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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	branch_n	small_a	stalk_n	1,481	5	11.5915	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05102	The third volume of the French academie contayning a notable description of the whole world, and of all the principall parts and contents thereof: as namely, of angels both good and euill: of the celestiall spheres, their order and number: of the fixed stars and planets; their light, motion, and influence: of the fower elements, and all things in them, or of them consisting: and first of firie, airie, and watrie meteors or impressions of comets, thunders, lightnings, raines, snow, haile, rainebowes, windes, dewes, frosts, earthquakes, &c. ingendered aboue, in, and vnder the middle or cloudie region of the aire. And likewise of fowles, fishes, beasts, serpents, trees with their fruits and gum; shrubs, herbes, spices, drugs, minerals, precious stones, and other particulars most worthie of all men to be knowen and considered. Written in French by that famous and learned gentleman Peter de la Primaudaye Esquier, Lord of the same place, and of Barree: and Englished by R. Dolman.; Academie françoise. Part 3. English	La Primaudaye, Pierre de, b. ca. 1545.; Dolman, R. (Richard)	1601 (1601)	STC 15240; ESTC S108305	398,876	456

these is the Cinamon which though that whiles Rome flourished as many authors record it was planted in diuers places yet now is there not any of it to bee founde throughout Italie nay in all Europe But Asia aboundeth therewith in many places yea so doth Arabia foelix in diuers parts and much more India especially in one island called Monorique the mountaines whereof beare plentie of Cinamon-trees Of the tree that beareth cinamon This tree is somewhat like to our Laurell tree hauing many branches at the ende whereof it beareth very small blossomes which being dried by the heate of the sunne and fallen on the ground there is formed thereof a little round fruit not much bigger then an hasell nut out of the kernell whereof the Islanders doe extract good oile wherewith the diseased doe rub their sinewes and other in●●●● parts The king of Monorique receiueth great pr●● through these trees for none may be permitted to touch them without his licence And certaine moneths of the yeere he causeth some twigges and syons to be cut the smallest and finest that may bee in the tree and the barke of them to be peeled off which is sold very deere to such strangers as trafficke therein For this is the best of the tree But the Cinamon which is brought hither is nothing else but the second barke that is peeled off which being cut with a little knife rowleth vp togither of it selfe Propertie of cinamon and changeth colour Moreouer the propertie of Cinamon is to dry and heate to the third degree for it consisteth of very subtile partes and is very sharpe in taste and of a certaine quicke astriction by means whereof it taketh away and dissolueth the superfluities of the body fortifieth the members There is a distilled water made of Cinamon which is strong in smell and taste and is of great vertue For take a pound of Cinamon braie it and put it into a vessell with fower pound of Rose-water and halfe a pound of white wine then set your vessel being very close stopped in warme water and then make your distillation in the same water being placed vpon a furnace wherein the fire is temperately maintained in such sort that the saide warme water do alwaies boile And this distilled water is verie soueraigne against all diseases that come through colde for it dissolueth and consumeth fleame and clammie humors and chaseth away all windines It doth especially comfort the stomack the liuer the spleene the braine and the sinewes It is a singular and present remedie against faintnesse of the hart against paines and prickings of the mouth and stomacke it resisteth poisons and bitings of venemous beasts it prouoketh vrine and the flowers in women It is good for those that haue short breath that are sicke of the palsie or haue the falling sicknes And in a word when neede is to heat to open to pierce to resolue and to comfort this water is very profitable therefore Now let vs speake of the tree that beareth Cassia Of the tree bearing cassia For it is in the number of the greatest and most singular trees The woode thereof is massiue close of the colour of boxe neere the barke and blacke in the midst like Ebonie When it is greene it hath a bad smell but this sauour doth weare away being drie It beareth certaine cods which hang vpon the branches verie long round and massiue which being ripe waxe blacke and somewhat reddish And they are full of a soft and blacke sappe like to thicke creame not sticking altogither like marrow in a bone but is contained as it were in little cases being one separated from another by thinne skins set very close togither betwixt euery one of which there is a very hard graine In Egypt and in India are very many of these Cassia trees and in the isle of Taprobana Their cods are not very great but cleare heauie and verie full in such sort that if they be shaken one cannot heare the graines rattle therein and these are the best The sappe or iuice of them is