BASIL. 



BASIL (Ocymum Basilicutn). — Hatred. 



Poverty has been represented as a female form covered 

 with rags, seated near a Basil plant It is also a common 

 saying that Hatred has the eyes of a Basilisk, which, accord- 

 ing to several ancient and learned authors, was the King 

 of Serpents, wearing a royal crown upon its head, blighting 

 herbage with its breath, and killing by a glance of its eye. 

 Why Sweet Basil should be made the emblem of Hatred 

 it is difficult to say. The French word Basilic, corre- 

 sponding to our specific term Basilicum, is also applied to 

 the fabulous reptile spoken of above. There may be some 

 supposed resemblance to the fanciful pictures of the reptile 

 in the labiate flower, which may have suggested the em- 

 blematic use ; but the flower is not only not hurtful, but 

 a culinary aromatic used by our continental neighbours. 

 Moore, in Lalla Rookh, speajcs of — 



" The Basil tuft, that waves 

 Its fragrant blossom over graves ; " 



and tells us that it is con^nionly found in churchyards in 

 Persia, where it is called Rayhan ; perhaps some superstitious 

 passer-by at dim twilight, full of dread fear of hobgoblins 

 and shades of the departed, may have mistaken the flower 

 for the reptile, and thought that the glaring eyes of this 

 "monstrum horrendum" were threatening him with death 

 and destruction. 



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