Greeks call the one Pteris, and the other Blechnon.' Grose says:Ferne seede is looked on as having great magical powers, and must be gathered on midsummer eve.' Brand states that 'our ancestors imagined this plant produced seed which was invisible-hence from an extraordinary mode of reasoning, founded on the fantastic doctrine of signatures, they concluded that they who possessed the secret of wearing this seed about them would become invisible.' It is clear from the answer of the chamberlain to Gadshill, that although Shakspere knew fern produced seed, he treated the supposed power of it as absurd. Pliny, and some of the early English writers on plants, state that the fern had neither flower nor seed; but in the Herbal,' by William Turner, printed in 1562, speaking of fern or brake, he says: Not only the common people say that ferne hath seede, but that it was also the opinion of a Christian physician named Hieronymus Tragus, who doth not only say that ferne hath seede, but writeth that he found upon Midsomer even, seede upon brakes.' I have taken out of his 'Herbal' his words, and translated them into English in manner following: Although all they that have written of herbs have affirmed and holden that the brake doth neither seede nor fruit, yet have I divers times proved the contrary, which thing I will testify here in this place for their sakes that be students in the knowledge of herbs. I have, four years together, one after another, upon the Vigil of St. John the Baptist, which we call in English Midsomer even, sought for this seede of brakes upon the night, and indeede I found it early in the morning, before day-breake; the seede was small, black, and like unto popye.' After describing the mode of collecting this seede, he says: 'I went about this business, all figures, conjurings, saunters, charms, wytchcrafte, sorceries; set aside taking with me two or three honest men. When I soughte this seede all the village aboute did shine with bonfires, that the people made there; and sometime when I soughte the seede I found it, and sometimes I found it not. Sometime I found much and sometime I found little; but what should be the cause of this diversitie, or what nature meaneth in this thing, surely I cannot tell.' Dr. Bulleyn says: 'that this herbe beareth no seede at any time, although wytches fayn that great secrets may be wroughte with the same, which must be gathered upon Midsomer night—as sure, I warrant you, as the sea doth burn, it will do no less.' Gerarde, speaking of ferne, says: 'Those who perceived that it was propagated by semination, and yet could never see the seede, were much at a loss for a solution of the difficulty, and as wonder always endeavours to augment itself, they ascribe to ferne seede many strange properties; some of which the rustic virgins have not yet forgotten or exploded.' In Act ii. Scene 4 : Prince Henry. Tell me now in earnest, how came Falstaff's sword so hack'd? Peto. Why, he hacked it with his dagger, and said he would. swear truth out of England, but he would make you believe it was done in fight, and persuaded us to do the like. Bardolph. Yea, and to tickle our noses with spear-grass, to make them bleed, and then to beslubber our garments with it, and swear it was the blood of true men. wort Spear grass (Achillea Ptarmica, sneeze yarrow). Flowers in July and August. A common plant which grows in moist meadows and on the sides of rivers; one to three feet high. The leaves are linear, lanceolate, acuminate, sharply serrated, and well fitted to tickle the nose and make it bleed. This plant is called Nose-bleed in Lytes' translation of Dodoens, 'Historie of Plants,' 1578. In the 'Homish Apothecary, or Homely Physick Booke for all Grefes and Diseases of the Bodye,' translated by John Hollybush, printed 1561 at Collen, one of the remedies for a pain in the head is as follows: If the headache cometh of superfluity of blood, then make him thus to bleth at the nose without smarte. Take seedes of red nettles and braye them to powder in a morter, blow a littel of the same into his nose with a quill; but if ye cannot get sedes of nettles, put a hole of the herbe called Millefoyl or Parbe into the nose, and rub the nose outwardly, and then shall it bleth.' Gerarde, in his 'Herball,' page 1073, chap. 438, 'Of Yarrow, or Nose-bleed,' says that, the leaves being put into the nose, do cause it to bleed, and ease the pain of the meagrim.' Yarrow is also called Nose-bleed, in Phillips' 'World of New Words,' and in Coles' Latin and English Dictionary.' In Schroder's 'Complete Chymical Dispensatory,' Englished by William Rowland, Doctor of Physick, Millefolium, Yarrow, or White millefoyle,' is described, and he states that the green herb put into the nostrils causeth hermorragy.' Speregrass is mentioned in Lupton's Notable Things,' Book ii. No. 90. In Act ii. Scene 4, Falstaff, in reply to Prince Henry and Poins, who insist on his giving a reason, says: What, upon compulsion? No, were I at the Strapado, or all the racks in the world, I would not tell you on compulsion. Give you a reason on compulsion! If reasons were as plentie as blackberries, I would give no man a reason on compulsion. Blackberries. The fruit of the Rubus discolor (common blackberry) or bramble. It grows commonly in woods and hedges, and produces fruit get Led Ose 38, ves and Lips' and ory,' sick, de into table rince ason, or all pulsion. entie as scolor com fruit abundantly in August and September. The plant In Troilus and Cressida, Act v. Scene 4, Ther- That same dog fool Ulysses is not proved worth a blackberry. Harry, I do not only marvel where thou spendest thy time, but Camomile. (Anthemis nobilis, common camomile). Blossoms in July and August, grows abundantly on our commons, has solitary heads of flowers, and a pleasant aromatic smell. The plant is very bitter, and was formerly much cultivated in gardens for medicinal and other purposes. In Dr. Turner's Herbal,' it is said of camomile, This |