138 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



Mary-atte-Hill, London) including wood-rufF garlands 

 and lavender in the expenses incurred in keeping St 

 Barnabas' Day. Johnston says ^ : " The dried leaves are 

 put among linen for their sweet smell, and children put 

 a whorl between the leaves of their books with a like 

 purpose, and many people like to have one neatly dried 

 laid in the case of their watch." Sensible, as well as 

 pretty customs ! It was one of the herbs recommended 

 to " make the hart merrye," and Tusser puts it among 

 his " stilling herbs," thus : " Wood-roffe, for sweet 

 waters and cakes." Country people used to lay it a 

 little bruised to a cut, and its odour of new made hay 

 must have made it a pleasanter remedy than many that 

 they used. 



Wormwood {Artemisia Absinthium). 



And none a greater Stoick is, than I ; 

 The Stoa's Pillars on my stalk rely ; 

 Let others please, to profit is my pleasure. 

 The love I slowly gain's a lasting treasure. 



Of Plants, book 1. — CowLZT. 

 What savour is better, if physic be true, 

 In places infected than iwormwood and rue 

 It is as a comfort for heart and the brain, 

 And therefore to have it, it is not in vain. 



July^s Husbandry. — TussER. 



Here is my moly of much fame 



In magic often used ; 

 Mugwort and nightshade for the same, 



But not by me abused 



Aluies^ Elysium. — Dratton. 



Traditions cluster round Artemisia Absinthium and A. 

 Vulgaris, Mugwort. Canon EUacombe says that the 

 species are called after Diana, as she was supposed to 

 " find them and delivered their powers and leechdom to 

 Chiron the Centaur . . . who named these worts from 

 the name of Diana, Artemis ; " and he thinks therefore 

 that " Dian's bud," spoken of in the Midsummer Night's 

 1 " Botany of the Eastern Borders " (1853). 



