CHAPTER XII 



FERNS 



THERE is a fascination about ferns that few people 

 can resist; nevertheless, time was when they had 

 an evil reputation. Once they had been sur- 

 rounded by dark shadows of mystery strange 

 plants, it was said, that flourished and increased yet 

 bore neither flower nor seed visible to mortal eyes, 

 except, indeed, it were sought by mystic rite and 

 spell at midnight on the eve of Midsummer, alone 

 and unaccompanied, with intent that the finder 

 might walk invisible at will a silly conceit that 

 was already ridiculed in Shakespeare's time, 

 though it had not been so very long before exposed. 

 It was an adventurous German, one Hieronymus 

 Bock of Hornbach, a physician of souls as well 

 as of bodies, who first boldly essayed to explode 

 the old superstition. At the period in which he 

 lived the dread of hidden spirits of darkness was 

 still so dominant that to accomplish his purpose 

 the good man probably had to take his courage in 

 both hands. In a " Herball " published in 1539 he 

 tells the story. It is to be found in that illumin- 

 ating book, Kerner's " History of Plants, " where 

 it is repeated thus: "All our teachers write that 

 the fern bears neither flower nor seed ; neverthe- 



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