The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare Part 27

_1st Henry VI_, act iii, sc. 2 (41).

Virgil, in his Fifth Eclogue, says--

"Grandia saepe quibus mandavimus hordea solcis Infelix lolium et steriles dominantur avenae."

Thus translated by Thomas Newton, 1587--

"Sometimes there sproutes abundant store Of baggage, noisome weeds, Burres, Brembles, Darnel, c.o.c.kle, Dawke, Wild Oates, and choaking seedes."

And the same is repeated in the first Georgic, and in both places _lolium_ is always translated Darnel, and so by common consent Darnel is identified with the Lolium temulentum or wild Rye Gra.s.s. But in Shakespeare's time Darnel, like c.o.c.kle (which see), was the general name for any hurtful weed. In the old translation of the Bible, the Zizania, which is now translated Tares, was sometime translated c.o.c.kle,[78:1] and Newton, writing in Shakespeare's time, says--"Under the name of c.o.c.kle and Darnel is comprehended all vicious, noisom and unprofitable graine, encombring and hindring good corne."--_Herball to the Bible._ The Darnel is not only injurious from choking the corn, but its seeds become mixed with the true Wheat, and so in Dorsets.h.i.+re--and perhaps in other parts--it has the name of "Cheat" (Barnes' Glossary), from its false likeness to Wheat. It was this false likeness that got for it its bad character. "Darnell or Juray," says Lyte ("Herball," 1578), "is a vitious graine that combereth or anoyeth corne, especially Wheat, and in his knotten straw, blades, or leaves is like unto Wheate." Yet Lindley says that "the noxious qualities of Darnel or Lolium temulentum seem to rest upon no certain proof" ("Vegetable Kingdom," p. 116).

FOOTNOTES:

[78:1] "When men were a sleepe, his enemy came and oversowed c.o.c.kle among the wheate, and went his way."--_Rheims Trans._, 1582. For further early references to c.o.c.kle or Darnel see note on "Darnelle" in the "Catholicon Anglic.u.m," p. 90, and Britten's "English Plant Names," p.

143.

DATES.

(1) _Clown._

I must have Saffron to colour the Warden pies--Mace--Dates?

none; that's out of my note.

_Winter's Tale_, act iv, sc. 3 (48).

(2) _Nurse._

They call for Dates and Quinces in the pastry.

_Romeo and Juliet_, act iv, sc. 4 (2).

(3) _Parolles._

Your Date is better in your pie and your porridge than in your cheek.

_All's Well that Ends Well_, act i, sc. 1 (172).

(4) _Pandarus._

Do you know what a man is? Is not birth, beauty, good shape, discourse, manhood, learning, gentleness, virtue, youth, liberality, and such like, the spice and salt that season a man?

_Cressida._

Ay, a minced man; and then to be baked with no Date in the pye; for then the man's date's out.

_Troilus and Cressida_, act i, sc. 2 (274).

The Date is the well-known fruit of the Date Palm (_Phnix dactylifera_), the most northern of the Palms. The Date Palm grows over the whole of Southern Europe, North Africa, and South-eastern Asia; but it is not probable that Shakespeare ever saw the tree, though Neckam speaks of it in the twelfth century, and Lyte describes it, and Gerard made many efforts to grow it; he tried to grow plants from the seed, "the which I have planted many times in my garden, and have grown to the height of three foot, but the first frost hath nipped them in such sort that they perished, notwithstanding mine industrie by covering them, or what else I could do for their succour." The fruit, however, was imported into England in very early times, and was called by the Anglo-Saxons Finger-Apples, a curious name, but easily explained as the translation of the Greek name for the fruit, da?t???? which was also the origin of the word date, of which the olden form was dactylle.[80:1]

FOOTNOTES:

[80:1] "A dactylle frute dactilis."--_Catholicon Anglic.u.m._

DEAD MEN'S FINGERS.

_Queen._

Our cold maids do Dead Men's Fingers call them.

_Hamlet_, act iv, sc. 7 (172).

_See_ LONG PURPLES, p. 148.

DEWBERRIES.

_t.i.tania._

Feed him with Apric.o.c.ks and Dewberries.

_Midsummer Night's Dream_, act iii, sc. 1 (169).

The Dewberry (_Rubus caesius_) is a handsome fruit, very like the Blackberry, but coming earlier. It has a peculiar sub-acid flavour, which is much admired by some, as it must have been by t.i.tania, who joins it with such fruits as Apricots, Grapes, Figs, and Mulberries. It may be readily distinguished from the Blackberry by the fruit being composed of a few larger drupes, and being covered with a glaucous bloom.

DIAN'S BUD.

_Oberon._

Be, as thou wast wont to be (touching her eyes with an herb), See, as thou wast wont to see; Dian's Bud o'er Cupid's flower Hath such force and blessed power.