38 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



is "held of most" to conduce to health. "It healeth 

 the pricking of the fishe called in Latine pastinaca marina, 

 whych is like unto a flath, with venomous prickes, about 

 his tayle. It maketh hayre blacke ; it is good for 

 woundis." ^ The " Grete Herball " contains a remedy for 

 Lethargy or Forgetfulness, which consists of making a 

 decoction "of tutsan, of smalage and of sauge," and 

 bathing the back of the head with it. 



Pepys notes that in a little churchyard between 

 Gosport and Southampton the custom prevailed of 

 sowing the graves with sage. This is rather curious, 

 as it has never been one of the plants specially connected 

 with death. 



Evelyn sums up its "Noble Properties" thus: "In 

 short 'tis a Plant endu'd with so many and wonderful 

 Properties, as that the assiduous use of it is said to 

 render Men Immortal. We cannot therefore but allow 

 the tender Summities of the young Leaves, but princi- 

 pally the Flowers in our Sallet ; yet so as not to 

 domineer. . . . 'Tis credibly affirmed, that the Dutch 

 for some time drove a very lucrative Trade with the 

 dry'd Leves of what is called Sage of Vertue and Guernsey 

 Sage. . . . Both the Chineses and Japaneses are great 

 admirers of that sort of Sage, and so far prefer it to 

 their own Tea . . . that for what Sage they purchase of 

 the Dutch, they give triple the quantity of the choicest 

 Tea in exchange." 



" Frytures" (fritters) of Sage are described as having 

 place at banquets in the Middle Ages (Russell's " Boke 

 of Nurture"). Besides these other uses the seeds of sage 

 like parsley seeds were used to flavour cheese. Gay 

 refers to this : — 



Marbled with Sage, 

 The hardening cheese she pressed, 



and to "Sage cheese," too, and Timbs says, "The 



1 Turner. 



