both blody flixes / other And the same is good for the blody isshue that weomen are som tyme vexed wyth all Of the herbe called Flax or line Linum FLax is an herbe wyth a small stalk / where vpon grow many smal leues / somthyng long sharpe at the ende It hath blue floures in the top of the stalk / and after that they be gone / ther come furth round knoppes / sauyng that ther is in the end a sharp thyng lyke a prick growyng out These knoppes or heades are called in Northumberland bowles / and wythin these heades are long flat sedes in color redishe / and eche sede is conteyned in hys proper cell diuyded from the rest The roote is very smal Flax which is called of the Northen men lynt / in Duche Flachs / in Frenche Du lyne / in Greke Linon / and in Latin Linum / groweth very plentuously in the North parte of England / and should grow as plentuously also in the South parte / if men regarded not more theyr priuat lucre then the kynges Lawes and the comen profit of the hole realm I haue sene flax or lynt growyng wilde in Sommerset shyre wythin a myle of Welles / but it hath fewer bowles in the top then the sowen flax hath / and a greate dele a longer stalk Whiche thynges are a sure token that flax would grow there if men would take the payn to sow it The vertues of Lint sede LYnt sede hath the same vertue that Fenegrek hath It scattereth abrode or dryueth away It softeneth any thyng that is inflāmed or very hote / hath any hardnes / whether it be with in / or wythout / if it be sodde wyth hony / oyl / and a litle water / or if it be put into sodden hony When it is raw / it taketh away the defautes of the face and frekles / and litle swellynges there / if it be layd to emplaster wyse wyth nitre or salpeter and asshes of a fygtre It dryueth away swellynges behinde the eares / hardnes rynnyng sores And if it be sodden wyth wyne it scoureth away rynnynge sores / whose matter is lyke hony It pulleth away roughe nayles with a like portione of cresses hony It draweth furth the diseases of the breste / if it be taken with hony in the maner of an electuari / it swageth the coughe If it be taken in a cake plentuously with peper / it will stirr men to generation of chylder The broth of lynt sede is good to be poured in / agaynst the gnawynges / and goyng of the skin both of the guttes also of the mother It bryngeth also furth the ordur or dung of the belly It is good for weomē to sit in water where in lynt sede is sodden against the inflammationes and hete of the mother / I haue red in a practicioner / that vj. vnces of lynt sede oyle a good remedy against the pestilence if it be dronken all at one tyme. In other practicioners I rede that the oyle of lint sede is good for to be dronken about the mesure of two or iij. vnces with barley water agaynst the pleuresi But let the oyle be freshe in anywyse / for if it be old / it is vnholsom / and not to be takē within the body Of Grummel or graymile Lithospermon LIthospermon is called of the commen herbaries and apothecaries milium solis / in Duch steinsamen / in Frenche gremil / and it should be called in English gray mile and not as it is now called grummell It is called milium of the herbaries / and in Frēche mil / and also in Englishe / because in forme and fasshō it is like the yelow sede / which is called in Latin milium / and it is called gray mil of the blewish gray color that it hath / to put a difference betwene it / and the other mile or millet The Duche men gyue the name of the hardnes of the sede which is lyke vnto a stone hardnes The description of Lithospermon out of Dioscorides LIthospermon hath leues lyke vnto an Oliue / but longer and broder and softer / namely they that come furth of the roote lye vpon the grounde The braūches are streyght / small / strōg and of the bygnes of a sharp rishe and woddishe And in the top of thē is ther a double furth growyng / or a double thyng growing out / and ech of thē is lyke a stalck / with long leues / and by them is there a stony sede / litle and rounde of the bygnes of Orobus It groweth in rough hygh places Matthiolus supposeth that Fuchsius doth not know the ryght Lithospermō of Dioscorides / because he setteth out / as he sayeth the lesse milium solis for Lithospermo As for my parte I grant that there groweth a better kynde of Lithospermon viij myles aboue Bōne in Germany in a wild countre called Kaltland / then thys cōmen Lithospermō called commenly miliū solis is But it had ben Matthiolisses deuty to haue proued by the description of Dioscorides or by some parte of it / at the lesse / that milium solis that Fuchsius setteth furth / is not the true Lithospermon / and then myght he haue layd ignorance vnto Euchsiusses charge the better But in my iudgemēt Matthiolus is more ignorāt of the true Lithospermy / then Fuchsius is for it that he setteth furth / doth nether agre with the descriptiō of Dioscoridis / nor yet of Pliny The herbe that Matthiolus setteth out he myght haue set out the best Lithospermon / and the hole perfit her be with all his partes / seyng that he maketh Lithospermon so commenly knowen vnto all men in Italy hath but two small stalkes where vpon the leues sedes grow / and they are set out / not streyght but crooked / and bowyng diuerse wayes Lithospermon of Dioscorides hath diuerse braūches that are ryght or streyght The two furth growynges that Dioscorides sayeth / are in the toppes of the braunches / can not be sene in it that Matthiolus setteth furth The leues of Lithospermon that Dioscorides describeth are longer broder then an Oliue tre leueis / namely they that are next vnto the grounde But the leues of it that Matthiolus setteth furth / semeth a lyke lōg and brode in all places of the stalck or twyg that they grow on / resemble very litle an Oliue lefe as any mā that knoweth an oliue lefe can bere witnes The Lithospermō of Dioscorides hath the sede in the top / fur Dioscorides saieth In ramulorum cacumine duplex est exortus cauliculo similis folijs longis inter quae paruum semen c. But the Lithospermō that Matthiolus paynteth hath the sedes euen from the root allmoste vnto the ouermost top of all Wherefore Matthiolus accusyng Fuchsius of an error / erreth in Lithospermo much more hys selfe If he say that he setteth furth Lithospermon Plinij / thē he
about In smell somthing resembling Garleke / binding / and in taste bitter It hath litle stalkes / four squared / wherevpon grow floures somthinge redishe The vertues of water Germander out of Dioscorides WAter Germander hath the pour to heate / and to make a man make water The grene herbe and also dried / if it be sodden with wine / is good to be dronken against the bitinge of serpentes / and agaynst poyson If it be taken in the quantite of two drames with mede / it is good for the gnawing of the stomack agaynst the blody flixe / and for them that can not make water easely It stoureth out also thicke and watery gear out of the brest If ye will take the drye herbe / and menge it with gardin cresses / honye and rosin / and make an electuary therof / and geue it to be leked vp of the patieÌ„t / it will helpe the olde cough / and such places as are bursten / and shronke together Thesame herbe menged with acerat or treat / made of waxe / and sayd to the myd ryf it will swage the longe heat or inflammation of theÌ„ the lame is also good for the gout / if it be layd to ether with sharpe vinegre or with water / with â—ony Also it ioyneth together woundes / and stoureth old sores and couereth them with a skin / and when it is dried / it holdeth doune the fleshe that groweth to much Men vse also to drinke the iuyce of it / pressed out for all the forsayd diseases / the scordium or water germander that groweth in Pontus or in Candy / is of most vertue and streinght Out of Galene Scordium is made of diuers both tastes and poures / for it hath som bitternes / som tartues / and som sharpnes / which is lyke vnto garleke / called scorodon / wherevpon I thinke that scordium hath hys name It stoureth out and warmeth the inward bowelles also / it driueth oute both water and also floures Also if it be dronken / it healeth the partes that are bursten and shronken together / the payn of the syde if it come of stoppinge or of colde The same Galene in hys booke de antidotis / that is of triacle or preseruatiue medicines agaynst poyson / wryteth further of scordium thus The beste scordium is brought from Candis / howbeit it is not to be mislyked that groweth in other countrees It is writen by men of great grauite / that so many dead bodyes of certayn men that were killed in a battel / as fel vpon scordiuÌ„ / namely such partes as touched it / were much lesse putrified / then the other were / som came into that beleue that scordiuÌ„ was good against the putrifying poyson of venemous beastes / and of other poysones Of the herbe called Securidaca SEcuridaca is called in Greke Edisseron or PelikinoÌ„ / I haue sene this herbe only in gardines in England / wherfore I could neuer learne any English name of it but lest it should be wtout name / I call it Axsede or Axwurt / or Axsich / because Dioscorides sayeth that the sede of securidaca is lyke vnto a two edged axe The description of Securidaca out of Dioscorides Securidaca is a litle bushe hauinge leaues lyke a ciche / called in Latin Cicer / coddes lyke vnto litle hornes / wherin is rede sede / lyke vnto a two edged axe / whervpon it hath the name the sede is in tast bitter / but dronkeÌ„ it is pleasant to the stomack / I haue sene ij kindes