CHAPTER I 



OF THE CHIEF HERBS USED IN THE PRESENT TIME 



J'ai des bouquets pour tous les gouts ; 

 Venez choisir dans ma corbeille: 

 De plusieurs les parfums sont doux, 

 De tous, la vertu sans pareille. 



J'ai des soucis pour les galoux; 

 La rose pour TamaDt fidele; 

 De hellebore pour les tous 

 Et pour I'amitie I'immortelle. 



La petite Corbeille dejieurs. 



Herbs, too, she knew, and well of each could speak 



That in her garden sip'd the silv'ry dew ; 



Where no vain flow'r disclos'd a gaudy streak ; 



But herbs for use, and physic, not a few. 



Of grey renown within tliose borders grew ; 



The tufted basil, pun-provoking thyme, 



Fresh baum, and mary-gold of cheerful hue ; 



The lowly gill,-"^ that never dares to climb ; 



And more I fain would sing, disdaining here to rhyme. 



Yet euphrasy'^ may not be left unsung, 



That gives dim eyes to wander leagues around ; 



And pungent radish, biting infant's tongue ; 



And plantain ribb'd, that heals the reaper's wound ; 



And marj'ram sweet, in shepherd's posie found ; 



And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom 



Shall be, ere-while, in arid bundles bound 



To lurk amidst the labours of her loom. 



And crown her kerchiefs clean with mickle rare perfume. 



The Schoolmistress. — Shenstone. 



John Evelyn once wrote an essay called '* Acetaria: a 

 Discourse of Sallets," and dedicated it to Lord Somers, 

 the President of the Royal Society. The Dedication is 



1 Ground-ivy. ^ Eye-bright. 



