beauty of this appearance, and, being to make some pillars at Corinth, imitated the form of this basket, surrounded with acanthus, in the capitals. It is certain there cannot be a more lively image of the capital of a Corinthian pillar than a basket covered with a tile, and surrounded by leaves of brank-ursine, bending outward at the top."-Others say that the acanthus of the architects is a different species, though of the same genus with the brank-ursine.

Virgil again mentions an Acanthus as forming the pattern upon a mantle which had belonged to Helen; and Theocritus, as a relievo upon a pastoral prize-cup:

"And all about the cup a crust was raised

Of soft acanthus."

But these Acanthuses either will not bear our climate, or they strike their roots too deep for potting; so that, however interesting they are rendered by classical association, it is in books we must enjoy them, if we would enjoy them at home.

MINT.

MENTHA.

LABIATE.

DIDYNAMIA GYMNOSPERMIA.

Supposed to be named from Mentha, a daughter of Cocytus, who was changed into this herb by Proserpina in a fit of jealousy. (See Anemone.)

MINT may seem to belong rather to a kitchen or a physic, than to a flower garden; but besides its medicinal and culinary uses, Spear-mint is esteemed by many persons for the scent; and for this scent, and the quickness of its growth, it is often grown in pots, although as a flower it is of no value. This mint is called in French, menthe verte [green mint]; menthe d'Angleterre [English mint]; menthe

Romaine [Roman mint]; menthe de Nôtre Dame [Our Lady's mint]: in Italian, erba Santa Maria [the Holy Mary's herb]. The flower, such as it is, is of a dark purple; the leaves are handsome, and, when they grow luxuriantly, have a cool and refreshing appearance. Preparations from several of the species are used in medicine; as Pepper-mint, Spear-mint, Pennyroyal, &c.

An infusion of Spear-mint is used as a substitute for tea; the young leaves are eaten in salads, and some eat them in the same manner as the leaves of sage, with bread and butter.

All the Mints are easily increased by parting the roots in the spring, or by planting cuttings in any of the summer months; keeping the earth very moist until they have taken

root.

Mint to be used as tea should be cut when just beginning to flower, and dried in the shade.

It is said that Corn-mint-in French, le pouliot thym [thyme pennyroyal]-prevents the coagulation of milk; and "when cows have eaten it," says Withering," as they will do largely at the end of summer, when pastures are bare, their milk can hardly be made to yield cheese; a circumstance which puzzles the dairy-maids."

Some of the wild mints are as beautiful as they are fragrant, and are well worthy the attention of those who love to peer into the flowery hedges, ramble in shady lanes,

"Or into the meadowes, where

Mints perfume the gentle aire,

And where Flora spends her treasure.”

W. BROWNE.

MONK'S-HOOD.

ACONITUM.

RANUNCULACEA.

POLYANDRIA TRIGYNIA.

Called also Wolf's-bane; Aconite.-French, l'aconit: tue loup : in some places, toutchoz.-Italian, aconito; erba della volpe.

THE Monk's-hoods are hardy perennials, very handsome; their flowers growing in spikes or rods, which, in some of the species, are nearly two feet long. They may be increased by parting the roots, every piece of which will grow. This should be done soon after they have done flowering; and the stalks should be cut down at the same time. They like shade and moisture. Most of them have blue flowers, but there are also white, and yellow.

The ancients, who were not acquainted with chemical poisons, regarded the Aconite as the most violent of all; and fabled it to be the invention of Hecate, and sprung from the foam of Cerberus :

"And now arrives unknown Ægeus' seed,

Who, great in name, had two-sea'd Isthmos freed;
Whose undeserved ruin Phasias * sought
By mortal aconite, from Scythia brought :
This from th' Echidnean dog dire essence draws.
There is a blind steep cave, with foggy jaws,
Through which the bold Tyrinthian hero† strain'd,
Dragg'd Cerberus, with adamant enchain'd;
Who backward hung, and, scowling, look'd askew
On glorious day, with anger rabid grew;

Thrice howls, thrice barks, at once with his three heads,
And on the grass his foamy poison sheds.
This sprung: attracting from the fruitful soil
Dire nourishment, and power of deathful spoil.
The rural swains, because it takes delight
In barren rocks, surnamed it aconite."

SANDYS'S OVID.

* Medea.

+ Hercules.

U

The real virulence of the Aconite has been proved by fatal experience. Some persons, only by smelling the fullblown flower, are said to have been seized with swooning fits, and to have lost their sight for two or three days. The root is the most powerful part of the plant; and a criminal has been put to death by being made to swallow one drachm of it. Dodonæus mentions an instance, recent in his time, of five persons at Antwerp who ate of the root by mistake, and all died. Instances have also been recorded of persons who have died from eating of this

in a salad, instead of celery; and some experiments upon animals have been made with it, which are too horrible to repeat.

Yet, when used with skill and caution, this plant has been found in some cases a useful medicine. Those with blue flowers are considered as the most powerful.

There is a species called the Wholesome Aconite-in French, maclou-which has been recommended as an antidote to the poisonous kinds. This, however, is poisonous, though not so powerfully so as the others. All the kinds have rather deep roots, which render them unfit for growing in pots. They are here mentioned rather to speak of their dangerous tendency than to recommend their increase.

MOTHERWORT.

LEONURUS.

LABIATE.

DIDYNAMIA GYMNOSPERMIA.

The common kind is called in French, l'agripaume; la cordiale.— Italian, agripalma; cardiaca.

THE Common Motherwort, and the Curled, when the seeds are once sown in the spring, require no further care than occasionally to water them, and to keep them clear

of weeds. The roots last many years they are usually of a pale red in the first, pure white in the latter kind.

The Small-flowered, Tartarian, and Siberian, require no more care than the other kinds, but to sow them oftener. They do not blow till the second year, and blow but once, Their colours are flesh-coloured, yellow, and red: blowing from June to August.

In a garden they sow their own seeds; and, when once introduced, give no further trouble.

In Japan, the Motherwort is in great estimation. It seems there was formerly, to the north of the province of Nanyo-no-rekken, a village situated near a hill covered with Motherwort flowers. At the foot of the hill was a valley, through which ran a stream of pure water, formed by the dew and rains that trickled down the sides of the hill. This water was the ordinary beverage of the villagers, who generally lived to the age of a hundred, or a hundred and thirty. To die at seventy was considered as a premature death. Thus the people have still an idea that the Motherwort has the property of prolonging life. At the court of the Dairi, the ecclesiastical sovereign of Japan, they amuse themselves with drinking zakki*, prepared from these flowers.

The Japanese have five grand festivals in the course of the year. The last festival, which takes place on the 9th of the ninth month, is called the Festival of Motherwort; and the month itself is named Kikousouki, or Month of Motherwort-flowers. It was formerly the custom to gather these flowers as soon as they had opened, and to mix them with boiled rice, from which they prepared the zakki used in celebrating this festival. In the houses of the common people, instead of this beverage, you find a branch of the flowers fastened with a string to a pitcher full of common

* Zakki is a kind of strong beer; the common beverage in Japan.