of Axwurt / both wyth the leaues of a Ciche But the one grewe wilde in Germanye / and had coddes very litle / vowed in an other kinde wyth coddes so bowyng inwarde / that they might be compared vnto a bowe of ayock / this kind dyd I neuer se / but in gardins Dioscorides writeth that it groweth amoÌ„gest the barly wheat The nature of Securidaca Dioscorides writeth that although it be better in tast / yet it is pleasant vnto the stomack / that it is put into triacles / preseruatiues Of other good properties / he maketh no further mention Galene writeth besyde these properties / that it openeth the stopping of the inward partes / and that all the buddes and braunches do thesame Out of Aetius The sede of Axsich is most pleasant to the stomack / is most fit for all the inward bowelles In hoter complexions / the sede of Axwurt ought to be menged with the emplasters / that are made for the hardnes of the milt Howbeit also in colde complexiones / and in all other it is very excellent Of Housleke Sedum magnum Sedum foemina Sedum tertium genus Sedum minus SEdum is called also in Latin Semperuiuum / and in Greke Aeizoon There are iiij kindes of semperuiuum the fyrste kinde is called in Latin Sedum magnum / in Greke Aeizoon mega / in English Housleke / and of som Singren / but it ought better to be called Aygrene / in Duche it is called Gros hauswurtz / in French Iubarb The seconde kinde is called in English / thrift stone crop / in Latin Sedum minus The thyrde kinde is called of som late wryters Vermicularis / in English Mous tayle or litle stone crop / and in Duche Maurpfeffer The description of the kindes of Semperuiuum Housleke hath the name of Semperuiuum in Latin / and of Aeizoon in Greke / the leaues are grene wherfore me thynke that Aygrene as I sayed before / is a better name for it then Singrene The fyrst or great kinde hath a stalk a cubit hygh or hygher / as thycke as your thumb / fatt / fayre grene / hauinge litle cuttinges in it as Tithimalus characias hath the leaues are fatt / or thyck / of the bignes of a mannes thumb / at the poynt lyke a tonge The nethermoste leaues lye wyth there bellyes vpward / and the poyntes dounwarde but they that are toward the top / beyng drawen together / resemble a circle with the figure of an eye It groweth in mountaynes / and hylly places / som vse to set it vpon theyr houses But the lesse Semperuiuum / that we call thrift or great stone crop / groweth in walles / rockes / mudwalles / and shaddowy diches / it hath manye stalkes comming from one root / small / full of rounde leaues / fat and sharpe in the ende / it bringeth furth a stalk in the middes a span long / whyche hath a bushye and shaddowy top / and small grene floures There semeth to be a thyrde kinde of Aygrene / som call it Porcellayne / or Teliphium / the Romaynes call it Illicibram / it hath leaues thycker and rough drawyng nere vnto the leaues of Porcellayn / thys kind groweth in rockes The vertues of the kindes of aygrene THe great kinde hath a cooling nature and binding the leaues by them selues / and layd to wyth perched barley mele / are good for the
Swartwalt in Duch / where as is the beginninge of Hircinij sylue It groweth not in England that I know / sauing only in gardines The rootes are now condited in Danske / for a frende of myne in London / called maister Alene a marchant man / who hath ventered ouer to Danske / sent me a litle vessel of these / well condited with very excellent good hony Wherefore they that woulde haue anye Angelica / maye speake to the Marchauntes of Danske / who can prouide them inough The vertues of Angelica ANgelica is hote and drye at the lest in the third degree All the later writers agre in this and experience confirmeth the same that Angelica is good against poison / pestilent ayres / and the pestilence it selfe The practitioners of Germany write thus of Angelica If that any man be sodenly taken / ether with any pestilence / or any soden pestilent ague / or with to much soden sweting / let him drinke of the pouder of the roote of Angelica / halfe a dram / mingled with a dram of triacle / in thre or foure spoundfullis of the water of Angelica distilled out of the rootes / and after go vnto bed / and couer him selfe wel / and at the lest faste thre houres after / which if he do / he shal beginne to sweate / and by the helpe of God he shall be deliuered from his disease If you haue not triacle at hand / you maye take a whole dram of the roote of Angelica in pouder / with the forenamed quantite of the distilled water / and it will bring the same effecte that the other composition did The roote of Angelica steped in vinegre / and smelled vpon in the tyme of the pestilence / and thesame vinegre beyng sometyme dronkē / if you be fasting / saueth a mans bodye from the pestilence But it were better in my iudgement / to stipe the roote of Angelica in sharpe white vinegre / and after it be sufficiently steped / to put it into a rounde hollowe balle / full of holes / ether of siluer / or of tinne / or of Ieniper woode / with some cotten or wolle dipped in the same vinegre / or ellis with some fine cloth / that anye of these maye holde the vinegre the longer and if a man haue suche a ball / he maye be the more bolder to venter where the pestilence is / then if he had a great sort of other medicines The water distilled out of the rotes of Angelica / or the pouder of the same is good for gnawing and payne of the bellye / that commeth with cold / if the body be not bounde withal To be short / the water distilled / or the pouder of the roote is good for al inwarde diseases as the pleuresy / in the beginning before the hete of the inflamation becomed into the bodye for it dissolueth and scatereth abroad / such humores as vse to geue matter to the pleuresy It is good also for the diseases of the lunges / if they come of a cold cause and for the strangurian of a cold cause / or of a stoppinge It is good also for a woman that is in trauaile of childe / and to bringe doune her sicknes At other tymes when nede requireth / it is good also to dryue wind awaye that is in the bodye / and to ease the payne that commeth of the same The roote maye be sodden ether in water or in wine / as the nature of him that is sicke doth require The iuyce of the roote put into a holow toth / taketh awaye the ache / and so likewise doth the distilled water put in at the eare Moreouer the iuyce and the water also of Angelica / quicken the eye sight / and they breake the litle filmes that go ouer the eyes / wherof darknes doth rise Of the rotes of Angelica and pitch / maye be made a good emplaster against the bytinges of mad beastes The water / the iuyce / or the pouder of the roote sprinckled vpon the diseased place / is a very good remedye against old and depe sores / for they do scoure it and clense them / and couer the bones with fleshe The water of the same in a cold cause / is good to be layde on places diseased with the goute and sciatica also for it stancheth the payne and melteth awaye the tough humores that are gathered together The sede is of lyke vertue with the roote The wilde Angelica that groweth here in the lowe woodes and by the water sydes / is not of suche vertue as the other is Howbeit the surgiones vse to seth the rote of it in wine / to heale grene wondes withal These properties haue I gathered out of the practicioners of the Germanes / but I haue not proued them al as yet my selfe / but diuers of thē I haue proued and found to be true Of Aquilegia called Columbine AQuilegia is called in Englishe Columbin / and in Duche Ackeley Columbine groweth onlye in gardines in England / as farre as I know / but I haue sene it growe wilde in Germanye both it with the whyte floure and eke with the blewe The first leues that come out / are lyke vnto great Selendine / they are iagged round aboute / and spred vpon the earth In the moneth of Iune / it groweth into a rounde and smoth stalke / higher then a mans cubite / and in the toppe it hath blewe or white floures much lyke vnto the herbe / which is called in English Larkes clawe / and in Duche Riders spurge After that the floures are gone there rise foure corners like vnto Nigella Romana / which haue sede lyke vnto flees The roote is whyte and long / and ful of smale fringes about the ende lyke thredes The herbe / the sede / and the roote resemble a certaine swetenes Aquilegia The vertues of Columbine TRagus writeth that a dram weight of the sede of Columbine brused / and with a halfpennye weight of Saffron / dronken with wine / is good for the yelow iaundies This is knowen by experience if he will go to a warm bedde after that he hath taken it / and prouoke swete After the same maner vsed / it openeth the wayes of the lyuer / of whose stopping arise many diseases After the same iudgemente of the same Tragus / the water of the floures rightly distilled / if it be dronken is good for the same purpose / it is good against soundinge Of Medewurt / or Medow wurt / or Mede swete / and of some named Vlmaria Barba capri MEdewurte is an herbe well knowen vnto all men / it groweth about water sydes / moyst places and sennes / and it hath a leafe like vnto Agrimonie / indented much The stalkes are four square / holow within / dunne in color / whiche are somtyme as highe as a man It hath verye many floures in the toppe which are lyke the floures of Philipendula / a far
