[P. 265]. “Sir John ... pulpit.” As the story was told of “as honest a man ... whereof mention was lately made”, he was of the Church of England; see under p. 461 for “Sir”. And since, I have found that Bishop Hutchinson in his Dedication calls him Sir John Grantham. Seemingly we thus have evidence of the dress in the pulpit; but one unwilling to be convinced might retort that the very mention of his sacerdotal dress is proof that he went into the pulpit exceptionally attired, and not to preach, but to perform a quasi-sacerdotal office.
[P. 266]. “Hundred and eight.” Here, from the “sayers of the charm”, the authority is, in all probability, the Vulg. Its 108 is our 109, Scot not having in this instance changed the numbering.
——— “Seachers.” Probably “Sea[r]chers”, as given in the second edition, but it may have been a form of seekers, since seche = seek.
——— “Horsse shoo.” This superstition probably had its origin from Stonehenge times and before, since the inner stones there, apparently the more sacred portion, and, so far as one can now judge, the corresponding part at Avebury, each form a horse-shoe. Sir H. James first, I believe, noticed the true shape at Stonehenge, and I afterwards independently observed it, both there and then at Avebury, and connected it with this horse-shoe superstition in The Antiquary, vol. ii, Oct. 1880.
——— “Alicium.” Have not as yet found this.
[P. 267]. “Herbe betonica.” “Stachys betonica”, Plin., b. 25, c. 8.
——— “Pullein”, etc. “Verbascum”; “Thapsus”, L., “bullock’s lungwort” (Kent). Tusser, like Scot, calls it “Longwort”, a variant of “Lungwort”.
[P. 268]. “Baccar.” “Nardum rusticum”, or, according to Sprengel, “Valeriana Celtica”, L.; others “foxglove”, or “asarabacca”.
——— “Browze”. Gives us the meaning of Bowze = boughs, it being so spelt to accord, as was the custom, not only in rhyme but in spelling.
——— “Vervain.” “Verbena officinalis”, L. (and other verbenas?), used, according to Park, “against poison, venom of beasts, and bewitched drinks”.