pPant Isorc, ^SeQer^f, ornal bLjric/, 547 



prey to Macbeth, who attacked them and utterly routed their forces. 

 Ten only of the soldiers, who had entertained suspicions with 

 regard to Duncan's gift of supplies, remained in their senses, and 

 these carried off King Sweno, in a lifeless condition, to the mouth 

 of the river Tay, and thence conveyed him home in a fishing- 

 boat. 



SOLOMON'S SEAL.— The appellation of Solomon's Seal 

 has been given to the Cotivallaria Polygonatum, because, on cutting 

 the roots transversely, some scars are seen resembling the device 

 known as Solomon's Seal — a name given by the Arabs to a six- 

 pointed star, formed by two equilateral triangles interse(5ting each 

 other. To the old herbalists these marks (according to the doctrine 

 of signatures) were an indication of the plant's virtues or uses : it 

 was sent to seal or consolidate wounds. Gerarde saj's: "That 

 which might be written of the herbe as touching the knitting of 

 bones, and that truely. would seeme with some incredible; but 

 common experience teacheth that in the world there is not to be 

 found another herbe comparable to it for the purposes aforesaid ; 

 and therefore, in briefe, if it be for bruises inward, the roots must 

 be stamped, some ale or wine put thereto, strained, and given to 

 drink. It must be given in the same manner to knit broken bones, 

 against bruises, black or blew marks gotten by stripes, falls, or 

 suchlike; against inflammation, tumours, or swellings, that happen 

 unto members whose bones are broken, or members out of joynt, 

 after restauration : the roots are to be stamped small, and applied 

 pultesse or plaister wise, wherewith many great workes have been 



performed beyond credit." The plant is also known by the 



name of Lady's Seal, Seal-wort, White-root, Ladder-to-heaven, 



and Jacob's-ladder. By astrologers it is held to be under the 



rule of Saturn. 



SOMA. — The Soma, or Moon Plant, is one of the most sacred 

 plants of India. It is supposed to be the Sarcostemma vimiuale, or 

 Cyanchmn viminale [Asckpias acida), which grows on the Coromandel 

 hills and in the Punjab. According to Dr. Haug, the plant at present 

 used by the sacrificial priests of the Dekhan is not the sacred Soma 

 of the Vedas, although it appears to belong to the same order. In the 

 Hindu religion, by a truly mystic combination. Soma represents 

 at once the moon or moon-god, the genius presiding over the 

 Soma, and the plant itself. In the Vedic hymns to Soma, the 

 notion of the plant predominates, but intermixed are references 

 which are only applicable to the lunar characfter of the divinity. 

 The description of the plant given in Garrett's ' Classical Dic- 

 tionary of India' is as follows: — " It grows to the height of about 

 four or five feet, and forms a kind of bush consisting of a number 

 of shoots, all coming from the same root ; their stem is solid, like 

 wood, the bark greyish, they are without leaves, the sap appears 

 whitish, has a very stringent taste, is bitter but not sour ; it is a 



2 N — 2 



