66
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
The more hardy of these introduced plants survived the with-
drawal of the Romans, and we find that many of the Roman
names were adopted in Anglo-Saxon, but, generally speaking,
the Teutonic invasion laid waste all the manifestations of culture.
No longer was the invader one who was abroad with ideas
of making the best of his stay, but the most of it.
The revival of horticulture in this country, as indeed on the
Continent, was connected with the spread of Christianity. As
monasteries were founded, so gardens were attached to them for
growing vegetables and herbs. The relations between the
religious houses here and on the Continent, doubtless led to the
introduction of plants from abroad. The modern association
of the word herb with plants which, though sometimes aromatic,
are mainly drab, tends to make us overlook the fact that many
brightly coloured flowers like the rose had their medicinal use.
The vast amount of research into surviving records of religious
foundations—rolls, accounts, and so on—has disclosed how
important was the monastery garden.
The impression left on one's mind is that gradually more
attention was given to the aesthetic side of gardening, and there
was " wisely ordering of vegetable delights in flowers on earth."
It would seem that the more attractive and conspicuous native
species were cultivated, but there were also plants from those
parts of the known world with which there was dealing—war,
commerce or pilgrimage. Tradition is strong that the Crusaders
returned with seeds or plants just as some of us did more re-
cently. Oriental planes, cedars of Lebanon and other trees are
reputed to have been introduced by them, though often with
little, if any, evidence. The members of the Hanseatic League
and the Staple of Calais in their trading brought plants from
overseas.
Many gardens were attached to churches and produced the
flowers for the coronas sacerdotales worn by the priests on
feast days.
It is a matter of surprise to many that there were Anglo-Saxon
herbals. Four of these have survived, including the "Leech
Book of Bald," and a translation of the "Herbarium of Apuleius
Platonicus," which probably dates from about the time of the
Norman Conquest. The former contains some prescriptions