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simplest, sweetest offices of grace? They will not be gathered, like the flowers, for chaplet or love-token; but of these the wild bird will make its nest, and the wearied child its pillow.

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And, as they are the earth's first mercy, so they are its last gift to us. When all other service is vain, from plant and tree, the soft mosses and grey lichen take up their watch by the headstone. The woods, the blossoms, the gift-bearing grasses, have done their parts for a time, but these do service for ever. Trees for the builder's yard, flowers for the bride's chamber, corn for the granary, moss for the grave.

"Yet as in one sense the humblest, in another they are the most honoured of the earth-children. Unfading as motionless, the, worm frets them not, and the autumn wastes them not. Strong in lowliness, they neither blanch in heat nor pine in frost. To them, slow-fingered, constant-hearted, is entrusted the weaving of the dark eternal tapestries of the hills; to them, slow-pencilled, iris-eyed, the tender framing of their endless imagery. Sharing the stillness of the unimpassioned rock, they share also its endurance; and while the winds of departing spring scatter the white hawthorn blossom like drifted snow, and summer dims on the parched meadow the drooping of its cowslip-gold-far above, among the mountains, the silver lichen-spots rest, star-like, on the stone; and the gathering orange stain upon the edge of yonder western peak reflects the sunset of a thousand years."

CHAPTER X.

PLANTS AND PLANETS.

THE old astrologers, who professed to read in the stars and planets all about the affairs of this earth, believed that an intimate relation subsisted between plants and planets, perhaps owing to the fact that there is but the difference of an e between them. According to these worthy gentlemen every species of plant was an un ailing specific for a certain number of diseases. It is true that their arrangement of maladies and medicine was purely theoretical, but they worked by the doctrine of signatures—that is, every plant was supposed to bear a sign of its own. virtues. Thus, any plant which had heart-shaped leaves would be "a singular good medicine for the heart." But many plants do not possess leaves resembling organs of the human body, still many possessed names which connected them therewith. Thus the pretty little Eyebright, in all probability had its name bestowed on account of its bright little flowers peeping out like eyes from the dark background afforded by its leaves. Enough that it is called Eyebright-it must therefore be good for the eyes. Or if it had nothing in its name to connect it with suffering members, there would certainly be some

thing to connect it with the gods and goddesses whose names the planets bear. Thus the Lady-fern would naturally be under the dominion of Venus, and all other plants would be equally under the care and protection of other planets.

The perusal of one of the old "Herbals," which set forth the supposed virtues of plants, and from which our ancestors prepared their "simples," affords considerable amusement to the modern botanist. One of the best known of these is "The English Physician, by Nicholas Culpepper, Gent., Student in Physic and Astrology," a book which has doubtless. been the means of killing many credulous persons in the past. The author classifies his plants in the simplest manner possible, alphabetically, and commences with the Woody Nightshade, which he terms Amara dulcis.

"It bears many leaves; they grow in no order at all, at least in no regular order. It is under the planet Mercury, and a notable herb of his also, if it be rightly gathered under his influence. It is excellent good to remove witchcraft both in man and beasts, as also all sudden diseases whatsoever. Being tied round about the neck, it is one of the admirablest remedies for the vertigo or dizziness in the head that is; and that is the reason (as Tragus saith) the people in Germany commonly hang it about their cattle's necks, when they fear any such evil hath betided them." Then follows a list of other ailments for which the plant is a sovereign remedy, and our astrologer remarks, "And when you find good by this remember me."

Of the All Heal he says: "It is under the dominion of Mars, hot, biting, and cholerick; and remedies what evils Mars afflicts the body of man with, by sympathy, as viper's flesh attracts poison, and the loadstone iron."

The Alkanet is "under the dominion of Venus, and indeed one of her darlings, though somewhat hard to come by." "Dioscorides saith, it helps such as are bitten by a venomous beast, whether it be taken inwardly or applied to the wound; nay, he saith further, if any one that hath newly eaten it, do but spit into the mouth of a serpent, the serpent instantly

dies."

He tells us of the Adder's-tongue fern: "It is an herb under the dominion of the Moon and Cancer, and therefore, if the disease be caused by the evil influence of Saturn in any part of the body governed by the moon, or under the dominion of Cancer, this herb cures it by sympathy. What parts of the body are under each planet and sign, and also what disease, may be found in my astrological judgment of diseases." He further tells his readers that similar particulars concerning "the internal work of nature in the body of man may be found in my Ephemeris for the year 1651. In both which you shall find the chaff of authors blown away by the fame of Dr. Reason, and nothing but rational truths left for the ingenious to feed upon. Lastly, to avoid blotting paper with one thing many times, and also to ease your purses in the price of the book, and withal to make you studious in physic, you have at the latter end of the book the way of preserving all herbs either

thing to connect it with the gods and goddesses whose names the planets bear. Thus the Lady-fern would naturally be under the dominion of Venus, and all other plants would be equally under the care and protection of other planets.

The perusal of one of the old "Herbals,” which set forth the supposed virtues of plants, and from which our ancestors prepared their "simples," affords considerable amusement to the modern botanist. One of the best known of these is "The English Physician, by Nicholas Culpepper, Gent., Student in Physic and Astrology," a book which has doubtless been the means of killing many credulous persons in the past. The author classifies his plants in the simplest manner possible, alphabetically, and commences with the Woody Nightshade, which he terms Amara dulcis.

"It bears many leaves; they grow in no order at all, at least in no regular order. It is under the planet Mercury, and a notable herb of his also, if it be rightly gathered under his influence. It is excellent good to remove witchcraft both in man and beasts, as also all sudden diseases whatsoever. Being tied round about the neck, it is one of the admirablest remedies for the vertigo or dizziness in the head that is; and that is the reason (as Tragus saith) the people in Germany commonly hang it about their cattle's necks, when they fear any such evil hath betided them." Then follows a list of other ailments for which the plant is a sovereign remedy, and our astrologer remarks, "And when you find good by this remember me."

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