Shakespeare on the Strawberry. 139 



residence in 1597 of Gerarde, author of the 

 Herbal, encourage a presumption that the 

 strawberry had in the Elizabethan period 

 attained some degree of development. 



There is this in regard to its early history 

 to be noted, that, while Shakespeare, in a 

 play published in 1597, makes a bishop 

 grow strawberries which live in the memory 

 of a king, his contemporary Bacon, in the 

 essay lately cited, only names a fruit which 

 flourished in shady places. Both writers 

 were describing alike what they had person- 

 ally seen and eaten. But, on the whole, there 

 is very slight likelihood that in the Elizabethan 

 time the strawberry was very much advanced 

 beyond the plant which still grows luxuriantly 

 in certain soils and aspects, and the long- 

 shaped fruit of which yields an edible seed- 

 vessel of small size but agreeable flavour. 

 In the West of England it occurs at the 

 present day of a larger size than usual, and 

 the elongated form of the vessel, which con- 

 stitutes the fruit, is very noticeable. 



The pottle in which strawberries used to 

 be sold within living recollection, and which 



