126 A GARDEN OF HERBS 



Water, make it boil; then put in your Sorrel, giving it a 

 Scald; then take it out, squeezing it as hard as you do 

 Spinage, and drain it. Put it into a Sauce-pan and some 

 thin Cullis of Veal and Ham; Season it with Salt and 

 Pepper, and set it a simmering over the Fire : When it 

 has simmered enough, put to it some Essence of Ham. This 

 may be us'd in all those dishes in which you use Sorrel. 

 Ibid. 



SOUTHERNWOOD 



Southernwood, or Lad's Love, is nearly always to be found 

 in old-fashioned gardens, but not often in modern ones. 

 It has a most invigorating scent, and French people use it 

 to keep moths out of clothes ; hence one of its French 

 names, " Garde-robe." Sir John Hill says of Field Southern- 

 wood that " It wants but to be more common and more 

 known to be very highly valued." 



SOUTHERNWOOD TEA. Clip four ounces of the leaves fine 

 and beat them in a mortar with six ounces of loaf sugar 

 till the whole is like a paste. Three times a day take the 

 bignesse of a nutmeg of this. It is pleasant and one thing 

 in it is particular, it is a composer and always disposes persons 

 to sleep. Sir John Hill, The British Herbal, 1772. 



SPEEDWELL 



About two centuries ago " the opinion was so prevalent 

 that this plant cured gout that speedwell was in a manner 

 destroyed for many miles about London." But we moderns 

 seem to have lost our faith in the virtues of this lovely wild 

 herb, and only very old-fashioned cottagers make speedwell 

 tea nowadays. 



SPEEDWELL TEA. One pint of boiling water poured on to 

 one ounce of the plant. 



