Rue

onions, and garlic are potent all over the world against the eye. Neapolitan mothers bind a “cima rut a” or “head of garlic” over the heart of a new-born child, and strew rue round the mother’s bed. The Hindu father, giving away the bride, puts rue into the sacred fire. In Hamlet Ophelia says, “ There’s rue for you, and some for me, we call it Herb o’ Grace o’ Sun days ”—that is when seeking grace on the Sunday. “ Rue was hung round the neck as an amulet in Aristotle's time” (Brand, Pop. Ant.). In Italy a little bull’s horn of gold or silver or of coral (“the horn of plenty”) is worn to avert the jettatura. Mr Aynsley heard of a bull being driven into the courtyard of an Italian house, in order to expel the mal occhio, He supposes it to have acted as a kind of scapegoat (see ’Azazel). Dr Schuyler says that human “sin bearers” (Iskachi) are found even in Turkestan.