Part 14 (2/2)

Those who reap advantage from another man's labour are said to ”put their sickle into another man's corn,” and the various surroundings of royalty, however insignificant they may be, are generally better, says the proverb, than the best thing of the subjects:--

”The king's chaff is better than other people's corn.”

Among the proverbs relating to gra.s.s may be mentioned the popular one, ”He does not let the gra.s.s grow under his feet;” another old version of which is, ”No gra.s.s grows on his heel.” Another well-known adage reminds us that:--

”The higher the hill the lower the gra.s.s.”

And equally familiar is the following:--

”While the gra.s.s groweth the seely horse starveth.”

In connection with hops, the proverb runs that ”hops make or break;” and no hop-grower, writes,

Mr. Hazlitt,[3] ”will have much difficulty in appreciating this proverbial dictum. An estate has been lost or won in the course of a single season; but the hop is an expensive plant to rear, and a bad year may spoil the entire crop.”

Actions which produce different results to what are expected are thus spoken of:--

”You set saffron and there came up wolfsbane.”

In Devons.h.i.+re it may be noted that this plant is used to denote anything of value; and it is related of a farmer near Exeter who, when praising a certain farm, remarked, ”'Tis a very pretty little place; he'd let so dear as saffron.”

Many, again, are the proverbial sayings a.s.sociated with roses--most of these being employed to indicate what is not only sweet and lovely, but bright and joyous. Thus, there are the well-known phrases, ”A bed of roses,” and ”As sweet as a rose,” and the oft-quoted popular adage:--

”The rose, called by any other name, would smell as sweet,”

Which, as Mr. Hazlitt remarks, ”although not originally proverbial, or in its nature, or even in the poet's intention so, has acquired that character by long custom.”

An old adage, which is still credited by certain of our country folk, reminds us that:--

”A parsley field will bring a man to his saddle and a woman to her grave,”

A warning which is not unlike one current in Surrey and other southern counties:--

”Where parsley's grown in the garden, there'll be a death before the year's out.”

In Devons.h.i.+re it has long been held unlucky to transplant parsley, and a poor woman in the neighbourhood of Morwenstow attributed a certain stroke with which one of her children had been afflicted after whooping-cough to the unfortunate undoing of the parsley bed. In the ”Folk-lore Record,” too, an amusing instance is related of a gardener at Southampton, who, for the same reason, refused to sow some parsley seed.

It may be noted that from a very early period the same antipathy has existed in regard to this plant, and it is recorded how a few mules laden with parsley threw into a complete panic a Greek force on its march against the enemy. But the plant no doubt acquired its ominous significance from its having been largely used to bestrew the tombs of the dead; the Greek term ”dehisthai selinou”--to be in need of parsley--was a common phrase employed to denote those on the point of death. There are various other superst.i.tions attached to this plant, as in Hamps.h.i.+re, where the peasants dislike giving any away for fear of some ill-luck befalling them. Similarly, according to another proverb:--

”Sowing fennel is sowing sorrow.”

But why this should be so it is difficult to explain, considering that by the ancients fennel was used for the victor's wreath, and, as one of the plants dedicated to St. John, it has long been placed over doors on his vigil. On the other hand, there is a common saying with respect to rosemary, which was once much cultivated in kitchen gardens:--

”Where rosemary flourishes the lady rules.”

Vetches, from being reputed a most hardy grain, have been embodied in the following adage:--

”A thetch will go through The bottom of an old shoe,”

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