HERBS USED IN DECORATIONS, ETC. 131 



Rosemary was " so planted and nailed to the walls as to 

 cover them entirely." 1 The bushes were sometimes set 

 " by women for their pleasure,^ to grow in sundry pro- 

 portions, as in the fashion of a cart, a peacock or such 

 things as they fancy," or the branches were twined 

 amongst others to make an arbour. Brown refers to 

 this : — 



Within an arbour, shadow'd by a vine 

 Mix'd with Rosemary and Eglantine, 



£r. Pastorah^ book i. 



Rosemary was one of the chief funeral herbs. Her- 

 rick says : — 



Grow it for two ends, it matters not at all, 

 Be't for my bridall or my buriall. 



Sprigs of it were distributed to the mourners before 

 they left the house, which they carried to the church- 

 yard and threw on the coffin when it had been lowered 

 into the grave. In Romeo and Juliet Friar Laurence 

 says : — 



Dry up your tears and stick your Rosemary 

 On this fair corse 



Brand quotes passages from Gay, Dekker, Cartwright, 

 Shirley, Misson, Coles, " The British Apollo " and 

 " The Wit's Interpreter," which connect Rosemary 

 with burials ; and it was also planted on graves. 



Coles says it was used with other evergreens to 

 decorate churches at Christmas-time, and Folkard that, 

 " In place of more costly incense, the ancients often 

 employed Rosemary in their religious ceremonies. An 

 old French name for it was Incensier. It was conspicuous 

 on a very remarkable occasion in history. In " A Per- 

 fect Journall, etc., of that memorable Parliament begun 

 at Westminster, Nov. 3, 1640," is the following passage, 

 "Nov. 28. That afternoon Master Prin and Master 

 Burton came in to London, being met and accompanied 



1 Hentzner's " Travels.'' 



2 Barnaby Googe's " Husbandry" (1578). 



