Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter xxiii. king lear. jjhe plants named in this play are Fumiter (Fumaria officinalis), Harlocks (Sinapis arvensis), Hemlock (Conium maculatum), Nettles, Cuckoo flowers (Lychnis Flos-cuculi), Darnel (Lolium temulentum), Samphire (Crithmum maritimum). In Act iv. Scene 4, a tent in the camp at Dover, where Edgar enters as Mad Tom, Cordelia says: --Alack! 'tis he; why, he was met even now As mad as the vex'd sea, singing aloud; Crown'd with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds, With harlocks, hemlock, nettles, cucho-flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow In our sustaining corn. Fumiter or Fumitory, hemlock and darnel, see Henry V. The hemlock is noticed by the prophet Hosea, chap. x. verse 4, as springing up in the First printed in 1608. 4to. furrows of the field. The character here given of fumiter, as a furrow weed, is correct, and it is well known to husbandmen. Harlocks. This I consider should be charlock or carlock, the ancient name of wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis), a very common weed in corn fields, with yellow flowers. Cuckoo flowers (Lychnis Flos-cuculi), ragged robin, a well-known meadow and marsh plant, with rosecoloured flowers and deeply-cut narrow segments; it blossoms at the time the cuckoo comes, hence one of its names. In Act iv. Scene 6, (the country near Dover), Edgar leading Gloster: --Edgar. Come on, sir; here's the place!--stand still.--How fearful And dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low! The crows, and choughs, that wing the midway air, Show scarce so gross as beetles: Half way down Hangs one that gathers samphire; dreadful trade! Methinks he seems no bigger than his head; The fishermen that walk upon the beach, Appear like mice: and yon tall anchoring bark, Diminished to her cock; her cock, a buoy Almost..