sene it in Italye / nether haue I heard anye English name of it / sauing for lack of other I name it Throw waxe Perfoliata The vertues of Throw waxe THrow waxe is a litle bitter and bindinge / wherfore it is a litle warme and drye The hole herbe is verye mete to heale both inwarde and outwarde woundes / sores and burstinges / for it ioyneth together Aboue all other thinges it is moste commended for healinge of burstinges and brokennes of childer It is also good for the goynge out of the nauel and the great gut / ye maye vse both the sede and leaues of this herbe Of Mouse eare MOuse eare is called of some writers in Latin Pilosella of other Auricula muris but yet is it not Myosotis that is / auricula muris of the old writers / as an English writer hath of late taught in his herbal It crepeth vpon the grounde with horye or rough leaues lyke vnto a mouse eare The floures are yelowe / but the rote is verye small There is an other kind that groweth vp righter with a purple floure / and whyter / and more horye leaues / and longer then the otger hath Matthiolus calleth this Pilosellam maiorem but Fuchsius calleth it Pilosellam minorem Pilosella The vertues of Mouse eare out of the later writers THE kindes of Mousear are hote and drye / for they haue a bindinge vertue ioyned with som heate By reason whereof they are both verye good to clenge and ioyne woundes together / to heale them / for men hold that the pouder of the herbe is exceding good to glewe woundes together Some vse to geue the iuyce of this common Mousear to hinder the cold of a quartane ague The same is good to harden yron with / or to make stele harder The common Phisiciones in Germany gather the roote of this herbe in Maye / and drye it and geue it to them that are bursten or brokē Matthiolus writeth that this herbe is so sore binding / that the shepeherdes knowinge that propertye / will not suffer there shepe fede longe there / where as the herbe groweth in plentye It bindeth the shepes bellies so sore / that it killeth manye Wherevpon as the same man writeth the Phisicianes hath lerned that it is good for bloodye flixes / the great scouringe of the mother / for woundes both outward and inwarde for common flixes / and vomitinge of choler / and spittinge of blood / and bursting / and all kindes of breakinge / and speciallye for the breakinge of the brayne panne Of Winter grene Limonium Fuchsij PIrola hath the name in Latin of the lykenes that the lefe hath with a Pere tre I haue not sene it in England / and therefore can geue no English name for it / but I haue sene it oft in Germany / wher as it is called winter grene / because the leaues bide grene al winter / which name we must vse in England vntill we can find one of oure oune Winter grene hath seuen or eight or mo leaues growing together lyke vnto Pere trees leafes / whiche leaues are not longer then the Bete leaues are / and therefore can not be Limonium The stalke is longe and smal / and in the toppe of it are floures growynge / which are pleasant to loke to / muche lyke the floures of Lilium conuallium after the floures are gone / there appeareth read sedes / which are verye astringent and bindinge The herbe groweth in moyst places vnder bushes The vertues of Winter grene THis herbe is verye bindinge and drye / wherefore the stone cutters and other surgions vse it much / and no merueyle / for it healeth wonderfullye in short space grene woundes The surgiones of Germany vse to make a wounde drinke for inward woundes of this herbe Ladies mantel / Agrimonye / Sanicle / and herbe two pence / whiche hath bene tried to haue done good manye tymes for inward woundes The leaues and the sede both are good for bloodye flixes Some take the pouder of this herbe / and sprincle it vpon sores with great profit Of Selfe heale Prunella SElfe heale is called of some of the Germanes euelfauoredly Prunella / when as it oughte to be called Brunella / that is Brounwurt / of the broun color that the herbe hath in the toppe after the purple floure be gone / and therefore the vnlerned people of Germanye cal it Braunellen not Praunellen And that this herbe ought to be named rather Brunella then Prunella / the Duche ryme of Hieronymus Brunswike beareth witnes in these wordes folowing Braunel so bin ich genant / Ein braune blum ist mir bekant Selfe heale hath a stalke in the middes full of wrincles / fat and rough / the leaues are lyke the leaues of Basil grene of color / and sharpe toward the endes It hath toppes lyke eares in the height of the stalkes muche lyke the herbe which we cal Lauander It hath a small roote ful of litle tasselles like thredes / the eare hath first in it purple floures and afterwarde broune litle leaues where the floures were / and the floures that were purple before whē they fayd / waxe done in color The vertues of Selfe heale SElfe heale is good to heale grene woundes / both suche as are without and also within The broth of Selfe heale / or as some write / the water well distilled in balneo Mariae is good for both outwarde and inward sores other holde that the same is good for the head ache that commeth of a colde cause / and to scoure woundes The same is good for the burning of the throte / for the exulceration or sores of the mouth and iawes / if a man make gargle of it with a litle roset honye The floures or leaues sodden in wine or honye / are good for aboue named disease of the mouth and iawes Of Arsmert otherwise called Sulerage Persicaria THere are two kindes of Arsmert or mo / one kinde is that it is takē of some to be Piper aquaticum of others Crateogonum The other is it whiche hath the black spotte in it / and some write of an other that is not worthy to be called Arsmerte / because it is so colde that it can not do the thinge whereof it should haue his name This herbe is called Persicaria because it hath leaues like a Peche tre It groweth most commonlye in moyst places The vertues of the common Arsmerte ARsmert is a very hote herbe / and better to be taken without then within / for it can not be taken within withoute great ieoperdye Arsmert beynge broken / or the iuyce that is pressed out / is verye good for rotten woundes doth of man and beast / if they be washē oft with the iuyce / weomen that would haue there fleshe free from flies and maggottes / laye it often vpon their fleshe / for it dryueth flees awaye and hindereth maggottes to brede This thinge is proued by sure experience
and wine The broth that the herbe is sodden in / poured into lye and wyne / doth the same thinge This herbe giuen in / in meat vnto quales and cockes / maketh them fight more earnestlye / then they did before This herbe bringeth furth of the brest toughe and thicke humores Venus heyre is in meane tempre betwene hote and colde Mesue writeth / that the broth wherein is sodden a pound of this herbe bey … … e / purgeth yelow choler / and draweth furth fleme out of the hole bellye and liuer / and bringeth furth of the breste and lunges by spittinge / tongue and â—lammye humores Of the right Affodill ALbucum is called in Latine also Hastula regia and in Greke ἀσφόδηλος and it maye be called in English righte Affodill Howbeit / I could neuer se this herbe in England but ones / for the herbe that the people calleth here Affodill or Daffodill is a kind of Narassus The right Affodill hath a longe stalke a cubit loÌ„ge / and some thing longer / and manye white floures in the top / and not one alone as the kindes of Narcissus haue Theophrastus saith / that there groweth a worme in Affodilles / and that it groweth vnto a kind of flye / and fleeth out when the floure is ripe The sede is thresquare like bucke wheat or wheat / or beach aples / but it is blacker and harder / The leaues are longe as a great leke leaues are / and the rotes are manye together like acornes I haue sene this herbe oft in Italye and in certaine gardines of Anwerpe / and nowe I haue it in England in my gardine The vertues THE rotes of the right Affodill are bytinge sharpe / and do heate / and do prouoke vrine weomens floures A dram of the rotes dronken in wine / helpeth the paynes in the syde / bursten places and shronken together / and coughes The same taken in the quaÌ„tite of the vnder ankle bone / such as men play with / helpeth vomitinge if it be eaten Thre drammes weight of the same / is good for them that are bitten of a serpent Ye must anoynte the biting with the leaues / floures and rotes with wine / do so also to foule consuming sores The rootes sodden in the dregges of wine / are good for the inflammationes of the pappes and mennis stones / for swellinges and for biles It is also good for newe inflammations layd to with barly mele The iuyce of the rote sodden with olde swete wine / mirre saffron / is a good medicine for the eyes It is also good for matery eares / brused with frankinceÌ„se / honye / wine / and myrre / the same put into the contrary eare / swageth the tuthake The ashes of the roote layd to / maketh heyre growe agayn in a skalled head / oyle sodden in the fyre in the rotes made holow / is good for the kibes / or moules that are raw / for the burning of the fire poured into the eare / it is good for defenes The roote heleth white spottes in the fleshe If ye rub them first with a cloth / afterwardes lay the rote to them The sede and the floures dronken in wine / withstand wonderfully the poyson of Scolopendres and scorpiones / they purge also the belly Of Foxe tayle Alopecurus ALopecurus groweth not in England that euer I haue sene / but I haue sene it growe in Germany / but the fairest that euer I sawe / grewe in Italy The herbe is like vnto