hot and moist in the thirde degree Property of the cassia It is lenitiue and loosening and purifieth the bloud It stancheth heat of choler and doth moderately loosen the belly It is marueilous profitable for those that cannot make water especially if it be vsed with medicines that prouoke vrine It purgeth choler and fleame and mollifieth the breast and the throate and resolueth inflammations therein it clenseth the raines from grauell and sand if it bee drunke with the decoction of licor as and other simples fit to prouoke vrine and if it be often taken it hindreth the stone in the raines Besides all this it is good against hotte agues and being outwardly applied it asswageth inflammations Amongst aromaticall trees the tree that beareth frankincense is woorthie to be considered of Of the franckincense tree The forme thereof is somwhat like to a pine and out of it runs a liquor that afterwardes waxeth hard which we call frankincense whereof there are two sorts One sort is gathered in sommer in the dogge-daies in the greatest burning heate of the yeere at which time the barke is split being then fullest of moisture And this frankincense is whitish transparent and pure The other kinde is gathered in the Spring time by meanes of another incision which is made in this tree in winter and it is somewhat redde approching nothing neere either in goodnes or value or else in waight or vertue to the first Arabia hath many forrests wherein frankincense is found And the inhabitants of the countrey do lance the trees with a knife to cause them distill gumme the better or else the liquor whereof it is made Propertie of franckincense amongst which trees there are some that may yeeld aboue threescore pounds euery yeere Moreouer being taken in drinke it is very good against Dysenterias and fluxes of the bellie It encreaseth the memorie chaseth awaie sadnes reioiceth the hart is profitable for all the passions therof It also staieth the bleeding at nose being incorporated with the white of an egge and aloes and put into the nosthrils in a tent It likewise appeaseth the paines of the megrim being mixed with myrrh and glaire of an egge and applied to the forehead and temples It is also hot in the second degree and drie in the first and hath some astriction which is but little founde in that which is white Of the tree that beares mirrh Let vs speake of myrrhe which groweth abundantly in the same regions where frankincense doth The tree which beareth it is full of prickles in some places being of fiue or sixe cubites high very hard and crooked and thicker then the frankincense tree the barke smooth like a laurell tree and the leaues like those of the oliue tree but rougher hauing certaine sharpe prickles at the end Out of this tree there distilleth a gummie liquor like teares which hardneth

is one of the most gentle medicines and least annoying that may be amongst laxatiue remedies But it is euerie where so common that none esteeme of it It is not only laxatiue but doth also fortifie the interiour members bindeth their veines which are too loose as also those of the stomacke and of the liuer and healeth feuers that proceed by choler or through stoppings It euacuateth the cholerike humour verie much in vrine the seed thereof is bitter and somewhat sharpe and it is somewhat more hot then the herbe that is temperate so that the whole plant is purifying penetratiue opening and laxatiue And because of the cold and stiptick qualitie thereof it bindeth restrayneth and fortifieth It doth gently loosen the belly it purgeth choler and burning humours Wherefore it is good against the meazels against cankers and all infections of the skin and other maladies which doe proceed from oppilations the iuice thereof cleereth the sight causeth teares to issue euen as smoke or fume doth whereof it seemeth to haue taken name Angelica is a most excellent plant Of Angelica and verie worthie to bee here described It is aboue a cubit in height it produceth a knottie stalke crested and full of pits the leaues thereof are long and indented round about the flowers white growing in bunches out of which springeth a little graine and smooth like a lentill The roote is as thicke as a reddish diuided into many branches sharpe in taste and sweete in smell Also there are sundry sorts thereof for one kinde is set in gardens another sort is wild and another groweth in watrie places All this plant is hot and drie in the second degree full or to the beginning of the third Wherefore it is opening attenuating and resoluing It is singular against poysons so that taken in drinke or often chewed it preserueth from the plague being taken alone it attenuateth flegmaticke and clammie humours And so doth the decoction of the roote thereof which doth readily heale the cough that comes through cold for it causeth one to spit out and voide all clammie fleame The same decoction receiued in wine or water healeth vlcers in the interior members dissolueth clotted blood and fortifieth the stomacke The roote beaten to powder is soueraigne against fainting of the hart other passions thereof It is singular against bitings of mad venimous beasts being laid thereupon with Rue or taken inwardly for which cause many of our moderne