74 A GARDEN OF HERBS 



A WATER TO CAUSE AN EXCELLENT COLOUR AND COM- 

 PLEXION. Drink six spoonfuls of the juice of Hyssop in 

 warm Ale in a Morning and fasting. From The Receipt Book 

 of John Nott, Cook to the Duke of Bolton, 1723. 



To MAKE SYRUP OF HYSOP FOR COLDS. Take an handful 

 of Hysop, of Figs, Raysins, Dates, of each an ounce, French 

 Barley one ounce, boyl therein three pintes of fair water 

 to a quart, strain it and clarifie it with two Whites of Eggs, 

 then put in two pound of fine Sugar and boyl it to a Syrup. 

 The Queen's Closet Opened, by W. M., Cook to Queen Henri- 

 etta Maria, 1655. 



LAVENDER 



" Here's your sweet lavender, 



Sixteen sprigs a penny, 

 Which you will find, my ladies, 

 Will smell as sweet as any." 



Old London Street Cry. 



" I judge that the flowers of Lavender quilted in a cap 

 and dayly worne are good for all diseases of the head that 

 come of a cold cause and that they comfort the braine 

 very well." William Turner, A Newe Herball, 1551. 



Lavender has always been grown in our English herb 

 gardens, and with the different kinds a garden of lavender 

 alone could be made. The white lavender, which is less 

 hardy than the purple, has a very delicate scent, and it 

 was evidently a favourite with Queen Henrietta Maria, for 

 in the Survey of the Garden at Wimbledon, which belonged 

 to her, there were " very great and large borders of Rosemary, 

 Rue, white Lavender and great variety of excellent herbs 

 and some choice flowers which borders, herbs, flowers . . . 

 we value to be worth 3." Gerard calls French lavender 

 Sticadove. This is L. Stcechas, which formerly grew in such 

 abundance on the islands near Hyeres that they were named 

 after the plant, the Stoechades. The Spaniards now make 

 lavender oil from this L. St&chas by putting it in a bottle 

 of olive oil and leaving the bottle tightly closed in the sun. 

 Parkinson says that " lavender in Spain grows so abundantly 



