LAVENDER 117 



many places in Britain, as well as throughout 

 Europe, Northern and Western Asia. Apart from 

 its infusion in water or wine as an agreeable 

 flavouring, the housewife may place it in the linen 

 chest, like lavender, as a perfume, and also, kept 

 amongst clothes, as a preservative from the ravages 

 of insects. 



Though the lavender has absolutely no claim to 

 a place in our British Flora, being really a plant of 

 Southern Europe, we are not so brain-bound as to 

 exclude it from our rock-garden. It seems to have 

 first found its way into our herb-gardens about the 

 year 1568, and was originally held in high esteem, 

 not only from its fragrance, but from its healing 

 virtues. 1 It will be recalled that in Shenstone's 

 admirable description of the rural home in the herb 

 plot 



" Where no vain flower disclosed a gaudy streak, 

 But herbs for use, and physic, not a few, 

 Of gray renown, within those borders grew " 



1 " It is hot and dry, of thin substance, consisting of many 

 airy and spirituall parts, so helps cold diseases of the head. 

 The flowers picked from the knob, mixed with cinnamon, 

 nutmegs and cloves powdered and drunk in the distilled water 

 thereof helpeth panting and passions of the heart. The 

 compound spirit clears the sight of aged phlematick or 

 sanguine persons, good against dulness of wit and want of 

 memory from a cold and moist distemper. It heals con- 

 vulsions in children, being well allayed with waters of cow- 

 slips, black cherries, and lilly convally ; with rue water it is 

 thought to heal children bewitcht." LOVELL, 1665. 