phisitions imploy it in their counterpoisons preseruatiues There is giuen halfe a dram of the root with a dram of treacle and the distilled water hereof to such as haue the plague who are constrained to sweat and seuen howers after to resume this drink and by this onely counterpoison some haue beene holpen This roote chewed and put into holow teeth asswageth the paine of them It also sweetneth the breath Whosoeuer shall hold a little peece thereof in his mouth or in the morning drinke two spoonefuls of wine wherein it hath beene steeped hee shall not easily bee infected with euill aire all day after The leaues thereof with the leaues of Rue and honie applied in a cataplasme heale the bitings of madde-dogs and stingings of serpents And being laide vpon his head that is sicke of an ague it attracteth to it selfe much of the heate of the ague Of Maidenhaire Maidenhaire also is a very exquisite plant much like vnto ferne but with smaller leaues set in order heere and there one ouer against another in fine smal branches sharpe in taste black and shining It is temperate in heate and coldenes and therefore it drieth purifieth and resolueth It is good to cause one spit and voide out of the breast and lungs all grosse and clammy humors It staieth the fluxe of the belly resolueth the kings euill and other tumors and being taken in drinke is singular for hardnes of water when one can make it but drop by drop it breaketh the stone The decoction also thereof is good for them that draw their breath with paine and is profitable for the spleene and against the iaundise And the herbe thereof being laid vpon the bitings of serpents is a singular remedie therefore To open also the infusion thereof made in parsley water or in endiue water or in broth of blacke chich-pease or in a little goats-milke is very good and adding sugar thereto it healeth inflammations of the side doth greatly prouoke vrine Briefly all the vertues that Phisitions attribute to Venus-haires called commonly Capilli Veneris agree with Maiden-haire Now AMANA let vs heare you choose out other plants for the subiect of your discourse Of Rheubarb Licorice Aloes Sene Saffron and Centurie Chapter 78. AMANA SIth that it is not our purpose to write an entire Historie concerning simples but onely to consider of the most excellent in their effects me seemeth that it is sufficient for vs so to make way to another matter to adde to our precedent discourses that which I intend nowe to speake concerning some singular plants amongst which I preferre Rheubarb to the first place which is very plentifull in all India The leaues of it are commonly two foote long broad aboue and so growing narrower towards the stalke Of Rheubarb and the excellent virtue thereof hauing a certaine cotton or as it were haire round about it as is cōmonly seene in the herb called in French Bouillon blane The stalk therof is but a foote high or little more and is all greene like the leaues In the middle thereof groweth out a very small branch hauing certaine flowers about it that enuiron it which are like vnto purple violets saue in colour onely which is different being white and blew of sharpe smell and very vnpleasant to their nose that smell thereat The roote is very deepe in the ground of a foote and an halfe long and as thicke as a mans arme some more some lesse and out of it there do many small ones sprout which before the great one be cut are digged vp with the principall to the end that it may more easily be cleft in peeces It is on the outside of an ashie colour and full of yellowish iuice while it is fresh and greene and so clammie that in touching thereof it causeth the fingers to sticke togither Now this roote is an excellent medicine gentle and without danger wherein many singularities requisite in a laxatiue simple are comprised And Rheubarb is best while it is greene of a blackish colour somewhat enclining to a redde and heauie although it be of a rare bodie and which being broken is mixed with red and skie colour within and being chewed waxeth as yellow as Saffron Besides it purgeth choler and flegme it clenseth and fortifieth the stomacke and liuer and healeth the paines and prickings of them It clarifieth the bloud openeth and healeth all maladies that proceed of stoppings as the iaundise the dropsie swelling of the spleene and long feauers It is good

to celebrate his diuine prouidence Then ACHITOB begin you to entreate of trees Of trees and especially of the Pine the Fir-tree the Cypresse-tree and the Cedar Chap. 68. ACHITOB. Foure differences of plants transported IT is doubtlesse that the difference of trees of one kinde is chiefly caused by the diuersitie of regions And therefore amongst those trees that are transported from one place to another some do beare fruit as the Palmes at Genoa some also beare but vnperfectly as the Pepper-tree at Millaine There are some that cannot grow as the wood of Aloës brought out of India into Italy And some beare perfect fruit bicause they can agree with the aire and with the soile as well of one countrey as of another as the Vines transported out of Spaine into India But aboue all the calmenes of the aire and the answerablenes of the place are of great efficacy in the naturall propertie of