a short kind of corne / hath in the top of the strawe a great thick bushye eare ful of longe dounes / whiche is very lyke vnto a foxe tayle / wherof it hath the name in Greke I haue not read any thing worthy the wrytinge of this herbe / nether haue I harde of any man which had any experience in the nature of this herbe Of Garleke Allium Allium syluestre GArleke is called in Greke Skorodon in Duch Knoblouch / in French Aul or Aur. Ther are thre kindes of Garleke / the first is the common gardin garleke / the second is called in Greke Ophio skorodon in Latin Allium anguinuÌ„ or Allium syluestre in English crow garleke / or wild garleke This kind hath verye smal leaues / comminge furth lyke grene twigges / and they are commonly croked in at the ende / and when it is ripe / it hath sede in the top euen like vnto the cloues / which growe in the roote / but they are lesse The third kind is called in Latin Allium vrsinum in English Rammes or Ramseyes The firste kinde grow onlye in gardines in England / and the second groweth in middowes and feldes in euerye countrey / The thirde kinde groweth in woddes about Bath The vertues of Garleke GArleke warmeth the bodye / and breaketh insundre grosse humores / and cutteth in peces tough humores Garleke twise or thrise sodden in water / putteth awaye his sharpenes / and yet for al that it leseth not his vertues in making subtile and fine it that is grosse But it winneth thereby a certeyne 〈◊〉 / though it be not easy to be perceyued to norishe the bodye / which it had not before it was sodden Garleke is not only good meat / but also good medicine / for it can lose it that is stopped / and also Allium vrsinum dryue it awaye Garleke is of that kind of meates / which dryue furth winde / and ingendre no thyrst Craw garleke as all other wild herbes be / is stronger then it of the gardine Garleke dryueth out of the belye broad wormes taken with other meat / it prouoketh vrine / it helpeth the bytinge of a veper Both eaten and also layd to / it is good against the bitinges of mad or wod beastes It is also very good for the ieopardies that maye come of changinge of waters and countrees / it clereth the voyce and swageth the olde cough / taken rowe or sodden The same dronken with the broth of Organe / killeth lyse and nittes The ashes of burned garleke layd to with hony / healeth bruses and blew stripes folowinge of beting or fallinge / and with the ointment of Spiknarde It healeth the falling of the heyre / and with oyle and salt it heleth the burstinges out of wheles / and with honye it taketh awaye the scuruye euell / frekelles / runninge sores of the heade / and scurfe / and leprosies Garleke dryueth awaye with his smell serpentes and scorpiones It is medicinable against the poison of libardes bayne It draweth doune weomens sicknes and secondes with the perfume of it / and so doeth it / if they will sit ouer the broth that it is sodden in with herbes of like vertue Garleke sodden with milke / or broken / or mengled with soft chese / stancheth the fallinge doune of humores / called the catarre And so is it good against horsenes Thre litle cloues broken in vinegre
frō the roote vnto the top with litle grene leaues / whereby it doth wonderfully represent an eare of corne This / whose figure ye se former in order grewe in the top of the alpes / wher as I gathered it my selfe but ther is a much lesse kinde then this is / which groweth in the mountaines of Germany and wales / and it crepeth hard by the ground / al rough and full of smal leues The vttermost braunches whilse the herbe is not full growen / represent a Crowisfoote / and euery ende alone is lyke a smalle eare of grene corne But at the fartherest ende of the herbe / when it is growen as muche as it will growe / there commeth out of the one of the braunches a litle stalke / litle more then an inche a halfe long / which is full of smal ioyntes / and euerye iointe hath litle hores tuftes coming out Out of the ende of the stalke cometh two rough fruytes / much like vnto the longe blomes that come furth of the Haselnut tree in winter but they are a great deale smaller and yellower / then the nut blomes are / somthing rough It maye be called in English Heth Crowfoot / or Heth firr / or creping pine Amatus Lusitanus writing vpon Chameleuce / sayeth that Chameleuce is called in Latin Chamepeuce / and in his enarration he sayeth / although thys chapter be red indifferently of Chameleuce Chamepeuce / that Pliny maketh mention of them as of two diuerse thinges I wold axe of Amatus / of what one auncient writer / is the chapter of Chameleuce indifferently red of Chameleuce and of Chamepeuce both If there be no auncient autor that doth so / what newe autor is there / that redeth the chapter so who oughte not to gyue place vnto the autorite of Pliny / whiche maketh two diuerse herbes of Chameleuce and Chamepeuce But Amatus folowing Matthiolus / the autorite of Pliny despised / concludeth in these wordes Chamepeuce beyng like in leaues to the Larche or Larix tre leaues / is good for the ache of the loynes and ridge bone / which herbe agreeth much in those thinges that are spoken of Dioscorides / so that we may iustly say that Chamepeuce Plinij is the herbe that Dioscorides intreateth of in this present chapter / that is to say Chameleuce So far Amatus If the Chamepeuce agre with those things that Dioscorides gyueth to Chameleuce / then hath Chamepeuce leues bowyng inward certain braunches a floure lyke a rose Chamepeuce hath leues like a Larch tre / nowe where is there one thinge that Dioscorides gyueth to Chameleuce that Chamepeuce hath / sauing that it is good for the ache of the loynes / and who sayeth that Chamepeuce is good for the loynes Is it not Pliny If it be Pliny / why doth not Amatus beleue Pliny in making Chameleuce and Chamepeuce two diuerse herbes / as in saying that Chamepeuce is good for the ache of the loynes If Plinye lese his credit / and be not worthy to be beleued in the one thing / he leseth it also in the other / and so when Pliny is not to be beleued that Chamepeuce is good for the ache of the loynes / in what one thinge doth Chamepeuce of Pliny agre wyth those thinges that Dioscorides giueth vnto Chameleuce / sauinge that they begin both in Chame / and end in euce The properties of Chamepeuce PLiny sayth that Chamepeuce is good for the ache of the loynes and of the ridge bone / they vse it in Denmarke in East Freseland with olde wine or milke / agaynst the scuerbuch / which is called in the Northcountre the scrubby ill / or the crepel ill / and in Germanye men put it vnto wyne / when it is longe / or ropinge / or hanginge / within fewe dayes as they saye / it amendeth the wine againe Tragus calleth this herbe Muscum terrestrem in Latin / and in Duch Beerlap / and he sayth that it is knowen by experience / that thys herbe dronken with wine / breaketh the stone Some both in Duchland and England abuse thys herbe for Spica celtica Of ground Pyne Aiuga prima Chamaepitys secunda CHamepitys in Greke / is called in Latin Aiuga or Abiga / and of the Potecaries Iua muscata / and Iua arthritica / in Duch Ie lenger je lieber / as Fuchsius sayeth / but other reproue him in that / and say that the name belongeth vnto an other herbe / in French Iue muscate it may be called in English Ground pyne Chamepitys is of thre kindes / the first kind hath leues like vnto stone crop / but much thinner Aiuga tertia rough and fatt / and thicke about the boughes / and hath the smell of a Pyne tree The floures be yellowe or whyte / the rootes are lyke Succore rootes This herbe crepeth vpon the ground / and somethinge croked The seconde kinde hath braunches of a cubit height or length / bowing in after the fashion of an anker / and smalle / with leues lyke the other / and a whyte floure / and a black sede The third kinde is called the male / and is but a litle one with smal leaues / white and rough / with a rough and a whyte stalke / with yelow floures / and a sede comming out at the setting on of the leaues All these thre kindes haue the smell of a Pine tree / I neuer sawe that I remember the two firste kindes / but I haue borowed their figures of them / that saye that they haue sene them As for the last kinde I haue sene it in very great plenty aboute Wormes / and in manye other places of Germany It groweth also in good plenty in Kent / and as I thynke / it groweth in diuerse other places of England But I meruel that Matthiolus maketh this that I make the laste / the firste kind / when as this kind hath in no place that euer I was in any / white floure Also it that he setteth furth for the last / as he hath set out the figure of it / is more like vnto the first kinde of Diovorides / for it hath leues more lyke vnto the lesse semperbiuo / which is called thrist / then the thirde kind hath / as any man may also se that Aiuga tertia of Matthiolus hath / which he setteth furth his owne selfe Let learned men iudge which of our opiniones is more worthy to be alowed The Properties of ground Pyne THE leaues dronken seuen dayes in wine / heale the iaundies / and the same dronken xl dayes with mede made of honye and water / helpe the sciatica they are also good for the stoppinge of the water / for the diseases of the liuer kidnes / the gnawynge of the belly some vse the broth of this herbe as a preseruatiue against the poyson of wolfes bayne leopardes bayne some vse to put barly mele and the broth
