HUMBLE LIFE. 293

Jac. It is only a little spot, sir; but it serves for
Bome amusement, and use too.

Ch. What beautiful stocks and wall-flowers! We
have none so fine in our garden.

Jac. Why, master, to say the truth, we are rather
proud of them. I have got away of cultivating them,
that I believe few besides myself are acquainted with ;
and on Sundays, I have plenty of visitors to come and
admire them.

Ch. Pray what is this bush, with narrow, whitish
leaves, and blue flowers ?

Jac. Don’t you know? It is rosemary.

Ch. Is it good for anything ?

Jac. We l|:ke the smell of it; and then the leaves,
mixed with a little balm, make pleasant tea, which we
sometimes drink in the afternoon.

Ch. Here are several more plants that I never saw
before.

Jac. Some of them are pot-herbs, that we put into
our broth or porridge; and others are physic herbs,
for we cannot afford to go to a doctor for every trifling
ailment.

Ch. But how do you learn the use of these things?

Jac. Why, partly, master, from an old Herbal that
IT have got; and partly from my good mother, and
some old neighbours; for we poor people are obliged
to help one another as well as we can. If you were
curious about plants, I could go into the fields and
show you a great many, that we reckon very fine for
several uses, though I suppose we don’t call them by
the proper names. .

Mr. E. You keep your garden very neat, friend,
and seem to make the most of every inch of ground.

Jac. Why, sir, we have hands enow, and all of us
like to be doing a little in it, when our in-doors work
is over. Jam in hopes soon to be allowed a bit of
Jand from the waste for a potato-ground, which will
be a great help to us. I shall then be able to keep a

Fig: