^4 ? HE OLIVE LEAF. CHAP. 



deep azure colour of the sky above. It is an in- 

 teresting example of the ancient doctrine of plant 

 signatures, according to which the pious ideas of our 

 forefathers were recorded in the popular names of 

 flowers. The cowslip, for instance, was dedicated to 

 St. Peter, and used to be called Herb Peter, from 

 the resemblance of its hanging tuft of blossoms to a 

 bunch of keys ; the common pansy was called Herb 

 Trinity, on account of its having three colours on one 

 flower; and the Hypericum or St. John's wort, which 

 was gathered to scare away demons on St. John's Eve, 

 derived its name, being made up of uper, over, and 

 icon, an image, from the halo of golden stamens which 

 surrounds the petals, like the nimbus of glory around 

 the sacred icon or image of our Lord. 



With the Latin name of the speedwell a beautiful 

 legend is connected. We can trace the gradual growth 

 of it, according to the usual laws which regulate the 

 development of a myth, from the well-known fable of 

 the message of Abgarus, King of Edessa, to Christ. 

 This prince, worn out by a dreadful disease, and hear- 

 ing of the wonderful miracles which Jesus did, sent a 

 special messenger, entreating Him to come and cure 

 him. Various accounts are given of the way in which 

 Jesus dealt with this messenger. One states that He 

 sent an autograph letter; another adds that with the 

 letter was forwarded a miraculous portrait of Himself, 

 taken by simply pressing a part of His mantle or a 

 piece of linen to His face, which ever afterwards 

 retained the sacred lineaments. A third account says 