of / but not nere hand / in colour whyte / and in sauour pleasant After that the floures are fallen / ther foloweth a sede like vnto a litle smale wert / ending into thre sharpe toppes The roote is longe and full of litle tasselles like thredes / black withoute / within brounishe / of a stinking smelle / of a bitter and binding taste This herbe is called of some Vlmaria / and the whole forme of it is like vnto the herbe which is called in Duche Geißbardt / which is Barba capri The vertues of this herbe after the Practitioners of Germanye THE roote of this herbe sodden in wine and honye / and dronken / loseth the bellye and draweth furth choler It is good for the bloody flixe if it be dronken when it is sodden in read wine The weomen cookes in the spring time vse to gather this herbe / and put it in there potages and mooses with other pot herbes Beware that the sede of it be not eaten / for it maketh the head ake The same practitioners of Germanye do affirme that the herbe brused layd to with mede dryueth awaye swellinges / and draweth furth shiuers / and also dartes and arrow heades Of Burnet Sanguisorbia THE herbe that is named in Englishe Burnet / is called of some comon writers Pimpinella / and of other Pimpinella Italica / to put a difference betwene it and Pimpinellam Germanicam / some of the finer sort hold that this herbe ought to be called Bipennula or Bipinnula / because there growe ouer thwart the leafe two and two litle leues like vnto the winges of birdes / standing out as the bird setteth her winges out / when she intendeth to flye Some wold it shuld be called Pampinella / and Fuchsius sayth that it ought to be called Sangui sorba / the Duch men call it Hergottes bertlin / that is Gods litle berde / because of the color that it hath in the toppe This herbe is so wel knowen in al places of England by the name of Burnet / that I should but lese my laboure / if I shoulde describe it / Therfore I wil go to the vertues of it The vertues of Burnet DIuers of the Practitioners of Germanye do holde that this herbe is good to staunche blood both in the bloody flixe / and also in the issue of bloode / that weomen haue oute of measure / some holde that that herbe holden alone in ones hand / is good for the same The truth is that this herbe is of a binding nature / and rather cold then hote / and therefore it is fit for the purposes aboue rehersed / speciallye the roote and the sede The leafe is pleasant both in taste and in smelle / and is good to be put both in wine / bere and ale / for them that are disposed muche to anye reume or flixe in the bodye / and in my iudgement the vse of it is good both within and without against an hote running goute / namely the leues Of Duch Pimpinell THEre is an other herbe called in Duche Bibernel / and of the Duche Herbaries Pimpinella Germanica and it is muche lyke in forme of the leaues vnto oure Burnet / but it is yelower a great deale / and rougher It hath a white floure in the toppe The sede of it is lyke vnto Persely sede The herbe is hote at the lest in the third degre / both the roote and the sede Some call this herbe Saxifrage / because it groweth amongest stones in many places / and cleueth them / and some call it Saxifrage / for the propertye that it hath in breakinge of the stone in a mannis bodye / and it deserueth much better the name of Saxifrage / then our English Saxifrage doth It groweth commonlye in Englande in bankes of eche syde of holowe hygh wayes / and in manye medowes also / and in verye great plentye The vertues of this herbe THE newe writers holde that this herbe is good against the pestilence to be taken in fastinge in the morninge / and as I sayde before / it is good to breake the stone The Germanes do holde that the rote of this herbe dryed / is so hote that it maye be vsed for pepper / which I would not denye if it were so pleasaunt as it is medicinable The rootes maye be sodden and condited in sugar / to the great profit of them that haue colde stomaches / and are troubled with tough fleme / the colike and the stone The roote of Pimpinel any wayes taken in / is good against any kind of poyson / against gnawinges in the bellye / which come of a colde cause And it is good for to bringe doune weomen their sicknes The sede will do al these thinges / therfore it were good that comfittes should be made thereof They saye also that the water of it dronken thre or foure dayes / in the quantite of thre or foure sponefulles / is good for the same purposes / but I geue more credite to the roote and the sede / except the water were better stilled / then it is here in England Of the herbe called of the later writers Bistorta BIstorta is called in some places of England Astrologia / and in some places Pationes / but there is no general name for it It maye be called ether of the name twise writhen / or els docke Bistorte I know no herbe in all these part of Europa / where as I haue bene / that agreeth better with the description vertues of Britannica then Bistorta doth / howbeit the rote agreeth not with the description of Dioscorides / and therfore I haue set it amongest the herbes of the newe writers Yet not withstanding I do vehemently suspect / that it is Britannica of Plinye / whereof is made mention in the booke of Pliny de naturali historia where he writeth that the souldiers of the Romaynes come into Freiceland / and that they dranke two yeare of one freshe springe / for there were no mo fresh springes / as he saith in all the hole countre / and that had suche a propertie that al that dranke of it within two yere / had the disease whiche is called scelotirbe / and stomocace / that is the losing of the knees and the disease of the mouth / for they waxed lame in their knees / and al their teth waxed loose / which later named parte of the disease many in Freiselande haue at this present houre / and when I was the Erle of Emdens Phisitian / whiche is the Lord of East Freseland / diuers asked me councell for that disease / and by the helpe of God / I did heale them / and perceiued that it was the verye same disease that Plinye spake of / wherefore although I had learned by experience to heale the disease with other herbes / yet because that Pliny wrote that the inhabitores of Freseland taught the Romaines to heale their disease with an herbe called
is dronken against all the stinging of bees / waspes / and such other lyke The leaues with a litle oyle are layd on bytinges and burninges It is euideÌ„tly knowen that water will wexe thicke / if this roote be brused and put in it / so that the water stande abroad in the ayre without the dores An oyntment to soften all hard lumpes / swellinges and bruses in any place of the bodye / whether it come of inwarde or outward cause / which also is good to anoynt horse fete withal / if they be brused or swelled a littel / or if this oyntment be not redy / it shal be good to take the iuyces of the rotes / and to sethe them with the other gere in lesse proportions / and lay it to warme to maÌ„ and beast as they shal nede TAke of the rootes of Marrish malowes / or in the stede of it of Holyhock / or of common Malowes xij vnces of Lint sede vj. vnces / a wyne quarte full of the fattes and greses of hennes / gese / capones / or of netis fete / vj. vnces of waxe / of turpentine one vnce / of rosin iij. vnces Firste of al bruse as smal as ye can the rote and sede / and stepe them for the space of iij. dayes and iij. nightes in a pottel of water beynge scalding hote / when it is first put into it / but if ye wold stepe them / and seth them in whyte wine or in halfe water halfe wine / the medicine would be much stronger / let them be sodden the fourth daye vntill that ye maye se the broth al slymy / and then streyne it thorow a cloth / take of that same slymy broth a pint / and seth it with the fattes / and when as that watery substance as ye can gather / is sod away / and the onlye slyme remaineth / melt the waxe / the rosin / and the turpentine altogether / and seth theÌ„ a littel together / and if there be any foule scome / take it away / but it were better to take a littel of the fat / and melt firste therein the waxe / then the rosin the turpentine / and so to mixe them altogether / and seth then a littel / and take the scome awaye Of Marierum gentle MArierum is called in Greke Samsychos and Amarokos in Latin Amaracus or Maiorana in Duch Meyeran or Maioran / in French Maiorain or Maron some call this herbe in English Merierum gentle / to put a difference betwen an other herbe / called MerieruÌ„ / whiche is but a bastard kind / and this is the true kinde Merierum is a thick and bushy herbe / crepinge by the ground with leaues lyke small Calamint rough and rounde / it hath litle toppes in the hyest parte of al the stalke muche like scales / one growing ouer another / as the fyre tre nuttes do appere It hath a very good sauour The vertues THE broth of this herbe dronken / is good for the dropsy in the beginning / and for them that can not make water / and for the gnawing in the bellye The drye leaues laid to with honye / take awaye blew markes which come of beting / and in a suppository they bringe doune weomens sicknes They are also good to be layd vnto the stinging of a scorpion with salt and vinegre The same receyued into a salue made of were / are good for the membres that are out of ioynte and after the same maner they are good for lose swellinges / and they are layd vnto the eyes with the floure of barly when they haue an inflammation They are mixed with medicines / which refreshe werynes and