  | CHAPTER I | | PAGE | | The Anglo-Saxon Herbals | 1 | | Evidence of the existence of books on herbs in the eighth century—Tenth-century manuscripts—Their importance as the first records of Anglo-Saxon plant lore and of folk medicine of a still earlier age—Preliminary survey of the more important manuscripts—Leech Book of Bald—Authorship and origin—Oldest Leech Book written in the vernacular in Europe—Saxon translation of the Herbarium Apuleii Platonici—Illustrations—Saxon translation of the ???? ????????—The Lacnunga—Importance of these manuscripts to the student of folk lore—Folk lore of the origin of disease—Doctrine of the “elf-shot”—“Flying venom”—Doctrine of the worm as the ultimate source of disease—Demoniac possession—Herbal remedies—Picturesqueness of Saxon methods of treating diseases—Smoking patient with fumes of herbs—Cattle similarly treated—Use of herbs as amulets—Binding on with red wool—Specially sacred herbs—Charms and incantations to be used in picking and administering herbs—Transference of disease—Predominance of the number nine—Ceremonies to be observed in the picking of herbs—Nature-worship in these ceremonies—Eostra—Prayer to Earth. | | | CHAPTER II | | Later Manuscript Herbals and the Early Printed Herbals | 42 | | Later manuscript herbals—Copies of Macer’s herbal—Treatise on the virtues of rosemary sent by the Countess of Hainault to Queen Philippa of England—BartholomÆus Anglicus, De Proprietatibus rerum—Popularity of his writings—Characteristics of De herbis—Trevisa’s translation—BartholomÆus on the rose, the violet, etc.—Fleeting pictures of mediÆval life in De herbis—Feeding swine, making bread, building houses, making linen, life in the vineyards, woods, etc.—Wynken de Worde’s poem at the end of his edition of De Proprietatibus rerum—Banckes’s Herbal—Possible sources—Later editions—Rose recipes—MediÆval belief in wholesomeness of fragrant herbs—Descriptions of herbs in Banckes’s Herbal—“The boke of secretes of Albartus Magnus”—Herb lore and magic—The Grete Herball—Its origin—Peter Treveris—Characteristics of this herbal—The vertuose book of the Dystillacion of the Waters of all maner of Herbes. | | | CHAPTER III | | Turner’s Herbal and the Influence of the Foreign Herbalists | 75 | | William Turner—Cambridge with Nicholas Ridley—Travels abroad—Bologna—Luca Ghini—Conrad Gesner—Cologne—Appointed chaplain and physician to the Duke of Somerset—His early writings on herbs—Turner’s Herbal—Illustrations—Characteristics of the book—Descriptions of herbs—North-country lore—Old country customs—Influence of the foreign herbalists on the later English herbals—Leonhard Fuchs—Rembert Dodoens—Charles de l’Escluse—Matthias de l’Obel—Lyte’s translation of Dodoens’ Cruÿdtboeck—Illustrations—Ram’s little Dodoen. | | | CHAPTER IV | | Gerard’s Herbal | 98 | | Popularity of Gerard’s Herbal—Its charm—Gerard’s boyhood—Later life—His garden in Holborn—Friendship with Jean Robin, keeper of the royal gardens in Paris—Origin of Gerard’s Herbal—Illustrations—Old beliefs in the effects of herbs on the heart and mind—Use of herbs as amulets—Other folk lore—Myth of the barnacle geese—Origin and history of the myth—Old English names of plants—Wild flower life of London in Elizabeth’s day—“Master Tuggie’s” garden in Westminster—Shakespeare and Gerard. | | | CHAPTER V | | Herbals of the New World | 120 | | Herbals written in connection with the colonisation of America by the Spaniards and English—Early records of the plant lore of the Red Indians—English weeds introduced into America and first gardens in New England—Joyfull Newes from out of the newe founde worlde—Gums used by the Red Indians—“Mechoacan”—“The hearbe tabaco”—First account and illustration of this plant—Its uses by the Red Indians in their religious ceremonies and as a wound-herb—Origin of the name “Nicotiana”—Sassafras—Use by the Spanish soldiers—Root used as a pomander in Europe in time of plague—New England’s Rarities discovered—Weeds introduced into America with the first Colonists—First list of English plants grown in New England gardens—The American Physitian—The “Maucaw” tree—Use of the seed by the Red Indians—Cacao and the making of chocolate—Cacao kernels used as tokens—James Petiver—The South-Sea Herbal. | | | CHAPTER VI | | John Parkinson, the Last of the Great English Herbalists | 142 | | John Parkinson—The Paradisus—Myth of the vegetable lamb—Origin of the myth—Characteristics of the book—An Elizabethan flower-garden—Lilies, anemones, gilliflowers, cucko-flowers, etc.—Sweet herbs: rosemary, lavender, basil, thyme, hyssop—The kitchen garden—The orchard—Theatrum Botanicum—Its importance—Old belief in the power of herbs against evil spirits—Folk lore in this Herbal—Bee lore—Beauty recipes—Country customs and beliefs. | | | CHAPTER VII | | Later Seventeenth-century Herbals and Sixteenth-and Seventeenth-century Still-room Books | 163 | | Later seventeenth-century Herbals—Revival of belief in astrological lore—Nicholas Culpeper—His character—Popularity in the East End of London—His Herbal—Coles’s Art of Simpling—Doctrine of Signatures—Herbs used by animals—Plants used in and against witchcraft—Coles’s astrological beliefs—On the pleasures of gardening—Still-room books—Their relation to herbals—The Fairfax still-room book—An old love-letter—Recipes: “To make a bath for melancholy,” “Balles for the face,” “For them theyr speech faileth”—Lady Sedley her receipt book—Noted contributors to this book—Mary Doggett Her Book of Receipts, 1682—Recipes: “A pomander for balme water,” “To dry roses for sweet powder,” “A perfume for a
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