52 The Poets and Nature. 



of it, and found snakes as common amongst it as in the 

 highly-aromatic sage-brush of Western America. It is worth 

 noting, though, how, in a way analogous to the " doctrine 

 of signatures," the strong-smelling, aromatic snakes are 

 popularly connected with the most odorous herbs lavender, 

 walnut, fennel, rue, and "old-man." Nor will snakes, tradition 

 says, come under the juniper or the ash-tree. So Cowley 

 has 



11 But that which gave more wonder than the rest, 

 Within an ash a serpent built her nest 

 And laid her eggs : where erst to come beneath 

 The very shadow of the ash were death." 



" The leaves of this tree," saith an old herbalist, "are of so 

 great virtue against serpents that they dare not so much as 

 touch the morning and evening shadowes of the tree, but 

 shun them afar off, as Pliny reports. He also affirraeth that 

 the serpent being hemmed in with boughes laid round about, 

 will sooner run into the fire, if any be there, than come neare 

 the boughes of the ash ; and that the ash flowereth befor 

 the serpents appear, and doth not cast its leaves befor 

 they be gon again. ' We write (saith he) upon experience, 

 that if the serpent be set within a circle of fire and the 

 branches, the serpent will sooner run into the fire than into 

 the boughes. It is a wonderfull courtesie in nature, that 

 the ash should flower befor the serpents appear, and not 

 cast her leaves befor they be gon again.' " 



If they have to be driven away, nothing is more efficacious 

 than the strewing of leaves of star-wort on the ground, or, 

 " which doth astonish them," sprigs of that virtuous herb 

 dittany. Should any one be bitten by snakes, tradition 

 assures a complete antidote in the adder's-tongue fern : 



" For them that are with newts, or snakes, or adders stung 

 He seeketh out an herb that is called adder's tongue ; 

 As Nature it ordained its own like hurt to cure, 

 And sportive did herself to niceties insure." 



