A lovely moment remembered by George Herbert and recorded by John Aubrey. Herbert’s step-father, Sir John Danvers, had a charming habit of brushing his hat on hyssop and thyme to imbue it with their perfume.

As I recently planted hyssop and several additional thyme plants, I will try this one dew-drop dawn.

‘Sir John being my relation and faithful friend, was wont in fair mornings in the summer to brush his beaver hat on the hyssop and thyme, which did perfume them with its natural spirit; and would last a morning or longer.’

Source: John Aubrey, quoted in John Drury, Music at Midnight: The Life and Poetry of George Herbert (London: Penguin Books, 2014), p. 71

Photo credit: lucianaeris at pixabay