112 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



day : out of the tree issueth the rosin called Thus, in English 

 Frankincense/' In these days of exaggerated phraseology one 

 is the more appreciative of that word " overturned." Gerard 

 mentions the famous white Thorn at Glastonbury, but he is 

 very cautious in his account of it. ' The white thorn at 

 Glastonbury ... which bringeth forth his floures about 

 Christmas by the report of divers of good credit, who have seen 

 the same; but myself e have not seen it and therefore leave it 

 to be better examined." 



Another attractive feature of this Herbal is the preservation 

 in its pages of many old English names of plants. One species 

 of cudweed was called " Live-for-ever." " When the flower 

 hath long flourished and is waxen old, then comes there in the 

 middest of the floure a certain brown yellow thrumme, such as 

 is in the middest of the daisie, which floure being gathered 

 when it is young may be kept in such manner (I meane 

 in such freshnesse and well-liking) by the space of a whole 

 year after in your chest or elsewhere; wherefore our English 

 women have called it ' Live-long,' or ' Live-for-ever,' which 

 name doth aptly answer his effects." Another variety of cud- 

 weed was called " Herbe impious " or " wicked cudweed," 

 a variety " like unto the small cudweed, but much larger and 

 for the most part those floures which appeare first are the lowest 

 and basest and they are overtopt by other floures, which come 

 on younger branches, and grow higher as children seeking to 

 overgrow or overtop their parents (as many wicked children 

 do), for which cause it hath been called ' Herbe impious.' ' 

 Of the herb commonly known as bird's-eye he tells us : "In 

 the middle of every small floure appeareth a little yellow spot, 

 resembling the eye of a bird, which hath moved the people of 

 the north parts (where it aboundeth) to call it Birds eyne." 

 " The fruitful or much-bearing marigold," he writes, " is like- 

 wise called Jackanapes-on-horsebacke : it hath leaves, stalkes 

 and roots like the common sort of marigold, differing in the shape 

 of his floures ; for this plant doth bring forth at the top of the 



