LETTER XLIX. 



L'HERBE AU CHANTBE — RACINE — BOILEAU — SORCERERS— PLINT — HOMER 

 — AND YELLOW GARLTC. 



Herb, now, is a plant whicli had. the honour of being the 

 object of a correspondence between Racine and Boileau. 

 Gardeners call it the yellow julienne; horticulturists, Velar 

 de Sainte Barhe; savants, erysimum harharea; old women, 

 herbe au chantre. 



It throws up, from a bunch of leaves shaped like a lyre, a 

 stalk surmounted by a thyrsus of yellow flowers. 



It was formerly believed, even as late as the time of 

 Louis XIV., that this herhe au chantre was, at least in one of 

 its varieties, a sovereign remedy in cases of extinction of the 

 voice. 



We find in the correspondence of Racine and Boileau two 

 letters, in which Racine recommends the syrup of erysimum 

 to Boileau, who is visiting the waters of Bourbonne in order 



