1 86 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



J'ai lu dans le tres curieux livre des Secrets du Roi 

 Jean d'Arragon, que si aucun dans le mois de sep- 

 tembre, ayant observe le temps que le soleil est entre 

 au signe de la Vierges a soin de cueillir de la fleur 

 Soucy (Marigold) qu'a ete appelle par les Anciens, 

 Epouse du Soleil, and si on I'enveloppe dedans des 

 feuilles de Laurier avec un dent de Loup, personne ne 

 pourra parler mal de celui qui les portera sur luy et vivra 

 dans un profonde paix et tranquillite avec tout le 

 monde." There is an odd, little passage about the 

 supernatural beings who inhabit the four elements. 

 Salamanders, Nymphs, Sylphs, and Gnomes, and the 

 practices of Lapland miners to obtain "la bienveill- 

 ance des Gnomes." This is managed through observ- 

 ing their love of perfumes. Each day of the week a 

 certain perfume was burnt for them and these odours had 

 an elaborate formula, compiled with reference to the 

 planets. Thus Sunday's perfume is "sous les auspices 

 du soleil," and contains Saffron and Musk ; Monday's 

 is made of the Moon's special plants and includes the 

 seed of the White Poppy ; and the ingredients for each 

 are equally appropriate to the ruling planet. Mars has 

 Hellebore and Euphorbia in his perfume ; Venus, dried 

 roses, red coral, and ambergris ; and Saturn, black 

 poppy seeds, Mandrake roots and Henbane. In an 

 English translation (there are many editions of Le petit 

 Albert^ fifteen magical herbs of the Ancients are given, 

 but I will only quote two. 



" The eleventh hearbe is named of the Chaldees 

 Isiphilon ... or Englishmen, Centory . . . this 

 hearbe hath a marvellous virtue, for if it be joined with 

 the blood of a female lapwing or black plover and put 

 with oile in a lamp, all they that compasse it about shall 

 believe themselves to be witches, so that one shall 

 believe of another that his head is in heaven and his 

 feete on earth." 



