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Tony Robinson’s interesting series ‘The Worst Jobs In History’ included a
programme on the worst royal job in history. From cess pit cleaners and
similarly nasty occupations to the whipping boys who took the punishments for
young princes, there have been some pretty unpleasant roles in the royal
households. Even the most powerful people at court often found themselves in a
perilous position when their fate depended on the fluctuating whims of a
monarch: Thomas Cromwell, Thomas More and Cardinal Wolsey to name but a
few. Those who managed to retain the monarch’s favour were still prey to
the occasional revolution or the jealousy of other members of the court and
if the head that wore the crown was uneasy, life could be equally troubled for
his devotees.
A few days ago, however, I discovered what might be viewed as one of the
best royal jobs in history: The Royal Herb Strewer.
Twelve pounds a year must have been a considerable sum in the 17th century,
and with a few yards of fine cloth included in the salary, it must have been a
lucrative position. In the early days, there would undoubtedly have been a lot
to do, trying to mask the stench of the insanitary royal palaces, but by the
time of George IV, things must have been improving. All in all, it must have
been a very pleasant job and one that wasn’t likely to provoke a great deal of
rivalry.
Having recently begun to study and cultivate herbs, I am absolutely in awe
of them. Their scents and texture are so beautiful and their healing and
cleansing properties are positively amazing! At the moment I am in the very
early stages of learning about them but the great herbalists of the past and
present have worked some incredible ‘miracles’ using various concoctions of
them. It is quite remarkable that they grow so freely and people pass them by on
their way to doctors’ surgeries, unaware that Nature has provided a remedy for
virtually every ailment and a natural way of dealing with many domestic
situations such as preventing moths from coming indoors, repelling insects or
cleansing pans and crockery. As a minor example, I was recently bitten a mass of
midges and having read that basil is good for insect bites, I rubbed the leaves
on my arms and the bites stopped itching instantly. The next time I walked among
the midges, I rubbed lemon balm on my skin and came home with no bites at all.
The natural wisdom that comes from being close to nature seemed to have
been temporarily lost with the industrial revolution. Happily nowadays many more
people are rediscovering that ancient wisdom and I pray that the big
pharmaceutical companies which are already seeking to suppress the use of
alternative healing methods and several herbs, will realise that just as plants
sprout through concrete and cracks in the pavement, you cannot suppress Nature.
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