72 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



accomplishments, and among other rare qualities, particu- 

 larly of this, your loyalty and faithfulness to the Sun, 

 . . . but we all know the many and sovereign virtues in 

 your leaves, the Herb Generall in all pottage." He then 

 proceeds to praise himself, " I am no gamester to shake 

 away with a quaking hand what a more fixed hand did 

 gain and acquire. I am none of those who in vanity of 

 clothes bury my quick estate as in a winding sheet." 

 The Marigold demurely hung her head and replied, "I 

 am tempted to have a good opinion of myself, to which 

 all people are prone, and we women most of all, if we 

 may believe your opinions of us, which herein I am afraid 

 are too true." But she is not deceived by his flattery. 

 " The plain truth is you love me not for myself, but for 

 your advantage. It is Golden the arrear of my name, which 

 maketh Thrift to be my suitor. How often and how 

 unworthily have you tendered your affections even to a 

 Penny royal itself, had she not scorned to be courted by 

 you. But I commend the girl that she knew her own 

 worth, though it was but a. penny, yet it is a Royal one, and 

 therefore not a match for every base Suitor, but knew 

 how to value herself ; and give me leave to tell you that 

 Matches founded on Covetousness never succeed." At 

 this point in her spirited reply the Boar approached. 

 " There is no such teacher as extremity ; necessity hath 

 found out more Arts than ever ingenuity invented. The 

 Wall Gillyflower ran up to the top of the Wall of the 

 Garden, where it hath grown ever since, and will never 

 descend till it hath good security for its own safety." 

 Other thrilling scenes follow, and finally the Boar is put 

 an end to by the gardener and " a Guard of Dogs." 



Marigolds stood as a standard of comparison, and 

 Isaac Walton uses the common saying, " As yellow as 

 a Marigold." Among the various titles of different kinds 

 of Marigold Gerarde gives the oddest, for he calls one 

 variety Jackanapes-on-horseback ; Fuller calls it the 



