234 
RARITY. 
they exhibited to the credulous, and sought 
to persuade them that these marvellous roots 
were the true mandrake, which are found only 
in one quarter of China, nearly inaccessible. 
They added that these mandrakes uttered the 
most lamentable cries, closely resembling 
those of a human being, when their leaves 
were plucked after the night-dew had de¬ 
scended ; and that whosever ventured to do 
it was struck by death. 
The phantom forms — oh! touch not them, 
That appal the murderer’s sight; 
Lurk in the fleshy mandrake’s stem, 
That shriek when torn at night. 
Old medical impostors have told us that 
the proper way to take up the roots of this 
plant is to pass a cord cautiously round it, 
and then attach it to the tail of a dog, which 
then alone bears the judgment due to an ac¬ 
tion so impious. 
We are told by Pliny that they who took up 
this root were directed by superstition to turn 
their backs to the wind; and before they be¬ 
gan to dig they were to make circles round 
the plant with the point of a sword, and then 
turning to the west, proceed to take it up. 
Many absurd and superstitious ideas have 
arisen from the supposed virtues of this plant, 
which probably never existed. 
