THE TANSY. 75 



eating this herb in spring makes people sickly in summer, 

 and that makes need for the physician." As he was not 

 what we should now call a regular practitioner, but was, on 

 the contrary, at most evident feud with the medical pro- 

 fession, he insinuates that none were more glad than the 

 physicians when the Church ordered the tansy to be eaten 

 only on certain days. 



The way old Culpepper describes, or rather fails to 

 describe, many of the common plants is very original, and 

 possesses many evident advantages to the author. Thus of 

 the present plant he says, " Tansy is so well known that 

 it needeth no description." His guidance, too, on the sub- 

 ject of stinging nettles is very quaint "They are so 

 well known that they need no description : they may be 

 found by feeling in the darkest night." Woodbine, again, 

 is " a plant so common that every one that hath eyes 

 knows it, and he that hath none cannot read a description 

 if I should write it." Of rye, too, we read: "This is so 

 well known in all the counties of this land, and especially 

 to country people, who feed much upon it, that if I did 

 describe it they would presently say I might have spared 

 that labour." There is a slight dash of impertinence 

 towards his readers in this way of treating the subject ; but 

 what a saving of time and space is effected ! Written in 

 this style, our " Familiar Wild Flowers " might indeed have 

 been pocket volumes, for a sheet of note-paper would have 

 held all the necessary manuscript for the printer. We 

 could then begin and conclude our present article something 

 in this style : " Any man who can walk has seen the 

 tansy, and a lame man could not even if he would ; so no 

 more of tansy." 



The tansy is a perennial. Its root is somewhat large 



