A BLACKBERRY LEGEND 125 



astringent or binding, and so is the unripe fruite. The ripe fruto 

 is somewhat warme and astringent, but not so much as the unryp' 

 fruite." Then are given a long list of " vertues," among which 

 are the following: "They do also fasten the teeth, when the 

 mouth is washed with the juyce or decoction thereof. The unripe 

 fruite is good for the same purpose, to be used after the same 

 manner." " The leaves be stamped & with good effect are applyed 

 to the region or place of the stomacke against the trembling of 

 the hart, the payne & looseness or ache of the stomacke." It is to 

 be feared that Pliny and others of these old writers do not rank 

 high as medical authorities at the present day, yet the plant and 

 fruit of the blackberry are still employed in various ways, with 

 very gratifying results, in the treatment of disease. According to 

 legend, the origin of the disagreeably thorny character of the 

 blackberry, as told by Waterton, was on this fashion: "The Cor- 

 morant was once a wool merchant. He entered into partnership 

 with the Bramble and the Bat, and they freighted a large ship 

 with wool ; she was wrecked and the firm became bankrupt. 

 Since that disaster the Bat skulks about till midnight to avoid his 

 creditors, the Cormorant is forever diving into the deep to dis- 

 cover its foundered vessel, while the Bramble seizes hold of every 

 passing sheep to make up its loss by stealing the wool." 



Perhaps it would be casting discredit on the worthy ancestors 

 who braved so many dangers in the settlement of our country, to 

 charge them with undue conservatism, yet it can hardly be 

 doubted that men who would brave the uncertainties, not to say 

 terrors, of an ocean voyage on an almost unknown sea, and the 

 settlement of a new country peopled with savages of unknown 

 traits and tendencies, rather than surrender ideas which they 

 cherished, would not be quick to form new ones. Hence we can 

 readily conclude that the blackberry of America was to them 

 much what the blackberry of England had been simply a wild 

 bramble, to be destroyed when possible and replaced by some- 

 thing better, and whose fruit was to be gathered at will. More- 

 over, to cultivate a fruit which was so readily obtained in abun- 

 dance for the gathering- 'would have been folly to them, when 

 many other things conducive to their safety and comfort were so 



