652 INSANE ROOT OF SHAKESPEARE. [December, 



vided with the sinews of war, to pay another and a longer visit 

 to New Brighton. « 



INSANE EOOT OF SHAKESPEAEE. 



" Hast thou eaten of the insane root 

 That takes the reason prisoner ?" 



If the potato be nnmentioned in Shakespeare^s Plays, the 

 whole modern genus Solanum may be dismissed as not compre- 

 hending the " insane root/' Solanum Melongena, the Egg- 

 plant. S. insanum, Mad-apple ; S. Lycopersicum, Love-apple, are 

 all inadmissible. 



The plant, whatever be its genus, is probably in the Order 

 Solanaceae, the general properties of which are narcotic and 

 poisonous. Lois. Deslongchamps says, " Plusieurs passent pour 

 etre narcotiques, eni\Tantes, stupefi antes, et la plupart sont re- 

 gardees comme veneneuses.^' Fuchsius calls one of them Mala 

 insana, but this plant was not known to cultivators till the very 

 end of the sixteenth century, and not likely to have been known 

 to the great dramatist ; and if it had, it would not have answered 

 his purpose, because it was not generally known. We are com- 

 pelled to fall back upon the Deadly Nightshade, w^hich was un- 

 doubtedly well known in Shakespeare's time. It is described 

 by the ancient herbalists as being narcotic and exciting : " lis 

 font devenir furieux ceux qui les ont pris (cinq ou six grains) et 

 quelquefois les font dormir jusqu'a mourir." 



This plant had the credit of causing Sweno's army to sleep 

 their last sleep. The Scots are reported, fabulously indeed, to 

 have mingled the juice of this herb, which they called Muckel- 

 wort, into the wine, ale, and pottage which they sent to the 

 Danes. Although there be no truth whatever in this relation, 

 it is quite true that both Hector Boece, and his follower Bucha- 

 nan, and the paraphrasts Bellenden and Stewart, have accu- 

 rately enough described this plant. It was known to them, or 

 to some of them, at least, either by sight or by description. It 

 was popular enough to serve Shakespeare's purpose. His know- 

 ledge of plants was not very extensive. The best herbalists did 

 not know many. Barely a hundred herbaceous plants could be 

 known in Scotland. If the plant called " insane root " is not 

 Atropa Belladonna, what is it ? 



