The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare Part 30

[85:1] Called also Eldern in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and still earlier, Eller or Ellyr ("Catholicon Anglic.u.m"). "The Ellern is a tree with long bowes, ful sounde and sad wythout, and ful holowe within, and ful of certayne nesshe pyth."--_Clanvil de prop._

[85:2] From the facility with which the hard wood can be hollowed out, the tree was from very ancient times called the Bore-tree. See "Catholicon Anglic.u.m," s.v. Bur-tre.

ELM.

(1) _Adriana._

Thou art an Elm, my husband, I a Vine, Whose weakness married to thy stronger state Makes me with thy strength to communicate.

_Comedy of Errors_, act ii, sc. 2 (176).

(2) _t.i.tania._

The female Ivy so Enrings the barky fingers of the Elm.

_Midsummer Night's Dream_, act iv, sc. 1 (48).

(3) _Poins._

Answer, thou dead Elm, answer![87:1]

_2nd Henry IV_, act ii, sc, 4 (358).

Though Vineyards were more common in England in the sixteenth century than now, yet I can nowhere find that the Vines were ever trained, in the Italian fas.h.i.+on, to Elms or Poplars. Yet Shakespeare does not stand alone in thus speaking of the Elm in its connection with the Vine.

Spenser speaks of "the Vine-prop Elme," and Milton--

"They led the Vine To wed her Elm; she spoused, about him twines Her marriageable arms, and with her brings Her dower, the adopted cl.u.s.ters, to adorn His barren leaves."

And Browne--

"She, whose inclination Bent all her course to him-wards, let him know He was the Elm, whereby her Vine did grow."

_Britannia's Pastorals_, book i, song 1.

"An Elm embraced by a Vine, Clipping so strictly that they seemed to be One in their growth, one shade, one fruit, one tree; Her boughs his arms; his leaves so mixed with hers, That with no wind he moved, but straight she stirs."

_Ibid._, ii, 4.

But I should think that neither Shakespeare, nor Browne, nor Milton ever saw an English Vine trained to an Elm; they were simply copying from the cla.s.sical writers.

The Wych Elm is probably a true native, but the more common Elm of our hedgerows is a tree of Southern Europe and North Africa, and is of such modern introduction into England that in Evelyn's time it was rarely seen north of Stamford. It was probably introduced into Southern England by the Romans.

FOOTNOTES:

[87:1] Why Falstaff should be called a dead Elm is not very apparent; but the Elm was a.s.sociated with death as producing the wood for coffins.

Thus Chaucer speaks of it as "the piler Elme, the cofre unto careyne,"

_i.e._, carrion ("Parliament of Fowles," 177).

ERINGOES.

_Falstaff._

Let the sky rain Potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of Green Sleeves, hail kissing-comfits, and snow Eringoes.

_Merry Wives_, act v, sc. 5 (20).

Gerard tells us that Eringoes are the candied roots of the Sea Holly (_Eryngium maritimum_), and he gives the recipe for candying them. I am not aware that the Sea Holly is ever now so used, but it is a very handsome plant as it is seen growing on the sea sh.o.r.e, and its fine foliage makes it an ornamental plant for a garden. But as used by Falstaff I am inclined to think that the vegetable he wished for was the Globe Artichoke, which is a near ally of the Eryngium, was a favourite diet in Shakespeare's time, and was reputed to have certain special virtues which are not attributed to the Sea Holly, but which would more accord with Falstaff's character.[88:1] I cannot, however, anywhere find that the Artichoke was called Eringoes.

FOOTNOTES:

[88:1] For these supposed virtues of the Artichoke see Bullein's "Book of Simples."

FENNEL.

(1) _Ophelia._

There's Fennel for you and Columbines.

_Hamlet_, act iv, sc 5 (189).

(2) _Falstaff._

And a' plays at quoits well, and eats conger and Fennel.

_2nd Henry IV_, act ii, sc. 4 (266).

The Fennel was always a plant of high reputation. The Plain of Marathon was so named from the abundance of Fennel (a?a????) growing on it.[89:1] And like all strongly scented plants, it was supposed by the medical writers to abound in "virtues." Gower, describing the star Pleiades, says--

"Eke his herbe in speciall The vertuous Fenel it is."