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King Solomon, whose books on Magic King Hezekiah destroyed 

 lest their contents should do harm, ascribed great magical powers 

 to a root which he called Bahams (or Baara). Josephus, in his 

 History of the Jewish Wars, states that this wonderful root is to 

 be found in the region of Judaia. It is like a flame in colour, and 

 in the evening appears like a glittering light; but upon anyone 

 approaching it with the idea of pulling it up, it appears to fly or 

 dart away, and will avoid its pursuer until it be sprmkled either 

 Avith menstrual blood or lotiuni femininum. 



" The Mandrake's charnel leaves at night " 



possess the same characteristic of shining through the gloom, and, 

 on that account, the Arabians call it the Devil's Candle. 



The ancients knew a certain herb called Nyctilopa, w^hich had 

 the property of shining from afar at night : this same herb w-as also 

 known as Nyctegrcdum or Chcuomychon, and geese were so averse to 

 it, that upon first spying it they would take to instant flight. 

 Perhaps this is the same plant as the Johaiwiswurzel or Springwort 

 (Euphorbia Icithyris), which the peasants of Oberpfalz believe can 

 only be found among the Fern on St. John's Night, and which is 

 stated to be of a yellow colour, and to shine at night as brightly as 

 a candle. Like the Will-o'-the-Wisp, the Johanniswiirzel eludes the 

 grasp of man by darting and frisking about. 



Several plants are credited with possessing the power of pre- 

 servation from thunder and lightning. Pliny mentions the Vihro, 

 which he calls Herha Britannica, as a plant which, if picked before 

 the first thunderblast of a storm was heard, was deemed a safe- 

 guard against lightning. In the Netherlands, the St. John's Wort, 

 gathered before sunrise, is credited with protective powers against 

 lightning. In Westphalia, the Donnerkraiit (the English Orpine, or 

 Live-long) is kept in houses as a preservative from thunder. In 

 England, the Bay is considered a protection from lightning and 

 thunder ; the Beech was long thought to be a safeguard against 

 the effects of lightning ; and Houseleek or Stonecrop, if grown upon 

 a roof, is still regarded as protecting the house from being struck 

 by lightning. The Gnaphalium, an Everlasting-flower, is gathered 

 on the Continent, on Ascension Day, and suspended over door- 

 ways, to fulfil the same function. In Wales, the Stonecrop is 

 cultivated on the roof to keep off disease. 



The Selago, or Golden Herb of the Druids, imparted to the 

 priestess who pressed it with her foot, the knowledge of the 

 language of animals and birds. If she touched it with iron, the 

 sky grew dark, and a misfortune befell the world. 



The old magicians were supposed to have been acquainted 

 with certain plants and herbs from which gold could be extracted 

 or produced. One of these was the Sorb-tree, which was particu- 

 larly esteemed for its invaluable powers ; another was a herb on 

 Mount Libanus, which was said to communicate a golden hue to the 



