270 EASTERTIDE, SHAMROCKS, SPERMACETI 



clover-head. It is true that this plant has now been 

 vulgarly substituted for St. Patrick's shamrock. The 

 shamrock is not really the common clover nor any variety 

 of it. The common Dutch clover and its varieties were 

 introduced into Ireland two hundred years ago from 

 England and are not Irish at all ! The true shamrock is 

 the delicate liitle wood-sorrel, Oxalis acetosella, which 

 has a beautifully formed three-split or trefoil leaf of the 

 most vivid green colour, and a white flower like that of a 

 geranium. It is called " fairy-bell " by the Welsh, and 

 was believed to ring chimes for the elfin folk. It was 

 also greatly esteemed for its acid flavour and for various 

 reputed medicinal and magical properties by the Druids 

 and among the early inhabitants of Great Britain and 

 Ireland. Pliny says it never shelters a snake, and is an 

 antidote to the poison of serpents and scorpions a good 

 reason for its association with St. Patrick ! It had already 

 a reputation and sanctity when, if tradition be true, St. 

 Patrick used its threefold leaf to symbolise the doctrine 

 of the Trinity. 



It is much rarer to find the wood-sorrel trefoil with a 

 fourth leaflet than it is to find the clover trefoil so provided. 

 The two plants belong to families widely separated from 

 one another. The ancient architectural decoration of 

 trefoil carving, and also the heraldic shamrock in the 

 arms of the United Kingdom, represent the leaf of the 

 wood-sorrel, and not that of the clover. No doubt there 

 has been some sentimental intention in putting forward 

 the humble, abundant, down-trodden dwarf-clover, the 

 very sod itself of Ireland (really introduced from England) 

 as " the shamrock ! " But, as often happens in such cases, 

 truth and the ancient and honourable tradition of a beau- 

 tiful thing have been wantonly disregarded in order to do 

 business in cheap sentiment. Traders are always ready 

 to take advantage of an ignorant public. Common sprats 



