4 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



posed to have died out after the Romans withdrew from 

 England and have been re-introduced, but it is certain 

 that they have been for a very long time cultivated in 

 England. I cannot refrain from referring to a miracle, 

 an account of which is quoted by Miss Amherst from 

 Dugdale's "Monasticon" (vol. i. p. 473, new ed.), which 

 was wrought at the tomb of St Etheldreda : — 



A " servant to a certain priest was gathering herbs in 

 the garden on the Lord's Day, when the wood in her 

 hand, and with which she desired to pluck the herbs 

 unlawfully, so firmly adhered (to her hand) that no man 

 could pluck it out for the space of five years." At the 

 end of this time she was miraculously healed at the 

 tomb, which was much revered by the people. 



Banks and benches of mould, fronted with stone or 

 brick, and planted on the top with sweet-smelling herbs, 

 were made in all fifteenth-century gardens. Later, 

 again. Bacon recommends alleys to be planted with 

 " those which perfume the air most delightfully being 

 trodden upon and crushed ... to have the pleasure 

 when you walk or tread." In his " Pastime of Pleasure " 

 ( 1 554) Stephen Hawes speaks of : — 



In divers knottes of marveylous greatnes 

 Rampande lyons, stode by wonderfully 

 Made all of herbes, with dulset sweetnes 

 With many dragons, of marveylous likenes 

 Of divers floures, made full craftely. 



More modern still is the delightful notion of a sun-dial 

 made of herbs and flowers, that will mark the time of 

 day by the opening and closing of their blossoms. 

 Linnaeus had such a dial, with each plant so placed 

 that at each successive hour a flower should open or 

 fold up. Ingram 1 gives an appropriate list for this 

 purpose, beginning with Goats' IJeard, which he says 

 opens at 3 a.m. and shuts at 9 a.m., and ending with 



' " Flora Symbolica.'' 



