100 WILD FLOWEKS. 



wort, orpine, white lilies, and such like, garnished 

 upon with garlands of beautiful flowers/' and with 

 lamps burning within all the night long ; which 

 reminds us of the present custom, in Switzerland, 

 of lighting fires on the summits of the mountains, 

 on St. John's day. The plant was formerly carried 

 about as an amulet by the Scottish Highlanders ; 

 and to some such feeling we may attribute the still- 

 prevailing Welsh custom, taught by mothers to their 

 children, of placing its leaves under the name of 

 "touch-leaf/' or "touching-leaf/' between the leaves 

 of their Bibles, or otherwise carrying them about ; 

 although, in some places, the original reason for so 

 doing is forgotten, and the habit is supposed to have 

 arisen from its pleasant scent, though it is certainly 

 not so agreeable as many more easily-found plants ; 

 and in the retired villages of the Pyrenees, where 

 lingers yet a vital remnant of the "old-world-spirit/ 7 

 garlands of the millepertuis are hung over the doors 

 on this enchanted night, and are even preserved 

 through the year, in order to secure the general 

 prosperity of the inmates, and to counteract the 

 effects of " storms, thunder, heretics, and other evil 

 spirits/' 



Other powers, too, were attributed to the St. 

 John's-wort, on this night; it was used in divina- 

 tions, more especially in such as are recorded in the 

 following lines ; 



" The young maid stole through the cottage door, 

 And blushed as she sought the plant of power. 

 ' Thou silver glow-worm, oh lend me thy light, 

 I must gather the mystic St. John's-wort to-night; 



