6 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



follows. As the most excellent apricot jam may be made 

 from carrots, and the Jerusalem artichoke, which is like a 

 potato, is by many regarded as in no way differing from 

 the globe artichoke, which is a fleshy flower of a kind 

 of thistle, we must not be in haste to blame people who 

 scrape the roots of monkshood and supply the scrapings to 

 be eaten with beef as horse-radish ; but we must indulge 

 th*e hope that knowledge will prevail, and speedily render 

 such a dangerous substitution impossible. 



It is somewhat singular that the older botanists are 

 apparently in a fog with this common and characteristic 

 plant. Mr. John Gerarde lumps it in with a lot of lark- 

 spurs, that are certainly related, but more or less far re- 

 moved. His " munkeshood " is a delphinium possessed of 

 several virtues, such as being good against the stings 

 of scorpions, and "so forcible that the herb only thrown 

 before the scorpion, or any other venomous beast, causeth 

 them to be without force or strength to hurt, insomuch 

 that they cannot mooue or stirre vntill the herbe be taken 

 away." (Edition 1597, page 924.) To Master Gerarde's 

 honour we are bound to quote further that in his opinion 

 we should hold in contempt this " with many other such 

 trifling toies not woorth the reading/' 



John Parkinson figures this plant fairly well, and 

 describes it with the most delightful minuteness at page 

 215 of his " Paradisus." He adds that the "fair blew 

 colour " of the flowers " causeth it to be nourished upon 

 gardens, that their flowers, as was usual in former times, 

 may be laid up among green herbes in windowes and 

 roomes for the summer time ; but although their beauty 

 may be entertained for the uses aforesaid, yet beware 

 they come not near your tongue or lips, lest they tell 



