HONESTY. 231 



their fruit. It was formerly called " Penuie 

 Flower, or Money Flower, Silver Plate, Pricksong 

 Wort, and White Satin. 1 ' It has had similar 

 names bestowed upon it by the French, who fre- 

 quently call it Monnale du Pape, Pope's Money ; 

 Satin Blanc, White Satin ; Medaille, Medal ; and 

 Herbe aux Lunettes, Spectacle Plant. The Bra- 

 banters name it Paeschbloement, Easter Flower, 

 because it generally flowers about the feast of 

 Easter. Mr. Aiton considers the Annual Lunaria 

 to be indigenous to Germany, and the Perennial 

 to be a native of Austria, the latter being, he 

 states, introduced to this country in the year 1596, 

 and the former in 1570. This is evidently a 

 mistake, as we have already noticed Chaucer's 

 mention of this plant as early as the middle of the 

 fourteenth century. We might have concluded 

 that Chaucer had alluded to some other plant, 

 such as the Cluster jflftounfouvt of Turner, who calls 

 it the %t$$ SrttltatJ) ; Gerard, however, not only 

 describes these plants, but has left us good figures of 

 both species, and says, " These plants are set and 

 sowen in gardens, notwithstanding the first (round 

 podded) hath beene founde wilde in the woods 

 about Pinner, and Harrow on the Hill, twelve 

 miles from London, and in Essex likewise about 

 Hornchurch. The second (long podded) groweth 

 about Watforde, fifteene miles from London." 



