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PLANT-LORE OF SHAKESPEARE 
the history of the migrations of the Sugar-plant is sufficiently 
interesting to call for a short notice. 
Its original home seems to have been in the East Indies, 
whence it was imported in very early times. It is probably the 
“ sweet cane ” of the Bible ; and among classical writers it is 
named by Strabo, Lucan, Yarro, Seneca, Dioscorides, and 
Pliny. The plant is said to have been introduced in Europe 
during the Crusades, and to have been cultivated in the Morea, 
Rhodes, Malta, Sicily, and Spain. 1 By the Spaniards it was 
taken first to Madeira and the Cape de Verde Islands, and, very 
soon after the discovery of America, to the West Indies. There 
it soon grew rapidly, and increased enormously, and became a 
chief article of commerce, so that though we now almost look 
upon it as entirely a New World plant, it is in fact but a 
stranger there, that has found a most congenial home. 
In 1468 the price of Sugar was sixpence a pound, equal to 
six shillings of our money, 2 but in Shakespeare’s time it must 
have been very common, 3 or it could not so largely have 
worked its way into the common English language and pro¬ 
verbial expressions ; and it must also have been very cheap, 
or it could not so entirely have superseded the use of honey, 
which in earlier times was the only sweetening material. 
Shakespeare may have seen the living plant, for it was grown 
as a curiosity in his day, though Gerard could not succeed with 
it: “ Myself did plant some shootes thereof in my garden, and 
some in Flanders did the like, but the coldness of our clymate 
made an end of myne, and I think the Flemmings will have 
the like profit of their labour.” But he bears testimony to the 
large use of Sugar in his day; “ of the juice of the reede is 
1 “ It is the juice of certain canes or reedes whiche growe most plentifully 
in the Ilandes of Madera, Sicilia, Cyprus, Rhodus and Candy. It is made 
by art in boyling of the Canes, much like as they make their white salt in the 
Witches in Cheshire.”— Coghan, Haven of Healthy 1596, p. no. 
2 “ Babees Book,” xxx. 
3 It is mentioned by Chaucer—■ 
“ Gyngerbred that was so fyn. 
And licorys and eek comyn 
With Sugre that is trye.”— Tale of Sir Thofas. 
