"HERBS OF GRACE" 227 



"The common Rosemary (Libanotis Coronaria 

 sive Rosmarinum vulgare) is so well known," says 

 Parkinson, "through all our land, being in every 

 woman's garden, that it were sufficient to name it as 

 an ornament among other sweet herbs and flowers 

 in our gardens, seeing every one can describe it ; but 

 that I may say something of it, it is well observed, 

 as well in this our Land (where it hath been planted 

 in Noblemen's and great men's gardens against brick 

 walls) as beyond the Seas in the natural places 

 where it groweth, that it riseth up unto a very great 

 height, with a great and woody stem of that compass 

 that, being cloven out into thin boards, it hath served 

 to make lutes, or such-like instruments, and here 

 with carpenter's rules and to divers other purposes, 

 branching out into divers and sundry arms that ex- 

 tend a great way and from them again into many 

 other smaller branches whereon are set at several 

 distances at the joints, many very narrow long 

 leaves, green above and whitish underneath, among 

 which come forth toward the tops of the stalks, 

 divers sweet gaping flowers, of a pale or bleak bluish 

 color, many set together, standing in whitish husks. 

 The whole plant as well, leaves as flowers, smelleth 

 exceeding sweet. 



"Rosemary is called by the ancient writers 