such emplasteres as are appoynted to hete The pouder of the drye herbe put in a mannes nose / maketh him to nese / the oyle that is made of Merierum / warmeth and fasteneth the synewes This herbe is hote in the thyrde degre / and drye in the seconde Of Alisson ALisson hath the name in Greke / because it helpeth the bytinge of a wod dogge Dioscorides and Plinye do not agre with Aetius and Actuarius in the description of this herbe For Dioscorides semeth to make Alisson lyke vnto Gooshare / for Dioscorides commonlye setteth herbes of lyke forme and fashion together / he setteth nexte vnto Gooshore / whiche is called in Greke Aparine Alisson howebeit this were no necessary argumeÌ„t / if that I had no more profes then this alone But Pliny maketh Alisson lyke madder in these wordes Alyssos à rubia folijs tantùm ramis minoribus differt Alissos differeth onlye from Madder in that it hath lesse leues and lesse braunches Dioscorides describeth Alisson thus Alissos is a litle bushye herbe / somethinge sharpe with round leaues / and besyde them hath a fruyte like to litle buckleres / wherein is sede somthinge broad / It groweth in hilly and rough places The herbe which I take to be Alisson of Plinye and Dioscorides / is a smale herbe of a span height / and of one smale red roote / growe manye smal stalkes / whiche haue many rowelles as it were of spores / set in order and at euerye rowel or round order of leaues nere the toppe / there springeth furth a litle smal braunche / which hath floures / fruyte / and sede The stalke is â—oursquare / and somethinge sharpe The leaues in dede are not euen playne round taken seuerally by them selues / but they taken one with an other altogether are rounde in ordre If that the roundenes that Dioscorides speaketh of / be not thus to be vnderstande This herbe can not be Dioscorides Alisson The floures are blewish purple / and appere commonly aboute the ende of Maye The fruyte groweth euer two and two together / wherein is a litle blacke sede / somethinge flat / in some top a man maye finde foure cople of litle vesselles / whiche conteyneth thys sede There are none of these vesselles founde alone The herbe is hote and specially the sede But the heate appereth not straight waye / tyll that it hath bene a good whyle on your tonge / and then it is euidently sharpe and byting Aetius writeth thus of Alisson The medicine called Hiera / is to be giuen euery day not as a purgation / but as a helpinge medicine in the quantite of an Hasel nut / with an vnce and halfe of the broth of Salge / or the herbe Sideritis which is called Heraclea Some vse this alone / and saye that it profiteth muche / and therfore name it Alisson / because it taketh madnes awaye These wordes writeth he in the helping of the bytinge of a mad dogge And wher he intreateth of Simples / he writeth of Alisson thus They saye that Alisson is the herbe called Sideritis / whiche groweth euery where by the hygh wayes / it hath a purple floure / and thick leaues Actuarius describeth Alisson after this maner Alisson is an herbe like vnto Hore hound /
or sowyng The other kind is called in Latin Corruda / or Asparagus syluestris Thys kinde maye be called in Englishe Pricky Sperage / because it hath prickes growynge on it Thys kynd dyd I neuer se but only in the mount Appenine Gardin Sperage is full of braunches / and it hath leaues lyke Fenell / but muche smaller / and a great rounde roote / whych hath a knoppe in it When Sperage commeth fyrst furth of the ground / it bringeth furth certayn bigge twigges / and in the toppes are certayne buddes lyke vnto rounde knoppes / which afterwarde sprede abroad into twigges / braunches and leaues The sede of thys kynde of Sperage when it is rype / it is rede The wilde Sperage in the stede of leaues hath nothinge but prickes / in other poyntes not vnlyke the other Sperage The Properties of Gardin Sperage THE yonge stalkes of gardine Sperage broken / and taken with whyte wyne / staunche the payne of the kydnes Sperage rosted or sodden / swageth and easeth the Strangulion / the hardnes in making of water / and the bloody flixe The roote sodden wyth wyne or vinegre / helpeth membres oute of ioynte The same sodden wyth figges and ciches / and taken in / heale the iaundes / it healeth also the Sciatica and the Strangurian The prickye Sperage is good to make ones bellye louse / taken in meate and it is good to prouoke vrine it is also good for the stopping of the water / agaynst the iaundis / the diseases of the kidnes / and Sciatica It is also good for the teth ache Sperage scoureth awaye the with out any manifest hete or cold Of Cererache ASplenum as Dioscorides writeth / is called also Asplenium / Splenium / and Hemionium / and though Hemionites be a farr other herb in Dioscorides then Asplenum is / and it is called of Asclepiades / in the nynth booke of Galenes worke of the composition of medecines after the places / Hemionites / Andromachus in the same boke gyueth the same names vnto Asplenum But Galene in the first boke of Simples / and the xij Chapter / semeth contrarie Asplenum vnto all these foure autentike autours / to make two diuerse herbes of Asplenum and Stolopendrium / whilse he rehearseth these wordes / the greater diseases of the milte and liuer / require stronger herbes / that is to wit / the barkes of Capers / the rootes of Tamarisk / Stolopendrion and Scilla / called Sea onyon / and the herbe whiche representeth thesame thing by his name / called Asplenos What a man should saye in this matter / it is not very redy at hand vnto al men / nether had it ben redy vnto me / if that I had not sene two kindes of Asplenum Whilse I went by the Ryne syde / foure myles beneth Binge I chaunsed vpon great plenty of Aspleno / and there dyd I se one herbe which had whyter leaues / deper indented / and sharper leaues thē the other had in so muche as I remembre it drew very nere vnto the lykenes of a certayne kinde of a litle thistel / whiche is indented lyke Asplenum This as I suppose was the herbe whiche Galene dyd separe from Scolopendrion And yet is not Scolopendrion Hartes tonge / whiche agreeth nothinge nether in likenes / nether in description with Scolopendrion Asplenos groweth muche in Germanye / in olde moiste walles / and in rockes / it groweth also in England about Bristowe it is named in Duche Steinfarn / in Frenche Ceterache / as the Potecarye call it I haue harde no English name of this Herbe / but it maye well be called in English Ceterache / or Miltwaste / or Finger ferne because it is no longer then a mannes finger or Scaleferne / because it is all full of scales on the innersyde Asplenon hath leaues lyke in figure vnto Scolopendra the beste / which also called Centipes / is not vnlike a great and rough palmers worme The leaues are some thinge lyke Polipodium / and are indented so that one indenting is not righte ouer agaynst an other / but against euerye diuision / cutting / or indenting / standeth a round halfe circle The inner syde of the lefe is somthinge yelowe / rough / with small thinges lyke bran / or yelow scales / which with a light occasion fal of / the outer syde is grene it hath nether floure nor sede If this description can not euidently ynough declare vnto you Asplenon / take a braunche of Polipodium / and take a finger lenght of the middes of it / the nether ende / and the high ende cut awaye / cut of both the sydes the toppes and the leues awaye / and make then the remain round / and then shall ye se the very forme of Asplenon The Properties THE leaues of Ceterach haue this vertue / when they are made hote in vinegre / and dronken of for the space of xl dayes / that they wast vp the milt / but the leues must be brused laid vnto the milte with wine This herbe is also good for the Strangurian / the iaundes or guelsought it stoppeth the hichcoke or yisking / and breaketh stones in the bladder Autors write that this herbe is not to be vsed much of suche weomen as woulde fayne haue manye childer Asplenium as Galene sayth is no hote herbe / but it hath subtil partes / and therefore breaketh the stone / and maketh the milt to melt awaye Of Astragalus AStragalus is named about Colon Erdeekelen / in Nederland Erdnutte / in Ouerlād Ein Erdtnuss I haue sene it in England in Come parke / and on Rychemonde heth But I neuer coulde learne the name of it in Englishe I am cōpelled for lacke of an other name to call it Peese earthnut / because it hath leaues lyke a litle Peese / or a Ciche / and rootes lyke an Earth nut Allthough all the description of Dioscorides besyde did agre verye well vnto this herbe yet when as I had found the roote in certayne moyst places / very litle astringēt / I began to dout but after that I found that in drye places / and that it had a manifest astriction / I douted no more but that thys herbe was the righte Astragalus / allthough Fuchsius do contend / that thys should be Apios Dioscorides described Astragalus thus Astragalus is a litle busshy Herbe / growyng a litle from the grounde wyth braunches and leues lyke vnto a Ciche / the floures are purple and litle The roote is rounde as a radice / and a great wythall There groweth certayne thynges vnto the roote / stronge as horne / and black / and one wounden within an other / and astringent in tast It groweth in places open to the winde in shadow places / and where as snow lyeth longe Thys description agreeth well with the herbe that I set furth in all other thinges as far as I can se / sauinge in the roote / for the hole roote is
