SgS APPENDIX, 



* give to after-times a proof of the belief of the 

 ' age, and the fair tryal made of a mofl diftaft- 

 ' ful remedy in the moft dreadful of complaints.* 



Glain This reminds me of another PFelcb word that is 



Naidr, 30. explanatory of the cufloms of the antients, (hewing 

 their intent in the ufe of the plant Vervaine in 

 their luftrations ; and why it was called by Biofco- 

 rides Hierohotane^ or the facred plant, and e- 

 lleemed proper to be hung up in their rooms. 



The Britijh name Cas gan Cythrawl^ or the 

 Devil's averfion, may be a modern appellation, 

 but is like wife called T Dderwen fendigaid^ the 

 holy oak, which evidently refers to the Druids 

 groves. 



TUny informs us, that the G^«Zf .ufed it in their 

 incantations, as the Romans and Greeks did in 

 their luftrations. 'Terence^ in his Andria^ fhews us 

 the Verhena was placed on altars before the doors 

 of private houfes in Athens \ and from the fame 

 paflage in Fliny *, we find the Magi were guilty 

 of the moft: extravagant fuperftition about this 

 Jierb. Strange it is that fuch a veneration fliould 

 arife for a plant endued with no perceptible quali- 

 ties ; and ftranger ftill it Ihould fpread from the 

 fartheft north to the boundaries of India, So ge- 

 neral a confent, however, proves the cufl:om arofe 

 before the different nations had loft: all communi- 

 cation with each other. 



* lih. XXV. cap. 9. 



Her 



