Meaning & Analysis
The camomile plant, a low-growing herb, often thrives when it is walked upon. The physical pressure helps its runners to root and spread more effectively, causing the plant to become denser and cover more ground.
Insights
Resilience in Adversity
The proverb is a metaphor for resilience, suggesting that individuals, virtues, or ideas can become stronger and more influential when faced with adversity, pressure, or opposition.
Strength from Opposition
It illustrates the paradoxical nature of strength, where attempts to suppress or harm something only serve to amplify its presence and power. Opposition becomes an unintentional catalyst for growth.
The Nature of Virtue
The proverb implies that true virtue and truth possess an intrinsic, organic power. Efforts to persecute or silence them are futile and may even lead to their wider acceptance and influence.
Renaissance Literary Conceit
The proverb was a favorite in Elizabethan literature, notably used by Lyly and Shakespeare, to symbolize how virtue, when oppressed, paradoxically flourishes. Its classical roots, referenced by Erasmus, connect it to a broader philosophical tradition that views adversity as a crucible for strengthening character.
Symbolism of Humility
Unlike symbols of aggressive resistance, camomile was a common, gentle herb known for its healing properties. This creates a powerful contrast: profound strength and resilience can be found in what appears modest or humble, not just in the overtly mighty. The cross-reference to the palm tree highlights a family of natural symbols for fortitude.
Psychological Fortitude
The proverb serves as an early articulation of the psychological principle of post-traumatic growth, where enduring hardship leads to increased personal strength and resilience. It reflects a deep-seated cultural belief that character is forged not in comfort, but through challenge.
The Paradox of Suppression
Socially and politically, the proverb warns that attempts to suppress ideas or movements can backfire, inadvertently giving them greater visibility and strength. The act of 'treading down' can become a catalyst that propagates the very thing one seeks to destroy.
Rhetorical Devices
Paradox
The proverb is built on a paradox where a destructive action (treading down) produces a creative outcome (spreading), making the statement memorable and intellectually engaging.
Natural Metaphor
It uses a simple observation from the natural world—the behavior of a common herb—to illustrate a complex abstract concept about moral and psychological resilience.
Parallel Structure
The 'The more... the more...' construction creates a balanced, rhythmic phrase that clearly and emphatically links the cause (oppression) with its surprising effect (growth).
Transcription
Quotations
Crocum gaudet calcari, premendoque melius provenit . . Ita virtus adversis exercita rebus, laetius emicat.
This [camomile] hath that laudable preheminence for that the more it is trod and kept vnder, the more a great deale and the better it commeth vp and prospereth.
As the herb camomile the more it is trodden down the more it spreadeth abroad, so virtue and honesty the more it is spited the more it sprouteth.
Though the Camomill, the more it is trodden and pressed downe, the more it spreadeth.
True loue which springs, though Fortune on it tread as camomel by pressing doth growe.
The more saffron is troden vnder foote, the better it is.
And like to Cammomill, Flourish the better being trodden on.
If troden Vertue grow so fast, like Camomill, how then doth restrained Vice thrive?
Cammomill trodden doth the farther spred, And the palme prest, the higher lifts his head.
Ne'er was simple camomile so trod on, yet still I grow in love.
The palm, the more it is oppressed, the more it riseth.
For Propagation, the Trunk-Roots of Chamaemile do well serve. Whence we have the reason of the common observation, that it grows better by being trod upon.
Shakespeare Citations
Though the camomile, the more it is trodden on, the faster it grows, yet youth, the more it is wasted, the sooner it wears.
Cross References
Annotations
- Note 26, p. 223: The like is said of Camomile.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.