1»1VI BOTANICI. 181 



a sliei)licard* or hciirdsinan of that naraej whoj obseruing well that 

 his she-goats feeding thereupon fell a scouring, gaue their milk vnto 

 the daughters of king Prcetus, whereby they were cured of their 

 furious melancholy, and brought again to their right wits. The 

 black Ellebore is a very poison to horses, kine, oxen, and swine, for 

 it killeth them ; and therefore naturally these beasts beware how 

 they eat it. It commeth up euery where, but the best is in Heli- 

 con, a mountaine much renowned and praised for other herbs beside 

 it, wherewith it is well furnished. The blaclce Ellebore is called 

 Mclampodmm, wherewith folk vse to hallow their houses for to 

 driue away ill spirits, by strewing or perfuming the same, and vsing 

 a solemne praier withall : it serueth also to blesse their cattell after 

 the same order. But for these purposes they gather it uerj"^ de- 

 voutly, and with certain ceremonies :t for, first and foremost, they 



• Although the grandson of a king, Melampus was a sliepherd and herds- 

 man, superintending the management of his flocks and herds in person, as 

 did Abraham, Lot, Laban, Isaac, his sons and grandsons, whose trade had 

 been with cattle from their youth, both they and also their fathers. 



-]- According to the same industrious collector, nearly similar observances 

 were practised by the Celtic Druids, in preparing the Selago, Samolus, "Ver- 

 vain and Mistleto, for religious and salutary purposes. "Many ceremo- 

 nies," he says, " are to be obserued in the gathering of this herbe, Selago 

 ( Li/copodium Selago, wolf's-foot, wolf's-claw, fir-leaved dub-moss), which is 

 much like unto Sauiue. The party who is to gather it must be apparelled 

 all in white ; go barefoot he must, and have his feet washed in fair water. 

 Before he commeth to gather it he ought to do sacrifice unto the gods, with 

 bread and wine : moreouer no knife or yron toole is to be vsed hereabout ; 

 neither will any hand serue but the right, and that also must do the deed 

 not bare and naked, but by some skirt or lappet of his coat between, which 

 was done off with the left hand, and so closely, besides, as if he came to steal 

 it awa}' secretly. Last of all, when it is gathered, wrapped up it must be, 

 and carried in a new linnen napkin or towell. The Druids of France haue a 

 great opinion of this herbe thus gathered, and haue prescribed it to be kept, 

 as the only preseruative against all hurtfuU accidents and misfortunes what- 

 soever ; saying that the fume thereof is singular good for all the infirmities 

 and diseases of the eies. The Druids also make great account of another 

 herb growing in moist grounds, which they name Samolus (Samolus Valeran- 

 di, round-leaved water-pimpernel, or brook-weed) ; and forsooth if you did 

 well you should gatiier it fasting, with the left hand in any wise; and in ga- 

 thering not look back howsocuer you do. In Gaule the Druids vse the 

 Vcrvaine ( Vcrheiia ojlicinnlis, vervain, simpler's joy) in casting lots, telling 

 fortunes, and foreslieuing future events by way of prophesie. They giue cx- 

 jjrcsse order tliat it be gathered ai)out the rising of the great dog-star, but so 

 as neither sun nor moon be at lliut time abouc the eartii to see it ; with this 

 especial ciiargc licsidcs, that before ihey take up the herbe they bestow upon 

 the ground where it growcth, honey with the combes, hi token of salisiac- 



