The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare Part 28

_Midsummer Night's Dream_, act iv, sc. 1 (76).

The same herb is mentioned in act iii, sc. 2 (366)--

Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye, Whose liquor hath this virtuous property, To take from thence all error, with his might, And make his eyeb.a.l.l.s roll with wonted sight.

But except in these two pa.s.sages I believe the herb is not mentioned by any author. It can be nothing but Shakespeare's translation of Artemisia, the herb of Artemis or Diana, a herb of wonderful virtue according to the writers before Shakespeare's day. (_See_ WORMWOOD.)

DOCKS.

 

(1) _Burgundy._

And nothing teems But hateful Docks, rough Thistles, Kecksies, Burs.

_Henry V_, act v, sc. 2 (51).

(2) _Antonio._

He'd sow it with Nettle seed,

_Sebastian._

Or Docks, or Mallows.

_Tempest_, act ii, sc. 1 (145).

The Dock may be dismissed with little note or comment, merely remarking that the name is an old one, and is variously spelled as dokke, dokar, doken, &c. An old name for the plant was "Patience;" the "bitter patience" of Spenser, which is supposed by Dr. Prior to be a corruption of Pa.s.sions.

DOGBERRY.

(_Dramatis personae_ in _Much Ado About Nothing._)

The Dogberry is the fruit either of the Cornus sanguinea or of the Euonymus Europaeus. Parkinson limits the name to the Cornus, and says: "We for the most part call it the _Dogge berry tree_, because the berries are not fit to be eaten, or to be given to a dogge." The plant is only named by Shakespeare as a man's name, but it could scarcely be omitted, as I agree with Mr. Milner that it was "probable that our dramatist had the tree in his mind when he gave a name to that fine fellow for a 'sixth and lastly,' Constable, Dogberry of the Watch"

("Country Pleasures," p. 229).

EBONY.

(1) _King._

The Ebon-coloured ink.

_Love's Labour's Lost_, act i, sc. 1 (245).

(2) _King._

By heaven, thy love is black as Ebony.

_Biron._

Is Ebony like her? O wood divine!

A wife of such wood were felicity.

_Ibid._, act iv, sc. 3 (247).

(3) _Clown._

The clearstores towards the south north are as l.u.s.trous as Ebony.

_Twelfth Night_, act iv, sc. 2 (41).

(4) _Pistol._

Rouse up revenge from Ebon den.

_2nd Henry IV_, act v, sc. 5 (39).

(5) Death's Ebon dart, to strike him dead.

_Venus and Adonis_ (948).

The Ebony as a tree was unknown in England in the time of Shakespeare.

The wood was introduced, and was the typical emblem of darkness. The timber is the produce of more than one species, but comes chiefly from Diospyros Ebenum, Ebenaster, Melanoxylon, Mabola, &c. (Lindley), all natives of the East.

EGLANTINE.

(1) _Oberon._

I know a bank where the wild Thyme blows, Where Oxlips and the nodding Violet grows; Quite over-canopied with luscious Woodbine, With sweet Musk-Roses and with Eglantine.