that som men say that Cypros is the tre which is called in Italy Ligustrum / is much lesse to deny that Ligustrum is in Italy thys reasone of Massarius is found to be as weke as hys former argumentes be If that any aske of me how chanceth that Pliny semeth to dout in the xij booke wheter Cypros be Ligustrum or no / and that in the xxiij he pronunceth and gyueth sentence of it that he semeth to dout of before I answer that Pliny when as he wrote the xij booke / douted wheter Cypros was Ligustrum or no / ether because he had heard it so to be ether of som vncertayn reporte / or had red it in som autor / whose autorite deserued not full credit / and that when he wrote a good season afterwarde the xxiij booke / he had in the mean tyme learned of credible and learned men / or red in credit worthy autores / that Cypros was LigustruÌ„ Betwene the twelft booke and the xxiij ten bookes are conteyned / and some one booke conteyned in printe ix large shetes of papyr What tyme will a resonable man gyue vnto Pliny for the studying settyng in order / and wrytyng of these x. bookes If ye grant hym a moneth for euery booke to perfit it / as ye can grant hym no lesse seyng that he was the admirall or chefe rueler of the Emperoures Naui / and so cumbred with many weighty besinesses which belonged vnto hys office / ye must grant that in the space of x. monethes Pliny myght not only haue learned the certaynte of Cypros / but of many other thynges where of he was vncertayn before Therfore thys ought to trouble no man that Pliny in hys later booke doth hold boldly / it where of in hys former booke / he was doutfull The other reasones of Massarius I passe ouer as so weik that euen the yong studentes of Physick are able inoughe to confut by them selues These reasones I thought that it was mete / that I should answere to / lest any maÌ„ by redyng of Massarius Venetus / who writeth learnedly of fisshes / should by his argumentes bring hym from the truth / which Ruellius / Fuchsius / and Matthiolus defend / in holdyng that Cypros is Ligustrum Pryuet groweth very plentuously / in Cambrich shyre in the hedges / and almoste in euery gardin in London The vertues of Priuet THe leaues haue a byndyng nature / wherefore they are good to be chowed in the mouth to hele the sores of it If they be layd to emplaster wyse / they are good agaynst greate burnynges or inflammationes and carbuncles Whatsomeuer thyng is burned with the fire / may be healed with the broth of Priuet leues The flour of Priuet layd vnto the forheade / swageth the ache thereof The oyle of Priuet / heateth and softeneth the synewes if it be menged with those thynges that are of an hote nature Of the Lily LIlium is called in Greke Krinon or Lirion / in Englishe a Lily / in Duche wyß Lilgen or Gilgen / in Frenche du Lis. The Lily hath a long stalk and seldom more then one / how beit it hath somtyme ij It is ij or iij. cubites hyghe It hath longe leues and somthyng of the fasshon of the great satyrion The flour is excedyng white / and it hath the forme or fasshon of a long quiuer / that is to say smal at the one end / and byg at the other The leues of the floures are full of crestes The ouermost endes of the leues bowe a litle backwarde / and from the lowest parte within / come furth long small yelow thynges lyke thredes / of an other smell then the floures are of The roote is Lilium Lilium purpureum round / and one pece groweth hard to an other allmoste after the maner of the roote of Garleke / but that the clowes in the Lily are broder There is also a redish purple colored Lily besyde the white / where of Dioscorides also maketh mention The vertues and properties of the Lily THe oyntment made of Lilies softeneth the synewes and also very well the hardnes of the mother The leues of the herbe layd to / are good agaynst the styngyng of serpentes The same made hote / are good for places that burned If they be layd vj. and seasoned in vinegre / they heale woundes The iuice sodden with hony or vinegre in a brasen vessel / â—is a good medicine for olde sores and for grene woundes The roote rosted and broken wyth rose oyle / healeth places burned wyth the fyre It softeneth the mother It bringeth weomen theyr desyred sicknes It couereth woundes with a skin If it be broken brused with hony / it healeth out synewes / places out of ioynte It healeth scurfynes / scales / scabbes and Lepres / it scoureth away the rynning sores in the heade It scoureth the face and taketh away the wrynkles It is good to be brayed wyth the leues of henbayn whete mele / in vinegre to swage the inflammation or burnyng heat of the stones The sede dronken is a remedy agaynst the bytynge of serpeÌ„tes The leues and the sede are good to be layde vnto the cholerik inflammation called Erysipelas Of the herbe called Limonium Limonium LImonium hath leues like vnto a bete / but thynner and longer / ten in numbre / and oft tymes more / a thyme stalck / a streyght lyke vnto a lily It is full of red byndyng sede Some learned men hold that the herbe called pyrola / of the lyknes that it hath wyth a pere tre lefe / and in Duche Wintergruene / is the ryght Limonium But pyrola hath not leues longer then a bete / nether x. or more together Other holde / that bistorta is Limonium / but nether the leues are like betes leues / nether hath it such a stalck / as can ryghtly be compared vnto a lilies stalck But he that shoulde vse ether of both these for Limonio / he shuld not do amise For all though they differ from Limonio in lyknes / yet they agre well it in properties Matthiolus setteth furth ij figures of LimoniuÌ„ / but the former hath not a stalck lyke a lily / wherfore it can not be Limonium And as for the second / allthough it agreeth metely well wyth the description / I can not tell whether it be LimoniuÌ„ or no / because he telleth not whether the sede be byndyng or no. If he wold haue taught vs the Italiane name of it / perchaÌ„ce som of vs that here after shall go into Italy / myght spere it out and fynd it by that name But now haue we nothyng to help vs wyth al / sauyng only the figure wherefore we shal come more handly by the knowledge of hys Limonium The vertues of Limonium THe sede of Limonium broken and dronken in wyne / in the mesure of ij vnces or thereabout / is good agaynst all kyndes of flyxes /
autor / with laiyng ignorance vnto hys charge / seyng that Theophrastus in the same place where he speaketh of Orobanche telleth playnly that sum herbes ar first strangled by the roote / and that not the only presence of suche wedes kill herbes and pulses / but the takyng away of theyr norishement that commeth partly out of the erthe and partly from the ayr and son The wordes of Theophrast ar these Orobancha vocata eruum necat amplexu compres suque suo linodorum foenum graecum interimit protinus radici adnascens Lo here may ye se that a wede may kill a pulse by the roote alone But Theophrast sayeth farther Omnia idcirco interimunt quia pabulum tollunt tam quod terra ministret quà m quòd à sole aere veniat That is all kyndes of wedes do kill / because they take away the norishment as well it that the erth geueth / as it that commeth from the ayre and the sonne Of Rise Oriza ORiza is named in English and Duche Ris / in Frenche rize Dioscorides writethe nomore of the description of Ris / put that it growes in waterishe and marrishe groundes But Theophrast describeth it more largely / after thys wyse Rys is to looke to lyke vnto Lolium or darnel / and for the moste tyme of hys growyng / it standeth in water But it putteth furth no eare / but a mane after the maner of millet and panik Thus far Theophrast / who maketh a litle aboue Rise also lyke zea / which is called spelta of the herbaries / in Duche Speltzsperk It hath comonly an ear with ij chesses or orders of corne / as barley hath / called in Greke Distichon Whiche markes all together agre with our Ryse / except that where he sayeth that oriza hath a mane and no eare / or spike But I iudge that he taketh an ere very straytly here / for that which is growyng harde to the top of the strow is not spred abrode for / and wyde from the strow that it commeth out of / and that therefore he denieth that panicum hath any eare / whiche after the comon takyng of an eare / hath an ear as well as barley or sperltz hath For Theophrast in hys eight booke de historia plantarum describeth iubam that is a mane / such as he geueth vnto Ryse mile and panik after thys maner Effusam illam harundinaceam comam iubam appello that is I call that Riedishe bushe or look that is stretched furth abrode / a mane / so the Theophrast meaneth that the hede of Ryse is not properly to be called an ere / because the cornes ar so far from the straw Thys is ones out of al dout / that lolium and zea haue eares / but Theophrast maketh Ryse lyke vnto these two / and not for the leues sake or the strawis sake / but only for the eares sake Wherefore Theophrast meaneth not that Rise is without all kynde of eare / but that it hath no suche compact ere growyng harde to the hede of the straw as other kyndes of corn haue / but louse and goyng abrode after the fasshon of an horses mane I saw Ryse growyng in plenty besyde Mylane The vertues of Rise RIse norissheth menely / but it stoppeth the belly / Rise as Galene sayeth byndeth sumthing / and that therefore it stoppeth the belly Symeon Sethi writeth that Rise is hote in the first degre dry in the second Rise sayeth he prepared with milk maketh a man looke well / and