lia lassum
Pervellunt stomachum."--HORACE.

But it was cultivated, or allowed to grow, to a much larger size than we
now think desirable. Pliny speaks of Radishes weighing 40lb. each, and
others speak even of 60lb. and 100lb. But in Shakespeare's time the
Radish was very much what it is now, a pleasant salad vegetable, but of
no great value. We read, however, of Radishes being put to strange
uses. Lupton, a writer of Shakespeare's day, says: "If you would kill
snakes and adders strike them with a large Radish, and to handle adders
and snakes without harm, wash your hands in the juice of Radishes and
you may do without harm" ("Notable Things," 1586).

We read also of great attempts being made to procure oil from the seed,
but to no great effect. Hakluyt, in describing the sufficiency of the
English soil to produce everything necessary in the manufacture of
cloth, says: "So as there wanteth, if colours might be brought in and
made naturall, but onely oile; the want whereof if any man could devise
to supply at the full with anything that might become naturall in this
realme, he, whatsoever he were that might bring it about, might deserve
immortal fame in this our Commonwealth, and such a devise was offered to
Parliament and refused, because they denied to allow him a certain
liberty, some others having obtained the same before that practised to
work that effect by Radish seed, which onely made a trial of small
quantity, and that went no further to make that oile in plenty, and now
he that offered this devise was a merchant, and is dead, and withal the
devise is dead with him" ("Voiages," vol. ii.).

The Radish is not a native of Britain, but was probably introduced by
the Romans, and was well-known to the Anglo-Saxon gardener under its
present name, but with a closer approach to the Latin, being called
Raedic, or Radiolle.[237:1]

A curious testimony to the former high reputation of the Radish survives
in the "Annual Radish Feast at Levens Hall, a custom dating from time
immemorial, and supposed by some to be a relic of feudal times, held on
May 12th at Levens Hall, the seat of the Hon. Mrs. Howard, and adjoining
the high road about midway between Kendal and Milnthorpe. Tradition hath
it that the Radish feast arose out of a rivalry between the families of
Levens Hall and Dallam Tower, as to which should entertain the
Corporation with their friends and followers, and in which Levens Hall
eventually carried the palm