176 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



world, however, has attracted writers since the earliest 

 times, and in the days when supernatural agencies were 

 almost always brought forward to account for uncom- 

 prehended phenomena, it was not marvellous that 

 misty lore should lead to the association of plants and 

 magic. The book of nature is not always easy to read, 

 and the older students drew from it very personal interpre- 

 tations. Some herbs were magical because they were 

 used in spells and sorceries ; others, because they had 

 power in themselves. For instance, £asil, the perfume of 

 which- _was thought. .to cause sympathy between two 

 people, and in Moldavia they say it can even stop a 

 wandering youth upon his way and make him love the 

 maiden from whose hand he accepts a sprig. The 

 Crocus flower, too, belongs to the second class, and 

 brings laughter and great joy, and so it is with others. 

 Plants were also credited with strong friendships and 

 "enmities" amongst themselves. "The ancients" 

 held strong views about their " sympathies and anti- 

 pathies," and this sympathy or antipathy was attributed 

 to individual likes and dislikes. " Rue dislikes Basil," 

 says Pliny, " but Rue and the Fig-tree are in a great 

 league and amitie" together. Alexanders loveth to 

 grow in the same place as Rosemary, but the Radish is 

 " at enmetie " with Hyssop. Savory and Onions are the 

 better for each other's neighbourhood, and Coriander, 

 Dill, Mallows, Herb-Patience and Chervil " love for 

 companie to be set or sowne together." Bacon refers 

 to some of these, but he took a prosaic view and 

 thought these predilections due to questions of soil ! 



Being credited with such strong feelings amongst them- 

 selves, it is easier to understand how they were supposed 

 to sympathise with their " environment." Honesty, of 

 course, grew best in a very honest man's garden. 

 Where Rosemary flourishes, the mistress rules. Sage 

 will fade with the fortunes of the house and revive again 