trees do often cause them to beare great quantity of fruit and blossomes and are the cause that some are alwaies greene And therefore about the Grand Cairo and in the countrey of Elephants the leaues do neuer fall off the fig-trees and vines and in the Isles and other regions of the west Indies discouered by the Spaniards there is neuer a tree but is alwaies greene And therefore there are diuers trees both of one and of diuers kindes also higher greener and fairer to behold in one place then in another For in hot and moist countries all plants grow greater fuller of iuice and greener Property of the plants according to the quality of the regions where they growe if the proper nature of the plant doe not hinder and in hot and drie places they are smaller and drier and yet of no lesse vertue But in moist and cold regions the plants are weake and full of sappe And they which are hot by nature grow broad and high but the cold are small Now all trees whereof we now particularly entreat do by nature grow greatly for the most part and flourish a verie long time As Iosephus recordeth that Abrahams Oke did yet stand in his daies And there were betwixt the destruction of Hierusalem and the death of Abraham two thousand yeeres And next to the oke the palme the beech the oliue-tree the elme and the pine-tree do flourish longest Now will I proceede to a particular description of some trees the most woorthie to bee considered of Of the pine amongst which the Pine chalengeth the first place whereof there are two kindes one is domesticall and the other sauage The domesticall kinde hath an infinite sort of branches vpon the verie vppermost toppe of the stocke which spread rounde about it being very thicke of leaues which are pointed in the end and long it beareth plentie of great and sounde apples wherein are certaine hard kernels inclosed as blacke as soote in which the fruite is founde being couered with a thinne yellow skinne easie to get off by pilling it with your fingers And this fruite is sweete and pleasant in taste of a fatte and oylie substance For the sauage or wilde one there are many sorts of them Some growe on mountaines others on the sea coast They of the mountaines are of three kindes For there are some that be highest of all the rest which abound in the forrests of Bohemia Silasia Polonia and other places whereof the countrey men make pitch Which are euery whit like to the domesticall sort sauing that their apples bee lesse for they bee not much greater then those of Cypresse but they are a little longer and more sounde and husked like those of the domesticall Pine being full of gumme and of a sweete sent The second kinde of these mountaine Pines are such as haue no stocke or trunke but sprout their branches out of their roote close to the earth running along the ground till they attaine to tenne or fifteene cubits length they beare fruite like vnto the other but of a bigger sise and fuller of gumme and are founde in many places of Italy Finallie there are many other which are of goodly height and yet not so high as those of the first kinde neither haue they the barke of their stocks yellow like the other pines likewise their fruite is somewhat enclining towards red but more brittle then all the rest And the kernels of them are three square and crooked and in taste somewhat like those of the garden pine sauing that they leaue a certaine quicke sharpenes in the mouth which is proper to all wilde trees and they abounde in the territorie of Trent And the gumme that proceeds out of all these sorts of pines is white and sweete The sea pines are of two sorts differing onely in the greatnes and smalnesse of their fruite and do all of them produce white odoriferous gumme which turneth into a thinne liquor Qualities and virtues of the pine kernels whereof men make black pitch Moreouer as concerning the fruite of the pine in generall it is most certaine that therein are many great vertues properties and that it is very profitable for mans bodie For it is of a moderate temperature but that it enclineth more towards heate It ripeneth it mollifieth it resolueth it fatneth and it nourisheth well It correcteth the humours which are corrupted in the intrailes neuerthelesse it is hard in digestion and therefore to such as are cold of nature the kernels are ministred with honie to such as are hot with sugar to correct the strength of those kernels They do helpe being often eaten the paines of the sinewes and are good for those that be troubled with the Sciatica palsie shaking and numbnes of members They clense the lungs and the corruption of them purging out all clammie hummors and rottennes They are profitable against the cough and the corruption of the reines and bladder wherefore they ease them much who pisse but drop by drop and feele their vrine burne They fatten leane folkes and being taken with the iuice of purslaine they doe helpe eruptions of the stomacke Also the picked leaues of a greene pine being stamped and drunke with wine doe appease paines of the heart Other properties of some parts of the pine But the patient must abstaine from all fat meates Of the scales that couer the pine apples being sodde in very sharpe vineger is made a singular perfume against the Dysenteria And the water of those apples verie greene being distilled through a limbecke doth wash out the wrinckles of the face Moreouer of the oldest pines is pitch made which is called Nauall by reason that it is very good to pitch ships which to do men cut downe the pines with an hatchet which are become full of gummie iuice and hewe them in peeces as they doe other trees to make coales of Whereupon let vs note that they which inhabite mountaines say that it is a maladie amongst pines when not onely the hart thereof but the outward

