206 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



Samphire seems to have gone nearly out 

 of use ahout the middle of the 17th century; 

 as we learn from Dr. Culpepper's Astrologi- 

 cal Herbal, which says, " It is an herb of 

 Jupiter, and was in former times wont to be 

 used more than now it is ; the more is the 

 pity. It is well known almost to every body ? 

 that ill digestions, and obstructions, are the 

 cause of most of the diseases which the frail 

 nature of man is subject to ; both which might 

 be remedied by a more frequent use of this 

 herb." 



Coles says, " Of all the sauces (which are 

 very many), there is none so pleasant, none so 

 familiar and agreeable to man's body, as sam- 

 phire, for the digestions of meats, &c. &c." 



The introduction of so great a variety of 

 salad herbs has nearly driven samphire from 

 our board, although it was so highly com- 

 mended by Hippocrates. 



Pliny says*, " Samphire is one of the wild 

 worts that is usually eaten in salads, and is 

 the very herb that the good country-wife 

 Hecale set upon her board, in a meal that 

 she prepared for Theseus, as he was going 



* Book xxvi. chap. 8. 



