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PLANT-LORE OF SHAKESPEARE 
eleventh century, by HHfric, is an address to the Waybroad, 
which is worth extracting at length—• 
“And though, Waybroad! 
Mother of worts, 
Open from eastward, 
Mighty within ; 
Over thee carts creaked, 
Over thee Queens rode, 
Over thee brides bridalled, 
Over thee bulls breathed, 
All these thou withstood’st, 
Venom and vile things 
And all the loathly ones 
That through the land rove.” 
Cockayne’s Translation . 
In another earlier recipe book the Waybroad is prescribed for 
twenty-two diseases, one after another; and in another Of the 
same date we are taught how to apply it: “If a man ache in 
half his head . . . delve up Waybroad without iron ere the 
rising of the sun, bind the roots about the head with Crosswort 
by a red fillet, soon he will be well.” But the Plantain did not 
long sustain its high reputation, which even in Shakespeare’s 
time had become much diminished. “ I find,” says Gerard, 
“ in ancient writers many good-morrowes, which I think not 
meet to bring into your memorie againe ; as that three roots 
will cure one griefe, four another disease, six hanged about 
the neck are good for another maladie, &c., all which are 
but ridiculous toys.” Yet the bruised leaves still have some 
reputation as a styptic and healing plaster among country 
herbalists, and perhaps the alleged virtues are not altogether 
fanciful. 
As a garden plant the Plantain can only be regarded as a 
weed and nuisance, especially on lawns, where it is very 
difficult to destroy them. Yet there are some curious varieties 
which may claim a corner where botanical curiosities are 
grown. The Plantain seems to have a peculiar tendency to 
run into abnormal forms, many of which will be found 
described and figured in Dr. Masters’ “Vegetable Teratology,” 
