140 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



and having opened them, poured wine into 

 them, and so kept himself alive with the 

 odour of them until the feast was past. 



Rosemary was in great esteem among the 

 Roman physicians, as well as the Arabians, 

 who used it to restore speech to those who 

 had become dumb by the palsy. 



Tragus informs us, that the Germans an- 

 ciently used it as spice, and it was a practice 

 in many countries to put it into wardrobes, 

 both on account of its smell, and as a pre- 

 servative against moths and other vermin, 

 whence it was often styled Guardrobe. 



Rosemary has a warm, pungent, and aro- 

 matic bitter taste ; the perfume approaches 

 nearly to that of lavender, but rather inclining 

 to a camphorated smell. The leaves and 

 tender tops are the strongest ; the flowers 

 by themselves are much weaker, but more 

 agreeable. It is in the cup that the active 

 qualities of the flowers reside ; for, on separat- 

 ing the petals carefully, they will be found to 

 possess but little either of smell or taste. 



The sprigs of this plant were formerly 

 stuck into beef whilst roasting, and they are 

 said to have communicated to it an excellent 

 relish. The leaves were also boiled in milk 

 pottage, to give it an aromatic flavour; and 



