144 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



stalk and browsing on the herbage round about it. 1 This records 

 one of the most curious myths of the Middle Ages. The creature was 

 also known as the Scythian Lamb and the Borametz or'Barometz, 

 a name derived from a Tartar word signifying " lamb." It was 

 supposed to be at once a true animal and a living plant, and was 

 said to grow in the territory of the " Tartars of the East," formerly 

 called Scythia. According to some writers, the lamb was the 

 fruit of a tree, whose fruit or seed-pod, when fully ripe, burst 

 open and disclosed a little lamb perfect in every way. This was 

 the subject of the illustration, " The Vegetable Lamb plant," 

 in Sir John Mandeville's book. Other writers described the lamb 

 as being supported above the ground by a stalk flexible enough 

 to allow the animal to feed on the herbage growing near. When 

 it had consumed all within its reach the stem withered and the 

 lamb died. This is the version illustrated on Parkinson's title- 

 page. It was further reported that the lamb was a favourite 

 food of wolves, but that no other carnivorous animals would 

 attack it. This remarkable legend obtained credence for at 

 least 400 years. So far as is known, the first mention of it in an 

 English book is the account given by Sir John Mandeville, " the 

 Knyght of Ingelond that was y bore in the toun of Seynt Albans, 

 and travelide aboute in the worlde in many diverse countries to 

 se mervailes and customes of countreis and diversiters of folkys 

 and diverse shap of men and of beistis." It is in the chapter 

 describing the curiosities he met with in the dominions of the 

 " Cham " of Tartary that the passage about the vegetable lamb 

 occurs. 2 The origin of this extraordinary myth is undoubtedly 



1 It also figures on the title-page of Parkinson's Theatrum Bolanicunt. 



2 " Now schalle I seye you semyingly of Countries and Yles that bea 

 beyonde the Countries that I have spoken of. Wherefore I seye you in pes- 

 synge be [by] the Lord of Cathaye toward the high Ynde and towards Bacharye, 

 men passen be a Kyngdom that men clepen Caldhille, that is a fair contree. 

 And there growethe a maner of Fruyt, as though it weren Gowrdes, and when 

 thei ben rype men kutten hem ato, and men fynden with inne a lytylle Best, 

 in Flesche, in Bon and Blode, as though it were a lytylle Lamb withouten 

 wolle. And men eten both the Frut and the Best, and that is a great Marveylle. 

 Of that Frute I have eaten, alle thoghe it were wonderfulle but that I knowe 

 wel that God is marveyllous in his Werkes." 