and white and of those are formed reddish Dates which haue a very hard long and crested stone within them And there are of these trees male and female which are discerned in that the femall buddeth without blossomes Maruell of the female Palme-tree or flowers And that which is most admirable in this diuersitie of kinde is that the female beeing separated from the male will hang downe hir branches and wither turning hir selfe that way whither her male hath beene caried so that the inhabitants of the countrie fearing to loose hir take of the earth and of the root of the male which they lay about the foot of the female who through this meanes springeth reneweth strength and beareth fruit It is noted in Date-trees that there are some which naturally follow the Sun which way so euer he turneth as many other plants do which hauing a sympathy and secret inclination to this star as acknowledging his virtue and that their vigour is deriued from him do alwaies behold him they themselues loosing colour when hee is far off from them And this is also very wonderfull in the Date tree that beeing dead it reuiueth of it selfe by meanes of the proper rootes thereof which beeing very deepe vnder ground maintained by the radicall humour there do at length spring out of them certaine stalkes which are afterwards sustained by the Sun there nourished and made trees Drinke that distilleth out of the Date-tree bearing fruit as before Moreouer out of the trunck of Date-trees many people especially the Negroes do extract a licour which they vse for beuerage in stead of wine by making a large slit therein with a certaine instrumēt a foot or two aboue the earth And this licour is of the colour of whay very good to drinke and almost asmuch inebriating or as strong as wine for which cause it must bee very oftentimes mixed with water And when it runneth out of the stock it is as sweete as new wine but it looseth that sweetenes from day to day becomming more pleasant to drinke when it tasteth somewhat more tart because it doth then slake thirst best They also draw out of this tree certaine threeds as fine as our threed Tapistry made of Palme trees wherof they make tapistrie worke which serue like other things to couer them which neede not seeme verie strange considering that in many other places they beat the barkes of some trees so hard after they haue wet it that they do draw it out so fine and weaue it so artificially as one would suppose it to be some faire and thin taffata Such as haue sailed to Manicongo and along the coast of Ethiopia do assure vs thereof in their writings For if that cotton commeth from trees and silke is spunne by wormes as all men know what should hinder the foresaid things to be of such ability through the ordinance of God established in nature to the end that men might receiue from these plants that which is needfull for them and which they cannot obtaine by the meanes that are common to others But if any make doubt therof because it is not notoriously known vnto all then must we shut the doore against al things that seeme rare But what shal we say to that which is taught vs by many graue Authors that of the fruit of these trees called the Thebane Date being dried in the sun til such time as it may be ready to be groūd Bread made of Dates men vse to make bread which is a common practise amongst those of that countrey Moreouer for the particular vertues and properties of Dates they are so much different Propertie of Dates as there bee diuers kindes of them for some are drie and binding as those of Egypt others are soft moist and sweete as those that grow in Syria Palestina and Iericho And the rest are in meane betwixt these two kinds and all are hard in digestion and breed headach Some say that two greene dates hauing their stones taken out and then filled vp with powder of Vermilion being eaten doe keepe women with child that they may not abort and that being dried they be good to eate by such as spit blood to such as haue a weake stomacke and are troubled with the bloodie fluxe Now let vs speake of a tree Of a tree seruing for bread oyle wine and vineger that doth much resemble the Date-tree and is no lesse woorthie of woonder then it because it serueth for bread wine oyle and vineger This tree is called by the Arabians Baratha and of some Iansialindi which is as much to say as the Indian tree and the Indians name it Trican and the fruit thereof Nihor or Cocco It is found in many Ilands of India chiefly in Zamat and in the circumiacent Isles where the people liue vpon the fruit of this tree which fruit is as big as a mans head and is that which we terme An Indie Nut. The outtermost barke of this tree is all greene and