The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare Part 98

(8) _K. Henry._

You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate: there is more eloquence in a Sugar touch of them than in the tongues of the French council.

_Henry V_, act v, sc. 2 (401).

(9) _Queen Margaret._

Poor painted Queen, vain flourish of my fortune!

Why strew'st thou Sugar on that bottled spider, Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about?

_Richard III_, act i, sc. 3 (241).

(10) _Gloucester._

Your grace attended to their Sugar'd words, But look'd not on the poison of their hearts.

_Richard III_, act iii, sc. 1 (13).

(11) _Polonius._

We are oft to blame in this-- Tis too much proved--that with devotion's visage And pious actions we do Sugar o'er The devil himself.

_Hamlet_, act iii, sc. 1 (46).

(12) _Brabantio._

These sentences, to Sugar, or to gall, Being strong on both sides, are equivocal.

_Oth.e.l.lo_, act i, sc. 3 (216).

(13) _Timon._

And never learn'd The icy precepts of respect, but follow'd The Sugar'd game before thee.

_Timon of Athens_, act iv, sc. 3 (257).

(14) _Pucelle._

By fair persuasion mix'd with Sugar'd words We will entice the Duke of Burgundy.

_1st Henry VI_, act iii, sc. 3 (18).

(15) _K. Henry._

Hide not thy poison with such Sugar'd words.

_2nd Henry VI_, act iii, sc. 2 (45).

(16) _Prince Henry._

One poor pennyworth of Sugar-candy, to make thee long-winded.

_1st Henry IV_, act iii, sc. 3 (180).

(17)

Thy Sugar'd tongue to bitter Wormwood taste.

_Lucrece_ (893).

As a pure vegetable product, though manufactured, Sugar cannot be pa.s.sed over in an account of the plants of Shakespeare; but it will not be necessary to say much about it. Yet the history of the migrations of the Sugar-plant is sufficiently interesting to call for a short notice.

Its original home seems to have been in the East Indies, whence it was imported in very early times. It is probably the "sweet cane" of the Bible; and among cla.s.sical writers it is named by Strabo, Lucan, Varro, Seneca, Dioscorides, and Pliny. The plant is said to have been introduced into Europe during the Crusades, and to have been cultivated in the Morea, Rhodes, Malta, Sicily, and Spain.[286:1] By the Spaniards it was taken first to Madeira and the Cape de Verd Islands, and, very soon after the discovery of America, to the West Indies. There it soon grew rapidly, and increased enormously, and became a chief article of commerce, so that though we now almost look upon it as entirely a New World plant, it is in fact but a stranger there, that has found a most congenial home.

In 1468 the price of Sugar was sixpence a pound, equal to six s.h.i.+llings of our money,[287:1] but in Shakespeare's time it must have been very common,[287:2] or it could not so largely have worked its way into the common English language and proverbial expressions; and it must also have been very cheap, or it could not so entirely have superseded the use of honey, which in earlier times was the only sweetening material.

Shakespeare may have seen the living plant, for it was grown as a curiosity in his day, though Gerard could not succeed with it: "Myself did plant some shootes thereof in my garden, and some in Flanders did the like, but the coldness of our clymate made an end of myne, and I think the Flemmings will have the like profit of their labour." But he bears testimony to the large use of Sugar in his day; "of the juice of the reede is made the most pleasant and profitable sweet called Sugar, whereof is made infinite confections, sirupes, and such like, as also preserving and conserving of sundrie fruits, herbes and flowers, as roses, violets, rosemary flowers and such like."

FOOTNOTES:

[286:1] "It is the juice of certain canes or reedes whiche growe most plentifully in the Ilandes of Madera, Sicilia, Cyprus, Rhodus and Candy.

It is made by art in boyling of the Canes, much like as they make their white salt in the Witches in Ches.h.i.+re."--COGHAN, _Haven of Health_, 1596, p. 110.

[287:1] "Babee's Book," x.x.x.

[287:2] It is mentioned by Chaucer--

"Gyngerbred that was so fyn.

And licorys and eek comyn With Sugre that is trye."--_Tale of Sir Thopas._

SWEET MARJORAM, _see_ MARJORAM.