CHAPTER IX 

 OF THE PICKING AND DRYING OF HERBS 



" Aristotell the prince of philosophers sayeth in maneye 

 places, that everye science is of the kynde of good thynges. 

 But notwithstanding the operation sometyme is good, 

 sometyme evell, as the science is chaunged to a good or to 

 an evell ende, to which it worketh." The boke of the secrets 

 ofAlbertus Magnus of the vertues of herbes, stones and certaine 

 beastes, 1569. 



ALL the northern nations had runes or charms for the 

 picking of herbs, but unfortunately most of these have been 

 lost, for as nearly all the manuscripts were written by monks 

 they omitted the old pagan charms. There are traces of 

 Scandinavian mythology to be found in the oldest herbals, 

 but of the runes nothing remains, with the rare exception 

 of perhaps the name of an idol, such as Leleloth, given after 

 the names of the four Apostles. In the Penitential of 

 Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the oldest 

 books of penalties for offences against the laws of the Church, 

 there are given the penalties to be imposed on those who 

 practised the old heathen rites connected with plants and 

 trees, and when the monks transcribed herbals they sub- 

 stituted Christian prayers for the old charms. Some of 

 these prayers are very beautiful, and the following dates 

 back to at least the fourteenth century, and is probably 

 much older 



" Haile be thou holie hearbe 



Growing on the ground 



All in the mount of Calvarie 



First wert thou found. 



Thou art good for manie a sore 



And healest manie a wound 



In the name of sweete Jesus 



I take thee from the ground." 

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