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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
85
"La
blanche
et
simple
Paquerette,
Que
ton
coeur
consult
surtout,
Dit,
Ton
amant,
tendre
fillette,
T'aime,
un
peu,
beaucoup,
point
du
tout."
Perhaps
Brown
alludes
to
the
same
species
of
divination
when
he
writes
of:
"The
gentle
daisy
with
her
silver
crown,
Worn
in
the
breast
of
many
a
shepherd
lass."
In
England
the
marigold,
which
is
carefully
excluded
from
the
flowers
with
which
German
maidens
tell
their
fortunes
as
unfavourable
to
love,
is
often
used
for
divination,
and
in
Germany
the
star-flower
and
dandelion.
Among
some
of
the
ordinary
flowers
in
use
for
love-divination
may
be
mentioned
the
poppy,
with
its
"prophetic
leaf,"
and
the
old-fashioned
"bachelor's
buttons,"
which
was
credited
with
possessing
some
magical
effect
upon
the
fortunes
of
lovers.
Hence
its
blossoms
were
carried
in
the
pocket,
success
in
love
being
indicated
in
proportion
as
they
lost
or
retained
their
freshness.
Browne
alludes
to
the
primrose,
which
"maidens
as
a
true-love
in
their
bosoms
place;"
and
in
the
North
of
England
the
kemps
or
spikes
of
the
ribwort
plantain
are
used
as
love-charms.
The
mode
of
procedure
as
practised
in
Northamptonshire
is
thus
picturesquely
given
by
Clare
in
his
"Shepherd's
Calendar:":
"Or
trying
simple
charms
and
spells,
Which
rural
superstition
tells,
They
pull
the
little
blossom
threads
From
out
the
knotweed's
button
heads,
And
put
the
husk,
with
many
a
smile,
In
their
white
bosom
for
a
while;
Then,
if
they
guess
aright
the
swain
Their
love's
sweet
fancies
try
to
gain,
'Tis
said
that
ere
it
lies
an
hour,
'Twill
blossom
with
a
second
flower,
And
from
the
bosom's
handkerchief
Bloom
as
it
ne'er
had
lost
a
leaf."
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