230 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



"It is reported that if a man be anointed with the 

 juice of rue, the bi tings of serpents, scorpions, wasps, 

 etc., will not hurt him. When the weasel is to fight 

 with the serpent, she armeth herself by eating rue 

 against the might of the serpent." 



Another quaint idea was that rue throve best if a 

 clipping from the plant was stolen from a neighbor's 

 garden. Like rosemary, rue was considered by the 

 astrologers as an herb of the sun and was placed 

 under the sign of Leo. 



Rue was also called the herb of grace and the 

 "serving man's joy." Shakespeare frequently refers 

 to the herb o' grace: once in connection with salad 

 in "All 's Well That Ends Well." l 



Ophelia has rue among her flowers when she dis- 

 tributes appropriate blossoms to the courtiers. She 

 says: 



There 's rue for you ; and some for me ; 

 We may call it herb of grace o' Sundays. 

 Oh, you must wear your rue with a difference. 



Again we find rue in the Duke of York's garden 

 in "King Richard II." After the sad queen and 

 her ladies have departed, bewailing the news of the 

 king's deposition, the gardener, looking after them, 

 exclaims: 



1 See p. 237. 



