MANUSCRIPT AND PRINTED HERBALS 43 



of Hertford. On folio 55 of the MS. of this translation is the 

 inscription, " God gracious of grauntis havythe yyeue and 

 ygrauted vertuys in woodys stonys and herbes of the whiche 

 erbis Macer the philosofure made a boke in Latyne the whiche 

 boke Johannes Lelamoure scolemaistre of Herforde est, they 

 he unworthy was in the yere of oure Lorde a. m. ccc. Ixxiij 

 tournyd in to Ynglis." Macer' s herbal is also the basis of a 

 treatise in rhyme of which there are several copies in England 

 and one in the Royal Library at Stockholm. This treatise, 

 which deals with twenty-four herbs, begins thus quaintly — 



" Of erbs xxiiij I woll you tell by and by 

 Als I fond wryten in a boke at I in boroyng toke 

 Of a gret ladys preste of gret name she barest." 



The poem begins with a description of betony, powerful against 

 " wykked sperytis," and then treats, amongst other herbs, of 

 the virtues of centaury, marigold, celandine, pimpernel, mother- 

 wort, vervain, periwinkle, rose, lily, henbane, agrimony, sage, 

 rue, fennel and violet. It is pleasant to find the belief that only 

 to look on marigolds will draw evil humours out of the head and 

 strengthen the eyesight. 



" Golde [marigold] is bitter in savour 

 Fayr and 3elw [yellow] is his flowur 

 Ye golde flour is good to sene 

 It makyth ye syth bryth and clene 

 Wyscely to lokyn on his flowris 

 Drawyth owt of ye heed wikked hirores [humours]. 



Loke wyscely on golde erly at morwe [morning] 

 Yat day fro feueres it schall ye borwe : 

 Ye odour of ye golde is good to smelle." 



The instructions for the picking of this joyous flower are given 

 at length. It must be taken only when the moon is in the sign 

 of the Virgin, and not when Jupiter is in the ascendant, for 

 then the herb loses its virtue. And the gatherer, who must be 

 out of deadly sin, must say three Pater Nosters and three Aves. 

 Amongst its many virtues we find that it gives the wearer a 



