THE ROSEMARY 
87 
of Egyptian’s herb, “bycause,” says an old writer, “of 
the rogues and runnegates, which call themselves Egyp- 
tians, and doe colour themselves black with this herbe.” 
It is still called gipsy-wort, though the gipsies of modern 
days are said to use walnut leaves for this purpose; but 
the wandering tribes, with their picturesque encampments, 
seem to have found more favour in these times, and we 
seldom hear of them now as “rogues and runnegates.” 
Some of the species of sage (Salvia), which have been 
introduced from abroad, are plants of great beauty. Many 
kinds of sage have been used as substitutes for tea. The 
Chinese prefer sage tea to their native product ; and the 
Dutch import a great quantity of sage leaves into that 
country for their use. One of our wild sage plants (Salvia 
pratense) is very handsome, and bears a large purple 
flower, which is highly ornamental. The various kinds 
of mint (Mentha) belong to the same order. The Jews 
of ancient times strewed this plant over the floors of their 
synagogues, on account of its agreeable scent ; and the 
mint-julep of the Americans is well known to travellers 
in that country. This “compound,” which in the sou- 
thern and western States is often called hail-storm, is 
made of wine and a small quantity of brandy, and is a 
very favourite beverage. The liquor is brought to table 
with a bunch of mint, through which it percolates before 
it reaches the drinker’s lips. 
The common plant, balm, which is still much esteemed 
in villages, and frequent in country gardens, was a plant 
of great renown, as it was thought to have a peculiar 
influence over bees. Pliny says (Dr. Holland’s transla- 
tion), touching baulm, if bee-hives be rubbed all over 
and besmeared with the juice thereof, the bees will never 
away.” These little insects seem, indeed, to have a pe- 
culiar predilection for this plant, as they certainly hover 
about it with great delight, and revel among its small 
blossoms. Many more plants of the labiate order might 
be mentioned; but those now enumerated will sufflciently 
show the general nature of the rest. 
