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The Moly is p;enerally supposed to have been a species of GarHck 

 (a plant credited with many maf^ical qualities), and Gerarde, in 

 his ' Herbal,' describes several plants under the head of " Moly, or 

 Sorcerer's Garlick," one of which he particularises as Homer's 

 Moly (Moly Ilomericum). The identity of the plant has, however, 

 long been a matter for speculation among botanists of all ages. 

 Dodonaeus, Anguillara, and Caesalpinus consider it to be Allium 

 magictim ; Matthiolus and Clusius, Allmni subhirsutum ; Sprengel, 

 Allium nigrum ; and Sibthorp, a plant which he names Allium Dios- 

 coridis. Various treatises have appeared on the subject, in one of 

 which the Moly is thought to be identified with the Lotus. Milton, 

 in his ' Comus,' mentions a magical plant, designated Harmony, 

 which possessed similar properties to the Moly, and was potent in 

 dispelling enchantments, ghostly apparations, mildew-blast, and 

 unwholesome vapours. 



Money Flower. — See Honesty. 



MONK'S HOOD. — Aconitum has two English names. Monk's 

 Hood and Wolf's Bane. The former has been given it from the 

 resemblance of the plant's upper sepal to the cowl of a monk. The 

 latter is of great antiquity, being the same as that of the Anglo- 

 Saxon. By the ancients (who were unacquainted with mineral 

 poisons) the Aconite was regarded as the most virulent of all 

 poisons, and their mythologists declare it to be the invention of 

 Hecate, who caused the plant to spring from the foam of the 

 many-headed Cerberus, when Hercules dragged him from the 

 gloomy regions of Pluto. The legend is thus told by Ovid : — 



" Medea, to dispatch a dang'rous heir, 

 (She knew him) did a pois'nous draught prepare, 

 Drawn from a dnig, long while reserved in store, 

 For desp'rate uses, from the Scythian shore, 

 That from the Echydna;an monster's jaws 

 Derived its origin, and this the cause. 



Through a dark cave a craggy passage lies 

 To ours ascending from the nether skies. 

 Through which, by strength of hand, Alcides drew 

 Chained Cerberus, who lagged and restive grew, 

 With his bleared eyes our brighter day to view. 

 Thrice he repeated his enormous yell, 

 With which he scares the ghosts, and startles hell ; 

 At last outrageous (though compelled to yield), 

 lie sheds his foam in fury on the field ; 

 Which, with its own and rankness of the ground, 

 Produced a weed by sorcerers renowned 

 The strongest constitution to confound — 

 Called Aconite, because it can unlock 

 All bars, and force its passage through a rock." 



With this venomous plant the ancients were wont to poison their 

 arrow-heads when engaged in war and also when in pursuit of 

 wild beasts. As a poison, it had a sinister reputation. Ovid was 

 of opinion that the Aconitum derived its name from growing on 



