52 p?ant Tsore, Tsege?^/, and. Ts^ricy, 



against evil spirits. After daybreak on St. John's Day it is 

 dangerous to pluck herbs ; the gatherer running the risk of being 

 afflicted with cancer. 



According to Bauhin, the following plants are consecrated to 

 St. John : — ^First and specially the Hypericum, or perforated St. 

 John's Wort, the fuga ditmomim, or devil's flight, so named from 

 the virtue ascribed to it of frightening away evil spirits, and acting 

 as a charm against witchcraft, enchantment, storms, and thunder. 

 It is also called Tutsan, or All-heal, from its virtues in curing all 

 kinds of wounds ; and Sanguis hominis, because of the blood-red 

 juice of its flowers. 



The leaves of the common St. John's Wort are marked with 

 blood-like spots, which alway appear on the 29th of August, the day 

 on which the Baptist was beheaded. The "Flower of St. John" 

 is the Chrysanthemum (Corn Marigold), or, according to others, the 

 Buphthalnms (Ox-Eye) or the Anacyclus. Grapes of St. John are 

 Currants. The Belt or Girdle of St. John is Wormwood. The 

 Herbs of St. John comprise also Mentha sarracenica or Costus hor- 

 tensis ; GaUithricum sativum or Centrum galli or Orminum sylvestre ; in 

 Picardy Abrotanum (a species of Southernwood) ; and, according to 

 others, the Androsanion (Tutsan), the Scrophularia, and the Crassula 

 major. The scarlet Lychnis Coronaria is said to be lighted up on 

 his day, and was formerly called Candelabrum ingens. A species 

 of nut is named after the Saint. The Carob is St. John's Mead, 

 so called because it is supposed to have supplied him with food 

 in the wilderness, and to be the "locusts" mentioned in the 

 Scriptures. 



The festival of St. John would seem to be a favourite time with 

 maidens to practice divination in their love affairs. On the eve of 

 St. John, English girls set up two plants of Orpine on a trencher, 

 one for themselves and the other for their lover ; and they estimate 

 the lover's fidelity by his plant living and turning to theirs, or 

 otherwise. They also gather a Moss-rose so soon as the dew 

 begins to fall, and, taking it indoors, carefully keep it till New 

 Year's Eve, when, if the blossom is faded, it is a sign of the 

 lover's insincerity, but if it still retains its common colour, he 

 is true. On this night, also. Hemp-seed is sown with certain 

 mystic ceremonies. In Brittany, on the Saint's Vigil, young 

 men wearing bunches of green Wheat-ears, and lasses decked 

 with Flax-blossoms, assemble round one of the old pillar-stones 

 and dance round it, placing their wreath upon it. If it remains 

 fresh for some time after, the lover is to be trusted, but should 

 it wither within a day or two, so will the love prove but transient. 

 In Sweden, on St. John's Eve, young maidens arrange a 

 bouquet composed of nine different flowers, among which the 

 Hypericum, or St. John's Wort, or the Ox-eye Daisy, St. John's 

 Flower, must be conspicuous. The flowers must be gathered 

 from nine different places, and the posy be placed beneath the 



