ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IX. vm. 7-8 



It is also said that, while cutting feverwort l one 

 must beware of the buzzard-hawk, if one wishes to 

 come off unhurt ; and other reasons for caution - 

 are also given. That one should be bidden to pray 

 while cutting is not perhaps unreasonable, but the 

 additions made to this injunction are absurd ; for 

 instance as to cutting the kind of all-heal which is 

 called that of Asklepios ; 3 for then it is said that one 

 should put in the ground in its place an offering 

 made of all kinds of fruits and a cake ; and that, when 

 one is cutting gladwyn, 4 one should put in its place 

 to pay for it cakes of meal from spring-sown wheat, 5 

 and that one should cut it with a two-edged sword, 

 first making a circle round it three times, 6 and that 

 the piece first cut must be held up in the air while 

 the rest is being cut. 



And many similar notions are mentioned. Thus 

 it is said that one should draw three circles 

 round mandrake with a sword, and cut it with 

 one's face towards the west ; and at the cutting 

 of the second piece one should dance round the 

 plant and say as many things as possible about the 

 mysteries of love. (This seems to be like the 

 direction given about cummin, 7 that one should utter 

 curses at the time of sowing.) One should also, it is 

 said, draw a circle round the black hellebore and 

 cut it standing towards the east and saying prayers, 

 and one should look out for an eagle both on the 

 right and on the left ; for that there is danger to 

 those that cut, if your eagle should come near, that 



4 cf. Plin. 21. 42, who read Ipiv. cf. Diosc. 4. 22, where vpis 

 is called a kind of Jpis ; so also Plin. 21. 142. 



5 rpi/j.Tjvov conj. Salm. ; rpi^vovs M*Ald.H. 



6 Tp\s conj. Sell, ; rpetj U*M*P 2 Ald. So also in next section. 



7 cf. 7. 3. 3. 



259 



8 2 



