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The following lines are from a MS. in the Harl. Col,, British
Museum:—
“ I like the Leeke above all herbes and floures;
When first we wore the same the field was ours.
The Leeke is white and green, whereby is ment
That Britaines are both stout and eminente.
Next to the lion and the unicorne,
The Leeke’s the fairest emblym that is worne.”
Shakspeare, in Henry V., tells us that the Leek, worn by Welshmen
on St. David’s Day (March ist), is “ an ancient tradition, begun
upon an honourable respect, and worn as a memorable trophy of
pre-deceased valour.” This vegetable “ trophy” is said to be in
memory of a great vidtory obtained by the Welsh over the Saxons;
on which occasion, they, by order of St. David, placed Leeks in
their caps in order to distinguish themselves. It has also been
supposed that the wearing of the Leek may have originated in the
custom of Cymortha, still observed among the farmers of the country,
where, in assisting one another in ploughing their land, they bring
each their Leeks to the common repast of the whole party. _
Drayton relates another legend, which runs as follows:—
“ There is an aged cell, with Moss and Iv y grown,
In which not to this day the sun has ever shone.
That reverend British saint, in zealous ages past,
To contemplation lived, and did so truly fast,
As he did only drink what crystal Hodney yields,
And fed upon the Leeks he gathered in the fields;
In memory of whom, in each revolving year,
The Welshmen on his day that sacred herh do wear,”
Pliny states that Nero brought Leeks into great repute among
the Romans by eating them with oil to clear his voice for singing.
His folly in this respea obtained for him the satirical name of
Porwphagus, the Leek Eater. Martial, referring to the disagreeable
effeas of the Leek upon the breath of the eater, sa y s:__
“ The juice of Leeks who fondly sips,
To kiss the fair, must close his lips.”
In Poland, the flower-stalk of the Leek is placed in the hands
of the statues of our Saviour on certain special days, to represent
the Reed given to Him at the Crucifixion. Among the Sicilians,
the mother of the Apostle Peter is the subjea of many legends.
She is always represented as bad and niggardly. The only thing
she ever gave away was the leaf of a Leek, which she fiung to a
beggar, who importuned her one day as she was washing her potherbs.
When she died, hell received her. Years afterwards, Peter,
the doorkeeper of Paradise, heard a piteous voice saying: “ Son
Peter, see what torments I am in. Go, ask the Lord to let me
out.” So Peter went and asked. But the Lord s a i d S h e never
did a nail-paring of good. Except this Leek-leaf, she never once
gave a scrap away. However, here is a Leek-leaf: this angel
shall take it, and shall tell her to lay hold of the other end, while
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he pulls her up.” So Peter’s mother grasped the Leek-leaf; but
all the souls in torment ran after her, and clung to her skirts, so
that the angel was dragging quite a string of them after her. Her
evil disposition, however, would not permit her to keep quiet. It
grieved her avaricious temperament that anyone besides herself
should be saved; so she struggled and kicked, in order to shake the
poor souls off, and in so doing tore the saving Leek-leaf, and fell
back again, and sank deeper than before.
L E N T L I L I E S .—The Daffodil is the Lent Lily. Mingled
with Yew, which is the emblem of the Resurrecition, it forms an
appropriate decoration for Easter. Lent Lilies are called by the
French Pauvres Filles de Ste. Clare. (See N a r c i s s u s ).
L E N T I L .—Like almost all vegetables. Lentils are traditionally
regarded as funereal plants : formerly they were forbidden at
all sacrifices and feasts. St. Hilarión, when he arrived at man’s
estate, subsisted for three years upon Lentils steeped in cold water.
To dream of Lentils is supposed to indicate sorrow and
anxiety.
L E T T U C E .—Pythagoras, we are told, was extremely fond
of Lettuces, which formed a large portion of his diet ; but Eubulus
is said to have bitterly reproached his wife for having served up at
a meal Lettuces, which were only recommended for funeral repasts.
The ancients considered the Lettuce {Lactuca) as an aliment
appropriate in times of mourning, and they employed it largely in
their funeral repasts in commemoration of the death of Adonis, son
of Myrrha, whom Venus had concealed in a bed of Lettuces, and
whose death had occurred from a wound infli<5ted by a wild boar
that had come to feed on the Lettuces, and so surprised the beautiful
youth. Another legend states that the young man hidden
by Venus in the Lettuce bed was Phaon, the handsome boatman
of Lesbos, and not Adonis. In mediæval days, it was superstitiously
thought that an evil spirit lurked in a bed of Lettuces, and
a species known by women as Astylida was believed to affedt
mothers adversely, and to cause grievous ills to newly-born infants.
Perhaps this may account for a saying often heard at Richmond,
S u r r e y O’er-much Lettuce in the garden will stop a young
wife’s bearing.” ' The old poets prescribed a bed of Lettuce for
those who were unable to obtain repose; and Pliny states that
Lettuces of all descriptions were thought to cause sleep. Pope,
referring to its soporific qualities, has said of the Lettuce :
“ I f your wish be rest,
“ Lettuce and Cowslip pi^obatum est!
Gerarde remarks that, if eaten after supper, this vegetable prevents
the drunkenness resulting from too free indulgence in wine. -
Lettuce is stated by the Mishna to be one of the five “ bitter herbs ”
ordered to eaten by Jews at the Feast of the Passover. To
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