114 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



Knights of St Andrew" (Every). "By a statute 

 passed in 1827 the Order is to consist of the Sovereign 

 and sixteen Knights " (Burke). Sprigs of Rue do 

 not make their earliest appearance in the collar till 

 about 1629 and then on doubtful authority. " Miroeus, 

 however, states that the Collar was made of Thistles 

 and Sprigs of Rue; and the Royal Achievements of 

 Scotland in Sir George Mackenzie's 'Science of 

 Heraldry' published in 1 680, are surrounded by a 

 Collar of Thistles linked with Sprigs of Rue." 

 Very shortly before this Guillim had described the 

 collar as being "composed of thistles, intermixed with 

 annulets of gold." So the publication of Sir George 

 Mackenzie's book must be the approximate date of the 

 introduction of the Rue ; the present collar, badge 

 and robe of the Order are the same as those approved 

 by Queen Anne. Andre Favyn^ give^ the reasons 

 for this choice of plants, though as the Rue made its 

 first appearance in the collar so much later than the 

 date he assigns (which is that of Charlemagne) one 

 cannot help fearing that he drew a little on his imagina- 

 tion. King Achaius took for " his devise the Thistle 

 and the Rewe. And for the Soule therof. Pour ma 

 defFence Because the Thistle is not tractable or easily 

 handled . . . giving acknowledgment thereby, that 

 hee feared not forraigne Princes his neighbours . . . 

 as for the Rewe although it be an Herbe and Plant 

 very meane, yet it is (nevertheless full of admirable 

 vertues) . . . and serveth to expell and drive serpents 

 to flight . . . and there is not a more soveraigne 

 remedy for such as are poisoned." Guillim called 

 Hungus, King of the Picts, the founder, and says that 

 he, " the Night before the Battle that was fought betwixt 

 him and Athehtane, King of England, sawe in the skie 

 a bright Cross in fashion of that whereon St Andrew 



' " Theater of Honour," 1623. 



