10 INTRODUCTION. 



Greeks, " Many worts and pot-herbs in 

 byria. 



The Greeks had physic-gardens in the 

 time of Theophrastus ; and Pliny often men- 

 tions the medicinal herb-gardens of the Ro- 

 mans. 



We meet with no English work on plants 

 prior to the sixteenth- century. In 1552, 

 all books on geography and astronomy in 

 England were ordered to be destroyed, as 

 being, it was supposed, infected with magic. 

 It is very probable, that works on the virtues 

 of herbs underwent the same fate ; as witch- 

 craft was thought to be assisted by various 

 plants. The Babylonians had their magical 

 observations in gathering certain herbs; and 

 the Latin poets inform us, how superstitious 

 the Romans were on this head. 



" These poisonous plants, for magic use design'd, 

 (The noblest and the best of all the baneful kind) 

 Old Mceris brought me from the Pontic strand, 

 And cull'd the mischief of a bounteous land. 

 Smear'd with these powerful juices, on the plain 

 He howls a wolf among the hungry train : 

 And oft the mighty necromancer boasts, 

 With these, to call from tombs the stalking ghost, 

 And from the roots to tear the standing corn, 

 Which, whirl'd aloft, to distant fields is borne : 



Such is the strength of spells/' 



Virgil. 