aboue two fingers thicke amongst which they finde certaine fillets whereof they make cords wherewith the inhabitants of the countrey sowe their boats together Within this barke is another which they burne and beat to dust afterwards they vse this powder as a medicine for their sicke Vnder this second barke againe is a certaine white pith couered which is about a finger thicke and this they eate in stead of bread with flesh and fish And to make it the better they dry it first and then bring it into meale and make verie good bread thereof as the ancients in old time made of Acornes and of chestnuts for want of corne In the midst of this pith they finde a verie cleere sweete and cordiall water which being curdled and conuerted into an oylie substance they boyle it and then this mixture becomes so fat as the best butter that can be made amongst vs. But if they would haue vineger they set this water in the sunne without making it to boyle and it will become cleere and sharpe and as white as milke For their drinking liquor it runs out of the branches in great abundance And two of these trees suffice for the nourishment of an whole family Furthermore their fruit is hot in the second degree and moist in the first Propertie of Indie Nuts There is oyle drawen out of it verie good against the hemorrhoides and which healeth the paines of the reines and of the knees and purgeth the bellie of wormes This Indie-Nut bringeth also mens bodies into a good fat estate and restoreth leane and consumed persons A tree named Gehuph In the Isles of the Malucoes especially in Taprobana doth likewise growe a tree of a meruailous propertie and effect which is named in their language Gehuph and of the Indians Cobban It groweth very high but the leaues thereof are small The barke is all yealow and the fruit big and round like a ball hauing a nut enclosed within it wherein is

of it one is called great Centurie and the other is lesser Centurie The great hath leaues like a walnut tree long greene like Colewoorts indented about a stalke of two or three cubits high The flower thereof is blew and the roote verie big full of iuice sharp with astriction and sweetnes The lesser sore hath leaues like rue a square stalke somewhat more then a span long the flowers thereof are red inclining to purple and the root is small smooth and bitter in taste For their properties the vertue of great Centurie consisteth in the roote thereof which serueth for ruptures conuulsions difficultie in breathing old coughes pleurisies and spitting of blood It is also giuen to them that are sicke of the dropsie of the iaundise and are pained in their liuer being either steeped in wine or beaten to powder and drunke Of the lesser Galen hath composed an whole booke which he dedicated to his friend Papias concerning the great and admirable vertues therein For it purgeth choler and fleame for which cause the decoction thereof is good against tertian feuers which also and the iuice thereof helpeth stoppings and hardnes of the liuer and spleene Being drunke likewise to the waight of a dram with honie or laid vpon the nauell it auoideth wormes out of the belly The leaues of this herbe wherein and in the flowers thereof lyeth all the vertue being applied fresh to great wounds search them and heales vp old vlcers But now changing our talke let vs leaue phisicke plants and say somwhat concerning those more excellent ones which particularly serue for the nouriture of Man Of Wheate Rie Barley and Oates and of Rice and Millet Chap. 79. ARAM. AMongsts herbs and plants wherewith men are fed and nourished the chiefe degree is by good right assigned to wheat as to that graine whereof the best bread is made which onely with water may very well suffice for the mainteinance of our life hauing many properties also in the vse of phisick Now according to the diuersitie of places wherein it groweth people do name it and one sort differeth from another but wee will heere speake of that which is most common amongst vs. All wheat hath many verie small roots Of Wheat and of the forme and fertilitie thereof but one leafe and many buds which may diuide themselues into sundry branches All the winter time it is an herb but the weather waxing milder there springeth out of the midst thereof a small stalk which after three or foure knots or ioints beareth an eare not by and by seene but is hidden within a case The stalke beeing made the flower bloometh some foure or fiue daies after and about so long endureth That past the graine swelleth and ripeneth in forty daies or sooner as the climate is in heat The fertility of this plant is meruailous as wee behold by daily experience For there are some places in Italie especially in the territory of Sienna about the sea coasts where there hath beene seene to grow out of one only graine foure and twenty eares of corne and that one bushell of seede hath yeelded an hundred The best wheat should bee hard to breake massiue waightie of the colour of gold cleere smooth kept three moneths ripe faire and growing in a fat soile to be the fitter to make better bread of And the meale also must not be too much ground neither yet too fresh nor too long kept before it be vsed for if it be too much ground it maketh bread