142 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES^ 



RUE.-RUTA. 



Natural order, Multisiliquce. A genus of the 

 Decandria Monogynia class. 



" O'er deeds of woe, as tortured memory sigh'd, 

 Here 's rue for thee, the poor Ophelia cried/' 



Rowden. 



The English name of this plant seems to 

 have been derived from the French, Rue, 

 with which it agrees more nearly in pronun- 

 ciation than with the Latin word Ruta. In 

 Queen Elizabeth's time it was called Rue, or 

 Herbe-grace.* 



Miller says, it was called Herb of grace, 

 because holy- water was sprinkled with it. 



Our immortal bard gives it the same ap- 

 pellation, and introduces it as emblematic of 

 sorrow : 



" Here did she drop a tear ; here, in this place, 

 T '11 set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace ; 

 Rue even for ruth, here shortly shall be seen, 

 In the remembrance of a weeping queen." 



Richard II. 

 * Gerard. 



