The Herb Garden 123 



Basil; for in Italy Basil is ever a plant of love, not 

 of jealousy or crime. One of its common names 

 is Bacia, Nicola Kiss me, Nicholas. Peasant girls 

 always place Basil in their hair when they go to 

 meet their sweethearts, and an offered sprig of Basil 

 is a love declaration. It is believed that Boccaccio 

 obtained this tale from some tradition of ancient 

 Greece, where Basil is a symbol of hatred and de- 

 spair. The figure of poverty was there associated 

 with a Basil plant as with rags. It had to be sown 

 with abuse, with cursing and railing, else it would 

 not flourish. In India its sanctity is above all 

 other herbs. A pious Indian has at death a leaf of 

 Basil placed in his bosom as his reward. The house 

 surrounded by Basil is blessed, and all who cherish 

 the plant are sure of heaven. 



Mithridate was a favorite medicine of our Puritan 

 ancestors ; there were various elaborate compound 

 rules for its manufacture, in which Rue always took 

 a part. It was simple enough in the beginning, 

 when King Mithridates invented it as an antidote 

 against poison: twenty leaves of Rue pounded with 

 two Figs, two dried Walnuts and a grain of salt ; 

 which receipt may be taken cum grano salts. Rue 

 also entered into the composition of the famous 

 " Vinegar of the Four Thieves." These four ras- 

 cals, at the time of the Plague in Marseilles, invented 

 this vinegar, and, protected by its power, entered 

 infected houses and carried away property without 

 taking the disease. Rue had innumerable virtues. 

 Pliny says eighty-four remedies were made of it. 

 It was of special use in case of venomous bites, 



