( 3" ) 
league was ratified between Tullius Hofti- 
lius, third King of the Romans, and the 
Albans. It was alfo ufed in incantations. 
Effer aquam et molli cinge haec alt aria vitta-, 
Verbenafyue a dole pingues et mafcula thura. 
This Verbena pinguis cannot poflibly be 
the plant we call Vervain ; unlefs, in com- 
paffion to the poverty of the Latin language, 
we tranflate it frefh, full of juice. I recol- 
lecl another paflage in Virgil, as little ap- 
plicable to our Vervain. In the fourth book 
of the Georgics, fpeaking of the old Cory- 
cian's garden, 
Hie rarum tamen in dumis olus, albaque circum 
Lilia, verbenafquepremens, e vefcumquepapa t uer^ 
Regum tequabat opes animis. 
So that this contented old man thought 
himfelf as rich as a King, with a few flrag- 
gling cabbages, furrounded by lilies, vervain 
and poppies; the laft of which feems to have 
made part of his food, unlefs we tranflate 
vefcum meager, a fenfe in which, I think it 
"is fometimes ufedj but as to this border of 
Vervain, if it be our plant, it could neither 
be for ufe nor ornament. Probably fuper- 
X flition 
