2,6 The Earlier English Herbals [ch. 



in earlier times, when most remedies were manufactured at 

 home in the stillroom. The expression of Jaques in 'As 

 You Like It' — "a melancholy of mine own, compounded 

 of many simples, extracted from many objects " — would not 

 have seemed in the least far-fetched to an audience of that 

 day. It is interesting that, although the word "simple," 

 used in this sense, has vanished from our common speech, 

 its antithesis "compound" has held its place in the language 

 of pharmacy. 



The southern source of the Herbal of Apuleius is 

 suggested by the fact that the origin of the healing art is 

 attributed to ^sculapius and Chiron. We are told, also, 

 that the Wormwoods were discovered by Diana, who 

 "delivered their powers and leechdom to Chiron, the 

 centaur, who first from these worts set forth a leechdom." 

 The Lily-of-the-Valley, on the other hand, is said to have 

 been found by Apollo and given by him "to <^Esculapius, 

 the leech." 



Many of the accounts of the virtues of the plants are of 

 the nature of spells or charms rather than of medical recipes. 

 For instance it is recommended that " if any propose a 

 journey, then let him take to him in hand this wort artemisia, 



then he will not feel much toil in his journey." As is 



usually the case in the older herbals, the proper mode of 

 uprooting the Mandrake is described with much gusto. 



"This wort is mickle and illustrious of aspect, and it 



is beneficial. Thou shalt in this manner take it, when thou 

 comest to it, then thou understandest it by this, that it 

 shineth at night altogether like a lamp. [[When first thou 

 seest its head, then inscribe thou it instantly with iron, lest 

 it fly from thee ; its virtue is so mickle and so famous, that 

 it will immediately flee from an unclean man, when he 

 cometh to it ; hence as we before said, do thou inscribe it 

 with iron, and so shalt thou delve about it, as that thou 

 touch it not with the iron, but thou shalt earnestly with an 

 ivory staff delve the earth. And when thou seest its hands 

 and its feet, then tie thou it up. Then take the other end 

 and tie it to a dog's neck, so that the hound be hungry ; 

 next cast meat before him, so that he may not reach it, 

 except he jerk up the wort with him. Of this wort it is 

 said, that it hath so mickle might, that what thing soever 



