Upon the use of herbs as amulets his views seem inconsistent. He is scornful of the custom of hanging a piece of mistletoe to children's necks "against witchcraft and the illusion of Sathan"; yet he gravely informs us that "if the sope that is made of the lye of the ashes [of glassewort] be spread upon a piece of thicke course brown paper cut into the forme of their shooe sole, that are casually taken speechless and bound to the soles of their feete it will bring again the speech and that within a little time after the applying thereof if there be any hope of being restored while they live: this hath been tried to be effectuall upon diverse persons."[100] The custom of wearing meadowsweet or hanging it up in living-rooms[101] he describes as a "superstitious conceit," but he accepts without demur the tradition[102] that a wreath of periwinkle "worne about the legs defendeth them that wear it from the crampe." Bartholomæus Anglicus tells us that Augustus Cæsar used to wear a wreath of bryony during a thunderstorm to protect himself from lightning, but the story is not repeated until, after the lapse of four hundred years, we find in Parkinson the statement that "Augustus Cæsar was wont to weare bryony with bayes made into a roule or garlande thereby to be secured from lightening."[103] Parkinson regards the use of herbs against witchcraft as sheer foolishness, but he is the only herbalist who gives us a potion[104] which "resisteth such charmes or the like witchery that is used in such drinkes that are given to produce love." Like Gerard, he does not question the efficacy of borage, bugloss and many other herbs to promote happiness. Of borage[105] he tells us: "The leaves floures and seedes are very cordiall and helpe to expell pensivenesse and melancholie that ariseth without manifest cause"; and of a confection made from oak galls,[106] that it is "dayly commended and used with good effect against Melancholy passions and sorrow proceeding of no evident cause." Water yarrow "is taken with vinegar to helpe casuall sighings also the Toothache."[107] Under viper's-grass[108] we find "the water distilled in glasses or the roote itself taken is good against the passions and tremblings of the heart as also against swoonings sadnes and melancholy," and under bugloss,[109] that "the rootes or seedes are effectuall to comfort the heart and to expell sadnesse and causelesse melancholy." In common with other herbalists he believed also that herbs could be used to strengthen the memory, to help weak brains, to quicken the senses and even to soothe "frenzied" people. Of eyebright,[110] used for so many centuries, and even until recent times, to help dull sight, he says: "it helpeth a weake braine or memory and restoreth them being decayed in a short time." Fleabane "bound to the forehead is a great helpe to cure one of the frensie," while "the distilled water of thyme applyed with vinegar of Roses to the forehead easeth the rage of