86 OUR ROCK-GARDEN 



reminds us that amongst our ancestors the gather- 

 ing of the May-dew was another reward for early 

 rising, as it was supposed to be of special virtue. 

 A quite other chronicler, the gossiping Pepys, tells 

 us in his Diary, under the date May n, 1669: 

 "Troubled about three in the morning with my wife's 

 calling her maid up and rising herself to go with 

 her coach abroad to gather May-dew, which she did, 

 and I troubled for it, for fear of any hurt, going 

 abroad so betimes, happening to her, but I to sleep 

 again, and she home about six." The journey was so 

 far a success that a fortnight afterwards we find 

 Mrs. Pepys "away down to Woolwich in order 

 to little ayre, and to lie there to-night, and so 

 gather May-dew to-morrow morning, which Mrs. 

 Turner hath taught her is the only thing in the 

 world to wash her face with, and I am contented 

 with it." It was held that special virtues attached 

 to that gathered from particular plants ; thus, for 

 example, Sir Hugh Platt r tells us that the dew 

 that was collected from fennel or celandine was 

 specially good for brightening the eyes. 



The ox-eye is another plant that we gladly 

 cultivate. It is, as most of our readers know, 



1 " Delights for Ladies, to adorn their Persons, Tables, 

 Closets, and Distillatories ; with Beauties, banquets, per- 

 fumes, and Waters." The book was "dedicated to all 

 true lovers of Arte and Knowledge," and was published in 

 1602. 



