The Herb Garden 
12 3 
Basil; for in Italy Basil is ever a plant of love, not 
of jealousy or crime. One of its common names 
is Bacia , Nicola — Kiss me, Nicholas. Peasant girls 
always place Basil in their hair when they go to 
meet their sweethearts, and an offered sprig of Basil 
is a love declaration. It is believed that Boccaccio 
obtained this tale from some tradition of ancient 
Greece, where Basil is a symbol of hatred and de- 
spair. The figure of poverty was there associated 
with a Basil plant as with rags. It had to be sown 
with abuse, with cursing and railing, else it would 
not flourish. In India its sanctity is above all 
other herbs. A pious Indian has at death a leaf of 
Basil placed in his bosom as his reward. The house 
surrounded by Basil is blessed, and all who cherish 
the plant are sure of heaven. 
Mithridate was a favorite medicine of our Puritan 
ancestors ; there were various elaborate compound 
rules for its manufacture, in which Rue always took 
a part. It was simple enough in the beginning, 
when King Mithridates invented it as an antidote 
against poison: twenty leaves of Rue pounded with 
two Figs, two dried Walnuts and a grain of salt ; 
which receipt may be taken cum grano satis. Rue 
also entered into the composition of the famous 
“ Vinegar of the Four Thieves.” These four ras- 
cals, at the time of the Plague in Marseilles, invented 
this vinegar, and, protected by its power, entered 
infected houses and carried away property without 
taking the disease. Rue had innumerable virtues. 
Pliny says eighty-four remedies were made of it. 
It was of special use in case of venomous bites, 
