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sigh sp ra n g u p a little p a le flower wh ich w a s th e Wegewarte, th e
w a tc h e r o f th e ro a d .— —In B a v a ria , th e sam e leg en d is m e t w ith ,
differing only in d e ta ils. A y o u n g a n d b e a u tifu l p rin c e s s w a s
a b a n d o n ed b y h e r h u sb a n d , a y o u n g p rin c e o f e x tra o rd in a ry b e a u ty .
G rie f e x h a u s te d h e r s tre n g th , a n d finding h e rs e lf on th e p o in t o f
d e a th , she ex c la im ed : “ Ah, how willingly would I d ie if I could
only b e su re o f se e in g my loved one, w h e re v e r I m ay be. H e r
lad ie s-in -w a itin g , h e a rin g h e r d esire , solemnly a d d e d : “ A n d we also
w ou ld willingly d ie if o n ly we w e re a s su re d th a t h e would a lw ay s
see us on ev e ry ro a d s id e .” T h e merc iful G o d h e a rd from h e a v en
th e ir h e a rt-fe lt d e sire s, a n d g ra n te d th em . “ H a p p ily ,” sa id H e ,
“ your w ish es c an b e fu lfilled ; I will ch a n g e you in to flowers.
You, P rin c e s s , you sh all rem a in w ith y o u r w h ite m a n tle on ev e ry
ro a d tra v e rs e d b y y o u r h u sb a n d ; you, y o u n g women, sh al
rem a in
b y th e ro a d sid e , h a b ite d in b
ue, so th a t th e p rin c e m u st see
you e v e ryw h e re .” H e n c e th e
G e rm a n s ca ll th e wild S u c co ry ,
Wegewarten.-------G e ra rd e te l
s u s th a t P la c e n tin u s a n d C re s c e n tiu s
te rm e d th e E n d iv e , Sponsa solis, S p o u se of th e S u n (a n am e a p p lied
b y P o r ta to th e H e lio tro p e ), a n d we find in D e G u b e rn a tis ’ Mythologie
des Plantes, th e following p a s s a g e :— “ P ro fe s so r M a n n h a rd t q u o te s
th e ch a rm in g R o um a n ia n b a lla d , in wh ich is re c o u n te d h ow th e
S u n a sk ed in m a rria g e a b e a u tifu l w om an k n ow n a s Domna Florilor,
or th e L a d y of th e F lo w e r s ; she re fu sed h im , w h e re u p o n th e S u n ,
in rev en g e , tra n s fo rm e d h e r in to th e E n d iv e , co n d em n ed for ev e r
to g a z e on th e S u n as soon a s h e a p p e a rs on th e h o rizo n , a n d to
close h e r p e ta ls in sad n e ss a s th e lum in a ry d is a p p e a rs . T h e n am e
of Domna Florilor, a k in d of F lo ra , g iv en by th e R o um a n ia n s to th e
w om an loved b y th e S u n , rem in d s u s som ew h a t o f th e n am e of
F io ra liso , g iv en in I ta ly to th e Cornflower, a n d wh ich I su p p o sed
to h a v e re p re s e n te d th e S u n . T h e R o um a n ia n leg en d h a s, w ith o u t
d o u b t, b e en d e riv ed from a n I ta lia n so u rc e , in its tu rn a d e v e lo p m
en t of a G re c ia n m y th—to w it, th e am o u r o f th e S u n , Phoebus,
w ith th e lovely n ym p h C ly tie .” (See H e l i o t r o p e ) . T h e re is a
S ile sian fa iry ta le w h ich h a s re fe ren c e to th e E n d iv e :—T h e m ag ic ian
B a tu h a d a d a u g h te r n am e d C z ek a n k a , who lo v ed th e y o u th fu l
W raw a n e c ; b u t a c ru e l riv a l slew th e b eloved one. In d e sp a ir,
C z ek a n k a so u g h t h e r lo v e r’s tom b , a n d k illed h e rse lf b e sid e it.
W h ils t in h e r d e a th th ro e s , she w a s ch a n g ed in to th e b lu e S u c co ry ,
a n d g av e th e flower its S ile sian n am e Czekanka. W r aw a n e c ’s
m u rd e re r, je a lo u s of p o o r C z ek a n k a , ev en a fte r h e r d e a th , th rew on
th e p la n t a sw a rm of a n ts , in th e h o p e th a t th e little in sed ls m ig h t
d e s tro y th e S u c co ry , b u t th e a n ts , on th e c o n tra ry , in th e ir rag e ,
se t off in p u rs u it of th e m u rd e re r, a n d so v ig o ro u sly a tta c k e d h im ,
th a t h e w a s p re c ip ita te d in to a c rev a s s e on th e m o u n ta in K o tan c z .
