VERVAIN. 103 



VERVAIN. Verbena. 



Natural Order Personatcc. Viticcs and Vcrbcmaceee, 

 Juss: a Genus of the Didynamia Gymnospermia 

 Class. 



*' She niffht-shade strews to work him ill, 

 Therewith the Vervain, and her dill. 

 That hind'reth witches of their will." 



Drayton. 



** Verveine, chasse-mal que les dieux ont cheri, 

 Montre-moi ta puissance, et d' amour me gueri." 



Passerat. 



The very name of this plant seems to carry our 

 thoughts back to the darkest ages of superstition, 

 and we cannot look upon the Vervain with that 

 indifference with which we regard most other 

 humble herbs ; for however ridiculous or absurd 

 the religious customs of the ancient heathens may 

 appear in modern times, still they will obtain a 

 share of our respect, both on account of their an- 

 tiquity and their national unanimity. Although 

 we now see the Vervain stripped of all its reve- 

 rential regard, it still attracts our notice as it 

 should our gratitude, that we are permitted to 

 live in days when the terror of ignorant super- 



