OF SUNDRY HERBS 83 



MEADOWSWEET 



" Queen Elizabeth of famous memory did more desire it 

 than any other sweet herbe to strew her chambers 

 withal." John Parkinson, The Theatre of Plants, 1640. 



Bridewort was one of the old names of this beautiful flower, 

 and it was formerly one of the wedding herbs. " Queen of 

 the meadow " is another of its appropriate names, and 

 children nearly always call it this. Gerard tells us that 

 " the leaves and flowers excel all other strong herbes for to 

 deck up houses to strew in chambers, halls, and banqueting 

 houses, in the summer time ; for the smell thereof makes the 

 heart merrie and delight eth the senses." A little meadow- 

 sweet gives an excellent flavour to soup, and there are still 

 numbers of country folk in England who dry a quantity 

 of it every year to make an infusion of it for colds. 



MEADOWSWEET TEA. A quart of boiling water poured 

 on an ounce of the fresh or dried leaves and flowering tops. 



MINT 



" Eat Betoyne and Mynts prepared in honey, use herbs 

 grace in thy Wine." April, Ram's Little Dodoen, 1606. 



Mint takes its name from Minthe, who was loved by Pluto. 

 This nymph was metamorphosed by Pluto's wife, Prosperine, 

 with the herb called after her. Henry Dethicke, in the 

 Gardener's Labyrinth, gives some curious advice to the 

 gardener who cannot procure the garden mint. " Let him 

 plant the seed of the wild mint, setting the sharper ends 

 of the seeds downwards, whereby to tame and put away 

 the wildness of them." In France mint was called " Menthe 

 de Notre Dame," and in Italy " Erbe Santa Maria." The 

 cultivated herb is said to have been introduced into England 

 by the Romans. All the different varieties have the quality 

 of preventing milk from curdling, and for this reason 

 herbalists recommend them to people who are put on to a 

 milk diet. Formerly they were one of the herbs strewn in 

 churches, and they were also used in baths. Culpepper 