bryngeth a good color / and increseth sede Of the herbe called Osyris THe herbe which is taken of the moste parte of lerned men to be Osyris / is called of the apothecaries linaria / because it is lyke vnto line or flax / in Duche it is named Kroten flachs / that is tode flax But allthoughe it groweth plentuously in England / yet I neuer heard any English name for it If there be no other name for it / it may be called in Englishe linari or todes flax Dioscorides describeth Osyris thus Osyris is a blak lytle bushe / beryng small branches / toughe and hard to breke / and in them grow four leues together / or fyue / or six lyke vnto lint or flax / blak in the begynnynge / the color changed afterwardes redishe I know no herbe that agreeth better with the description of Osyris then linaria doth / yet for all that / the certayn nombre of leues growyng together hyndereth it to be the ryght Osyris / for our linaria hath the branches all full of leues without any certayn numbre growyng together / at no tyme redishe that I colde mark hitherto Matthiolus writeth that sum iudge the fayr herbe that is called in Italian beluidere to be the ryght Osyris / where vnto he semeth to consent But at thys present I haue not the herbe / wherefore I can not examin it with the description of Dioscorides / and therefore can giue no iudgement in thys matter The vertues of Osyris DIoscorides â—riteth that the brothe of Osyris dronken is good agaynst the iaundes or guelsought Galene writeth that Osyris hath a bitter qualite 〈◊〉 â—â—erfore pouâ— to open stoppynges / so that it can hele the stoppyng of the 〈◊〉 Of Oxyacantha OXyacantha whiche is named in Latin Spina acuta is a tre lyke vnto a wilde pere tre / very full of prickes / but lesse It bringeth furthe beries lyke Myrtilles / full rede / brekle / a kyrnel within a roote diuided many wayes / which goeth depe into the grounde Hytherto Dioscorides The moste parte of lerned men in thys parte of Europa haue iudged of late yeres that our berberes should be Oxyacantha But the description of Oxyacantha in all poyntes Berberis Oxyacantha doth not agre with our berberis First our berberis bushe looketh not lyke a wilde pere tre / for it is rather a bushe then a tre / for in all the places that euer I saw it in / it neuer rose vp to the bygnes of a tre The berries of barberis and of the Myrt tre ar not in proportion figure lyke For the berberis beris ar great in the myddes small at bothe the endes / after the maner of a loÌ„g eg Suche fasshoÌ„ of figure is not in a Mirt berry Dioscorides semeth to geue one berry OxyacaÌ„tha / but one stone or kirnel / but euery berri of berberies hath iiij at the leste / wherefore it is not lyke that our berberis should be Oxyacantha Thus muche I had marked before I saw Matthiolus But after that I saw Matthiolus I learned of hym an other reson to proue that our berberis cold not be OxyacaÌ„tha / which was thys Dioscorides describyng the former kynde of Mespilus or medler tre / sayeth that it hath a lefe lyke vnto Oxyacantha But the former kynde of Mespilus / as Theophrastus witnesseth hath indented leues / in the vtter moste parte lyke
that secacul is not eringium / that laurus Alexandrina Hypoglosson / ar not all one / ar euel argumentes / with all other that ar bylded vpon the same fundation An other cause is that the pulse that I take for Phasiolus in Dioscorides / hath sede vtterly vnlyke vnto the sedes of Smilax hortensis For the pulse that I take for Phasiolus / hath a long whyte sede somthyng bowed in / after the maner of som ioyners mallettes / in fasshoÌ„ liknes lyke vnto a gray pease / but smaller longer / with a blak spot in the end of it The sede of gardin Smilax is lyke a flat kydney / where fore euery man may se that they ar very vnlyke in form fasshon They say that Dolichus in Theophrast / Smilax hortensis / Phasiolus in Dioscorides ar all one / whiche sayng if I can confute / then haue I an other cause to dissent from them Which thyng I trust to do after thys maner Dolichus in Theophrast Phasiolus in Galene will perishe thriue euel if it be not vnder propped But Phasiolus Dioscorides as I haue sene it by experieÌ„ce my self in Lumbardy / Matthiolus confesseth the same thriueth well inoughe without any vnder proppyng as other pulses do Therfore Phasiolus Dioscoridis is not all one with Dolichus of Theophrast / Phasiolus of Galen The last cause that maketh me dissent froÌ„ them / is that their own autorites whiche they bring for their purpose in som poyntes / is quyte against them selues For it is writen in the chapter de Dolichis in Galene that by the autorite of Hippocrates / that Dolichi ar lesse wyndier then peasen ar ther is also Diocles alledged to say these wordes Dolichi non minus quà m Pisa nutriunt praeterea similiter flatu carent That is / Dolichi norishe no lesse then Peasen do / lyke wyse they ar wtout wynde Where as Aetius saieth that Lobi were called of all old writers Dolichi and Phaseoli / of som Smilax hortensis / he hath these wordes Nutriunt noÌ„ minus quà m Pisa coÌ„similiterque flatus expertes sunt That is / Phaseoli gyue as muche norishment as Pesen do / and likewyse ar wtout wynde But phasioli Dioscoridis are not only windy / but also stir vp winde / for these ar hys wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore I may well coÌ„clude that Phasiolus in Dioscorides Phasiolus / Dolichus in Galene / Aetius Diocles / ar not all one / not only because they haue diuerse maners in growyng / diuerse liknesses / but also because they haue diuerse properties / that is to wet / that it of Dioscorides is wyndy / bredeth winde / that other ar flatuuÌ„ expertes that is windlesse or wtout winde Now let men of learnyng iudgement gyue sentence / whether I dissent froÌ„ these men before named without a cause or no. Galene euen in the same place where as he maketh Dolichos Phaseolos all one / wtout all dowt maketh two kyndes of Dolichus / so maketh ij kyndes of Phaseolus for where as he had sayd in the begynnyng almoste of the chapter after the autorite of Theophrast that Dolichi wil rott com to nought / except they be set vp vpoÌ„ proppes to hold them froÌ„ the ground / in the very end of the same chapter he sheweth that ther is also an other besyde that / which nedeth no vnder proppyng Galenis wordes as he is translated ar these Quidam amicorum meorum Romae agens mihi narrauit in Caria in patria sua quam Ceramum appellabat in agris Dolichos non aliter quà m alia legumina seri figuram quà m habere cicerculis longiorem And these do I reken ar Phaseoly Dioscorides / which differ much / as sufficiently is proued befor / froÌ„ Smilace hortensi / not wtstandyng I will not denye / but other autores call that pulse that Dioscorides named Smilacem horteÌ„sem / Dolichum Phasiolum Yet for all that Phasiolus in Dioscorides Smilax hortensis ar two diuerse pulses Phasiolus may be called in Englishe faselles / vntill we can fynd a better name for it Of the herbe called Phu Of Setwall Phu magnum Phu uulgare PHu is taken of the most parte of them that write of herbes at thys tyme / and of them that haue writen of late / to be the herbe which is called of the comon herbaries / Valeriana maior of the Germanes / baldrian oder grosß baldrian / of our countremen Setwall / and of som / caponis loiyle But whether Setwall do agre in all poyntes with the description of Phu in Dioscorides or no ye may iudge by the description whiche foloweth here after Phu / which som call also wild Spiknard / groweth in Pontus / and it hath a lefe lyke vnto Elaphoboseo / or Alexander / a stalk a cubit hyghe or hygher / smothe / hollow and soft / turnyng to purple / and full of ioyntes The floures ar much lyke Narcissus / but they ar greater and tenderer / and purple in a whytyshe color The ouer root is about the thyknes of a mannis litle fingre But it hath litle rootes growyng to ouerthwart / and one wounden with in an other as squinant / or blak hellebor hath / in color somthyng yelow / well smellyng / resemblyng Spiknard / yet with a certayn vnpleasant sauor / hytherto Dioscorides In thys description is nothyng that I can mark that disagreeth with our Setwall / sauyng that the leues ar not altogether lyke vnto Alexander / and the floures ar not very lyke vnto the floures of Narcissus But with a gentle interpretation the leues may be interpreted lyke AlexaÌ„der leues / and the floures lyke vnto the floures of Narcissus / wherefor seyng that the rest of the herbe with the vertues do well enoughe agre I thynk that a man may lawfully take our Setwall for Phu in Dioscorides The vertues of Setwâ—ll SEtwall hath pour to heate / and to dryue furth water / if it be dronken after that it is dryed / the brothe of it is good for the same purpose It is also good for the ache of the syde / and it draweth down vnto weomen theyr naturall siknes Galene writeth that Phu hath a roote in vertu / lyke vnto Spicanardi / but for many purposes weyker / and that it prouoketh water more then Spiknard of Inde or Syriak as muche / as Spica celtica doth Of Hartis tunge Phyllitis ALlthoughe diuerse of the beste herbaries of our tyme haue iudged that Hemionitis / is our Hartis tung / and I haue folowed them a loÌ„g tyme in theyr iudgemeÌ„t yet admonisshed by Cordus many yeares before er Matthiolus had ether writen in Italian / or Latin / that our Hartis tuÌ„g shuld be Phyllytis / I left my former opinion and held as I do now / that the herbe whiche is named of the herbaries lingua ceruina of other but falsely