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Even Mr. Morley has failed to restore the Vervain to its former reputation 

 for healing scrofulous, and thirty other, complaints, notwithstanding his directions 

 in his " Essay on Schropula " that the roots should be tied "with a yard of white 

 sattin ribband " round the neck of a patient until he recovers. As it were 

 resenting its position as an outcast, the plant clings to the neighbourhood of 

 human habitations, inviting the attention of the village herbalist. In and about 

 an old quarry of Old Ked Sandstone, interspersed with an unctuous marl, grew 

 the Verbascum thapsus, Mullein, or Shepherd's Club. The word is apparently 

 altered from Barhascum, from Barba, a beard, in allusion to the downy substance 

 with which the whole plant is coated, this nap having been used as tinder in the 

 old flint and steel days, and also to make wick for lamps. One specimen brought 

 to me for notice was not yet in flower, but proved to be Inula Helenium, 

 Elecampane, which has lost its traditional virtue, save in the estimation of some 

 cattle doctors, and some unprincipled dealers in drugs. Amongst numerous other 

 plants, all of which have their little history, we observed, growing in a wood, that 

 ornamental and useful Willow herb, Epilobium angustifoUum, known by rustics as 

 the "ranting willow," and in moist places grew the Epilobium hirsutum ; then 

 there was the Alisma plantayo, and Sparganium ramosum, the roots of which yield 

 a fsecula used as Salep, the Euphorbia ami/ydaloidcs, one of a curious and acri- 

 monious class, as a balance to which was near at hand, the Euphrasia, or 

 Eye-bright, plant of cheerfulness, which clears the visual ray ; the Melampyrum 

 pratense, Prunella, or Self-heal, Bartsia odontites, Rhinanthus crista galli. Penny- 

 grass or Yellow-rattle, the sweet Origanum, Joy of the mountain, and its perfumed 

 congener, the Bee-beloved Wild Thyme, so dear to the lovers of song. Luzula 

 sylvatica was observed, and in passing through a wooded slope we couldn't help 

 noticing the profusion of the pretty Aletica unijtora or Honey-grass, which clothed 

 the bank, and on an adjacent old wall was the delicate Linaria cymlalaria, whilst 

 below, on the river's bank, was a profusion of Lythrum salicaria, with its tine spike 

 of rich purple flowers ; side by side grew the Eupatorium cannahinum, formerly 

 used in medicine, possessing emetic and other qualities. Add to these plants the 

 Bryony, Belony, Agrimony, Petaiitcs, Mntricaria, I'ormcntilla, Tansy, Malva 

 moschata, Geranium pratense, AchilUva or Milfoil, all of which 1 observed during 

 our present ramble, and most of which, although named in the pharmacopceias of 

 the last century, are now only used with few exceptions by some wise old doctoress, 

 who practises on those full of faith in her powers, and somewhat less knowing 

 than herself. Before closing this brief account, we must not omit to record such 

 specimens of those favourites of the ladies — the Ferns — as we met with. We 

 observed the Polypodium, or many-feet, the Aspidium filix mas, and famina, 

 Aspitiium lobatum, Asplenium adiantum nigrum, Asplenium rata iiiuraria and 

 aUernifolium, Pteris aquilina, and Scolopcndriuin vulijare. Upon arriving near 

 Grosmont, the place of our refreshment, we noted appropriately on an old wall the 

 biting stone-crop Scdum acre (scdco, I sit), and, in a less exposed situation, the 

 Sedum telephium. These plants, growing as they mostly do on dry rocks or 

 exposed places, seem designed to survive extreme drought owing to their 

 succulent foHage, and to follow lichens and mosses in fulfilling nature's law of 

 silently clothing the earth. May we not exclaim with Job — " Lo ! these are 

 parts of His way.s, but how little a portion is heard of Him." 



