242 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



SAVORY (Satureia). This herb is mentioned by 

 Perdita. It was a great favorite in the old herb- 

 garden and was probably introduced into England 

 by the Romans. It is mentioned in Anglo-Saxon 

 recipes as "savorie." Both the winter and summer 

 savory were used as seasoning for dressing and 

 sauces. "The Winter Savory is used as a condiment 

 and sauce to meat, to put into puddings, sausages 

 and such-like kinds of meat." So says an old writer, 

 who continues: "Some do use the powder of the 

 herb dried to mix with grated bread to bread their 

 meat, be it fish or flesh, to give it the quicker relish." 



Parkinson writes : 



"The Winter Savory (Satureia sive Thymbra) is 

 a small, low, bushy herb, very like unto hyssop, but 

 not above a foot high, with divers small, hard 

 branches and hard, dark, green leaves thereon, 

 thicker set together than the former by so much, and 

 as thick as common Hyssop, sometimes with four 

 leaves, or more, at a joint, of a reasonable strong 

 scent, yet not so strong or quick as the former. 

 The flowers are of a pale purplish color, set at sev- 

 eral distances at the tops of the stalks with leaves 

 at the joints also with them, like the former. The 

 root is woody with divers small strings thereat, and 

 abideth all the winter with his green leaves. It is 



