pPanC "bore, Ts)ege?^/, oriol "bijrlc/. 287 



cases. Gerarde says, that the Portuguese women, resident in the 

 East Indies, distilled from the Cloves, when still green, a certain 

 liquor " of a most fragrant smell, which comforteth the heart, and 

 is of all cordials the most effecflual." There is an old supersti- 

 tion, still extant, that children can be preserved from evil influences 

 and infantile disorders, by having a necklace of Cloves suspended 

 as an amulet round the neck. 



CLOVER. — The old English names for Clover were Trefoil 

 and Honey-suckles. The word Clover is derived from the Anglo- 

 Saxon Chcjve. The club of Hercules was called by the Latins 

 clava tyirwdis; and the "club" of our playing cards is so named from 

 its resemblance to a Clover-leaf — a leaf with three leaflets {tyia folia). 



Hence the herb's generic name of Trifolium, or Trefoil. Hope was 



depicfted by the ancients as a little child standing on tiptoe, and 

 holding a Clover-flower in his hand. Summer is also represented 



with the Trefoil. In the Christian Church, the Trefoil is held to 



be the symbol of the Trinity ; hence Clover is used for decorations on 

 Trinity Sunday. It is often employed as an architectural emblem : 

 the limbs of crosses are sometimes made to end in Trefoils, and 



church windows are frequently in the same form. Clover possesses 



the power of vegetating after having existed in a dormant state for 

 many years. If lime is powdered and thrown upon the soil, a 

 crop of white Clover will sometimes arise where it had never been 

 known to exist ; this spontaneous coming-up of the flower is 



deemed an infallible indication of good soil. Clover-grass is 



reputed always to feel rough to the touch when stormy weather is 

 at hand ; and its leaves are said to start and rise up, as if it were 



afraid of an assault. The Druids held the Clover, or Trefoil, 



in great repute, and it is believed that they considered it a charm 

 against evil spirits. Formerly the Clover was thought to be not 

 only good for cattle, but noisome to witches, and so " the holy 



Trefoil's charm," was very generally prized as a protective. 



A sprig of Clover with only two leaves on it is employed by the 

 lads and lasses of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, as a 

 charm to enable them to ascertain the names of their future wives 

 and husbands : — 



" A Clover, a Clover of two, 

 Put it on your right shoe ; 

 The first young man [or woman] you meet, 

 In field street, or lane, 

 You'll have him [or her] or one of his [or her] name." 



Gerarde says that the meadow Trefoil (especially that with the 

 black half-moon upon the leaf), pounded with a little honey, " takes 

 away the pin and web in the eies, ceasing the pain and inflam- 

 mation thereof if it be strained and dropped therein." The finding 

 of a four-leaved Clover is considered especially fortunate, not only 

 in England, but in France, Switzerland, and Italy. It is believed 



