io8 A GARDEN OF HERBS 



white originally, but that ever since the Virgin Mary threw 

 her robe over them they have preserved the memory of her 

 having thus honoured them by turning the colour she wore. 

 According to another tradition rosemary was one of the 

 bushes near which she sheltered during the flight into Egypt, 

 and the Spanish name of the plant romero (the pilgrim's flower) 

 preserves this legend. Throughout Spain it is valued for 

 its supposed power against magic, and Borrow in the Bible 

 in Spain described an incident showing the widespread belief 

 of the Spanish peasants in its protective power against the 

 evil eye. It would be possible to fill a book with all the 

 old herbalists have to say about rosemary, but I give only 

 what one enthusiastic lover of this beautiful herb tells us of 

 how it should be used. 



" Take the flowers thereof and boyle them in fayre water 

 and drinke that water for it is much worthe against all 

 manner of evils in the body. 



" Take the flowers thereof and make powder thereof and 

 binde it to thy right arme in a linnen cloath and it shale 

 make thee lighte and merrie, 



" Take the flowers and put them in thy chest among thy 

 clothes or among thy Bookes and Mothes shall not destroy 

 them. 



" Boyle the leaves in white wine and washe thy face 

 therewith and thy browes and thou shalt have a faire face. 



" Also put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be 

 delivered of all evill dreames. 



" Take the leaves and put them into wine and it shall 

 keepe the Wine from all sourness and evill savours and if 

 thou wilt sell thy wine thou shalt have goode speede. 



" Also if thou be feeble boyle the leaves in cleane water 

 and washe thyself and thou shalt wax shiny. 



" Also if thou have lost appetite of eating boyle well 

 these leaves in cleane water and when the water is colde 

 put thereunto as much of white wine and then makes sops, 

 eat them thereof wel and thou shalt restore thy appetite 

 againe. 



" If thy legges be blowen with gowte boyle the leaves 



