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that the whole earth was inundated : and from this circumstance
the oceans were formed. The Chinese honour the Pumpkin or
Gourd as the emperor of vegetables. The vegetable was considered
by the ancients to be an emblem of abundance, fecundity,
prosperity, and good health. To dream of Pumpkins, however, is
considered a very bad omen.
P u r i f i c a t io n F l o w e r .—See Snowdrop.
P U R S L A N E .—Purslane (Portulaca), strewn about a bed,
used in olden times to be considered a sure protection against evil
spirits. Astrologers classify it among the herbs of the Moon.
Q U IN C E .- -The fruit of the Quince-tree [Cydonia) was consecrated
to Venus, and was looked upon by Grecian lovers as a
love token. According to Athenaeus, the chariot of the goddess
of Love was not only filled with Myrtles and Roses, but also with
Quinces, and in many ancient effigies of the goddess, she is
represented with a Quince in her hand. B y a decree of Solon,
which gave to an ancient popular custom the countenance of the
law, a Grecian bride, before seeking the nuptial couch, had to eat
a Quince. The Greeks called the Quince Chrysomelon, or Golden
Apple ; hence it is not surprising to find it asserted that the golden
fruit of the Hesperides were Quinces, and that these tempted
Hercules to attack the guardian dragon. In confirmation of this
opinion, a statue of the demi-god holding a Quince in his hand as
a trophy is referred to. It is also alleged that it was by means of
Quinces given to him by Venus, that Hippomenes beguiled
Atalanta during his race with her, and so won it. It was by
means of a Quince that Acontius won his bride : this youth, when
at Delos, to attend the sacrifices of Diana, fell in love with the
beautiful Cydippe: fearing to demand her hand, on account of
his obscure origin, the crafty lover threw into the Temple of Diana,
whilst Cydippe was performing her devotions, a Quince, with this
inscription :—“ I swear, by the divinity of Diana, to become the
wife of Acontius.” The young girl, having picked up the Quince,
read aloud the inscription, and, being compelled by the oath she
had thus inadvertently taken in the sacred presence of the goddess,
she obtained her parents’ consent to marry the quick-witted
Acontius. Turner, in his ‘ Brittish Physician,’ says that the
juice of raw Quince is accounted an antidote against deadly poison.
To dream of Quinces is stated to be favourable to the dreamer,
denoting speedy release from troubles, sickness, &c.
Q U IC K E N - T R E E . - -The Mountain Ash, Wild Service, or
Rowan-tree [Pyrus aucuparid), is also known by the names of
the Quicken or Quick-beam, Witchen or Wicken, appellations
which, from the Rowan-tree having been long regarded as a
preservative against witchcraft, some writers have erroneously
connedted with the Anglo-Saxon word wicce, a witch. Evelyn
calls this tree the Quick-beam, and says that in Wales it is
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p l a n t h o r e , I s e g e r ^ /, a n il Isijrlc/. 509
planted in every churchyard, and that “ on a certain day in the
year everybody religiously wears a cross made of the wood, and
it is reputed to be a preservative against fascination and evil
spirits, whence perhaps we call it Witchen ; the boughs being stuck
about the house, or the wood used for walking-staves.” (See
R owan ).
R A D I SH .—The Germans have given to a species of wild
Radish bearing blue fiowers the name of Hederich, and they have an
old superstition that whoever wears a crown composed_ of Hederich
is enabled to detedt witches. A wreath of Hederich is sometimes
placed on cows before leaving their stalls to be milked, in order to
protedt them from the eifedt of the E v il Ey e. In England, to
dream of Radishes signifies the discovery of secrets, domestic
quarrels, and misfortune. In Germany, they call a certain evil
spirit, or Geni of the mountain, Piihezahl, the Counter of Radishes;
and the legend relates that on one occasion this Geni took advantage
of the absence of her lover to pay his odious addresses to a
young princess, whom he kept confined in her castle. As the
princess expressed a desire for companions, the Geni gathered some
Radishes, which she touched with a magic wand, and changed
into young girls, who, however, only remained young so long as
the Radishes retained their juice. Then the Geni gave her some
fre.L Radishes, one of which, on being touched with the magic
wand, became a bee. The princess, who was jealously guarded by
the Geni, sent off the bee as a messenger to her lover, to inform
him that she was in the Geni’s power. The bee did not return.
She touched a second, which became a cricket, and despatched it
in search of her lover. The cricket never returned. Then the
princess desired the Geni to count the Radishes, and he, to please
her, did so. Whilst so occupied, the princess touched one of the
Radishes with her wand, and it became a horse. In an instant,
she sprang on its back, and rode away at full speed ; and fortunately
meeting her lover, they both escaped together.
R A G G E D R O B IN .—The Ragged Robin, Cuckoo Flower,
Meadow Campion, or Meadow Pink [Lychnis Flos cuculi) owes the
first of these names to the finely-cut but ragged appearance of its
petals. It is dedicated to St. Barnabas.
R A G -W E E D .—The large Rag-weed [Senecio Jacobcea) has a
traditional reputation of having been employed by witches as
horses when they took their midnight rides. To the south of the
famed Logan Rock on the Cornish coast is a high peak of granite
known as the Castle Peak, which is locally reputed to have been
for ages the midnight rendezvous for witches; and thither, according
to tradition, witches were constantly seen fiying on moonlight nights,
mounted on the stems of the Rag-weed, and carrying with them the
things necessary to make their charms potent and strong. The
Rag-weeds or worts were also called Stagger-worts because they
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