant part of the po- 

 pulation of our island. 



The Black Hellebore was used by the ancients 

 to purify their houses, and to hallow their dwell- 

 ings ; and they had a belief that by strewing or 

 perfuming their apartments with this plant, they 

 drove away evil spirits. This ceremony was 

 performed with great devotion, and accompanied 

 with the singing of solemn hymns. In the same 

 manner they blessed their cattle with the Hellebore, 

 to keep them free from the spells of the wicked. 



What magic has bewitched the woolly dams, * 

 And what ill eyes beheld the tender lambs. 



Virgil, Pastoral III. 



For these purposes it was dug up with many 

 religious ceremonies, as that of first drawing a 

 circle round the plant with a sword, and then, turn- 

 ing to the east, an humble prayer was made by the 

 devotee to Apollo and ^Esculapius, for leave to 

 dig up the root ; and the flight of the eagle was 

 particularly attended to during the ceremony, for 

 when this bird approached near the spot during 

 the celebration of the rites, it was considered so 

 ominous as to predict the certain death of the per- 

 son who took up the plant, in the course of the 



