HERBS USED IN THE PRESENT TIME 41 



and Azeda, and the French Aigrette and Surelle. In 

 England it used to be "eaten in manner of a Spinach 

 tart or eaten as meate," and the French and Dutch still do, 

 I believe, and at anyrate did quite lately, use it as spinach. 

 Sorrel was often added by them to herb-patience when 

 that was used as a pot-herb, and was said to give it an 

 excellent flavour. The same recipe has been tried and 

 approved in England as well as (a little) sorrel cooked 

 with turnip-tops or spinach ; the former of these dishes 

 is said to be good and the second certainly is. Evelyn 

 thought that sorrel imparted " so grateful a quickeness 

 to the salad that it should never be left out," and De la 

 Quintinye says that in France besides being mixed in 

 salads it is generally used in Bouillons or thin Broths. 

 Of the two kinds, Garden Sorrel, Rumex Acetosa, and 

 French Sorrel, R. Scutatus, either may be used indiffer- 

 ently in cooking, though some people decidedly prefer 

 the French kind. Mrs Roundell says that sorrel care- 

 fully prepared can be cooked in any of the ways re- 

 commended for spinach, but that it should be cooked 

 as soon as it is picked, and if this is impossible must 

 be revived in water before being cooked. 



Tarragon {Artemisia Dracunculus). 



"Tarragon is cherished in gardens. . . . Ruellius and 

 such others have reported many strange tales hereof 

 scarce worth the noting, saying that the seede of flaxe 

 put into a radish roote or sea onion, and so set, doth 

 bring forth this herbe Tarragon." This idea was 

 apparently still current though discredited by the less 

 superstitious in Gerarde's time. Parkinson mentions a 

 great dispute between ancient herbalists as to the 

 identity of the flower called Chysocoma by Dioscorides. 

 After quoting various opinions and depreciating some of 

 them he approves the decision of Molinaus that Tarragon 