In G e rm a n y a n d in Rome, w h e re a v a r ie ty of e s tim ab le q u a litie
s a re a sc rib ed to th e p la n t, th e y sell E n d iv e -s e e d a s a p a n a c e a ,
b u t e sp e c ia lly as a love p h iltre . T h e y would n o t u p ro o t it w ith
th e h a n d , b u t w ith a b it of gold or a s ta g ’s h o rn (which symbolise
th e d isk a n d th e ra y s o f th e S u n ), on on e o f th e d ay s of th e
A p o stle s (Ju n e 29th a n d J u ly 25th). A g irl th u s u p ro o tin g _ a n
E n d iv e will b e a s su re d of th e co n s ta n c y of h e r lo v e r.—— E n d iv e ,
c a rrie d on th e p e rso n , is su p p o sed to e n a b le a lo v er to in sp ire th e
objecft o f h is a f fe a io n s w ith a b e lie f th a t h e p o sse sse s all th e good
q u a litie s she co u ld wish for. E n d iv e -ro o t b re a k s all bcDnds, remo v e s
th o rn s from th e flesh, a n d ev en re n d e rs th e ow n e r in v isib le .-------
T h e h e rb is h e ld to b e u n d e r th e ru le o f V en u s.
E R A G R O S T I S ,—Among th e H in d u s , th e Eragrostis cynosuroides
is co n sid e red a s a c re d G ra s s , a n d is em p lo y ed b y th em for
s trew in g th e floors of th e ir tem p le s. In E n g la n d , it is k n ow n a s
L o v e G ra ss.
E R Y S IM U M .—T h e H e d g e M u s ta rd , B a n k C ress, or Ja c k -
b y -th e -H e d g e {Erysimum Barbarea) is c a lled b y th e F r e n c h S t. B a r b
a r a ’s H e d g e M u s ta rd a n d th e S in g e r’s P la n t {herbe au chantre), a n d
u p to th e tim e of L o u is X IV . w a s co n sid e red an in fallib le rem ed y
in ca ses of loss o f voice. R a c in e , w ritin g to B o ile au , re com m en d ed
th e sy ru p of E ry s im um to him w h en v is itin g th e w a te rs of Bour-
b o n n e , in o rd e r to be cu red of loss of voice. B o ile au rep lied th a t
h e h a d h e a rd th e b e s t a c c o u n ts o f th e E ry s im um , a n d th a t h e
m e a n t to use it th e following sum m e r. T h e p la n t is h e ld to be
u n d e r M ercu ry .
E R Y N G O .—T h e S e a E ry n g o {Eryngium maritimum) is, perh
a p s , b e tte r k n ow n b y th e n am e of S e a H o lly , wh ich h a s b e en g iv en
it on a c c o u n t o f th e s trik in g re sem b la n c e of its foliage to th e
H o lly . A c co rd in g to R a p in , E ry n g o p o sse ssed m ag ic a l p ro p e rtie s ,
in a sm u c h as, if w o rn b y y o u n g m a rrie d women , it e n su re d th e
fid e lity of th e ir h u sb a n d s . On th is a c c o u n t, S a p p h o em p lo y ed it
to se cu re th e love o f P h a o n , th e h an d som e b o a tm a n o f Mity len e ,
for w h om th e p o e te ss h a d co n c e iv ed so v io len t a p a ssio n , th a t a t
len g th , m o rtified a t h is co ld n e ss, sh e th rew h e rs e lf in to th e sea .
R a p in s a y s :—
“ Grecian Eryngoes now commence their fame,
Which, worn by brides, will fix their husband’s flame,
And check the conquests of a rival dame.
Thus Sappho charmed her Phaon, and did prove
(I f there be truth in verse) his faith in love.”
P lu ta r c h re c o rd s th a t, if on e g o a t to o k th e h e rb S e a H o lly in to h e r
m o u th , “ it c a u sed h e r first to s ta n d still, a n d a fte rw a rd s th e wh o le
flock, u n til su ch tim e as th e sh e p h e rd to o k it from her_ m o u th .”
E ry n g o -ro o t w a s fo rm e rly m u ch p riz e d a s a to n ic , a n d in Q u e en
E liz a b e th ’s tim e , w h en p re p a re d w ith su g a r, w a s c a lled K issin g
Comfits. L o rd B a co n , re com m en d in g th e y olks of eggs a s v e ry
n o u rish in g , w h en ta k e n w ith M alm sey o r sw ee t wine, s a y s : “ You
sh a ll doe well to p u t in some few slices of E rin g ium -ro o ts , a n d a
little Am b er-g rice, for by th is m e an e s, b e sid e s th e im m ed ia te fa c u ltie
o f n o u rishm en t, su ch d rin k e will s tre n g th e n th e b a c k .”