as if it were of branne that which is too fresh doth yet retaine therein some heat of the mill-stone and that which is kept too long will be spoyled either by dust or by mouldines or will else haue some bad smell Now besides the common vse of wheat the manner how to make it in drinke is verie notable which drinke serueth insteed of wine in those countries where the vine cannot fructifie Beere For there they take wheat and sometimes barley rie or oates euerie one apart or else two or three sorts of these graines or else all mingled togither and steepe them in fountaine water or in water of the cleanest and cleerest riuer that may be chosen or else for better in a decoction or wourt of hops and this is done for so long time till the graine begin to breake then is it dried in the sunne being drie it is beaten or else ground afterwards sodden in water in which it hath first beene steeped for the space of three or fower howers putting thereto a good quantitie of the flowers of hops and skimming the decoction or wourt verie well that done it is powred out and put in vessels for the purpose This drinke is called Beere And they which will haue it verie pleasant to the taste after it is made doe cast into the vessels sugar cinamom and cloues and then stirre it verie much Some doe put cockle into the composition of beere the more to sharpen the taste And sith we are entred into this speech we will here note that wheat doth easily conuert into cockle chiefly when the weather is rainie and cold Of Cockle for it commeth of corne corrupted by too much moisture or that hath beene too much wet by continuall raines in winter It springeth first out of the ground hauing a long leafe fat rough with a slenderer stalk then that of wheat at the top whereof there is a long eare hauing on all sides little sharpe cods or huskes out of which three or fower graines grow together being couered with a verie hard barke The bread that hath much thereof in it doth dizzie and hurt the head so that they which eat thereof do commonly fall into a sound sleep and their head is much troubled It annoyeth the eies and dimmeth the sight Some also do make * As some thinke wafer-cakes Amylum of wheat which serueth for many things They take verie cleane wheat of three moneths olde which they wet fiue times a day and as often by night if it be possible being well soaked and steeped they powre the water away not shaking it to the ende that the thick and that which is like creame may not runne out with the water After that it is verie wel mollified and the water changed it must be sifted that the bran which swimmeth at top thereof may bee done away and then must it be kneaded verie hard together casting fresh water stil vpon it And so it must be laid in panniers or dossers to drie and then vpon new tiles to be parched in the sun with as much speed as may be for if it remaine neuer so little a while moist it waxeth sowre The best is that which is white fresh light and smooth It hath power to mollifie in sharpe and rough things and is good against rheumes that fall into the eies Being taken in drinke it restraineth spitting of blood and asswageth the sorenes of the throat Next after Wheat Rie is in

common vse to make bread of Of Rie This plant hath many stalkes smaller then those of wheat and blacker as the graine is also Meale made of Rie is good for plaisters to draw The decoction of the seede voideth wormes out of the belly especially if Coriander seed be mixed therewith The straw being soaked in water is good to binde vines insteed of rush or broome Barley is also much vsed euerie where Of Barley It beareth a broad leafe and rougher then wheat hath a britler and lesser stalk of eight knots with one onely rough broad leafe vpon the stalke The graine is lapped in a cod which is close shut out of the top whereof groweth a long and sharpe beard The best is that which is whitest most full heauie easie to boyle not waxing mouldie There groweth a certaine kinde of it in many places the graine whereof is easily taken out of the huske or cod and is therefore called clensed Barley Besides all barley drieth and cooleth and is also abstersiue The meale thereof boyled in honied-water with figs resolueth al inflammations and impostumes with rosin and pigeons dung it ripeneth all hard swellings with melilot heads of poppie it easeth the paine of the sides and with quinces or vineger it appeaseth inflammations of the goute in the feete The ashes of burnt barley is verie good for burnings being laide thereupon and applied to flesh that cleaueth not to the bone Concerning barley-bread besides that it lyeth heauie vpon the stomacke it engendreth also cold and clammie humours it nourisheth little causeth windines and yet some say it is very good for them that haue the gout in their feet Of Beere There is a certain kind of drink called Beere made of barley which is cōmonly vsed insteed of wine in al the north-countries to wit in Germany Bohemia Polonia Flāders other cold countries of Europe And if one take too much therof it wil inebriate or make drūken as wel as wine that for a lōger time bicause that beere is more grosse and materiall and of harder digestion then wine whereto it is so like also in force and vertue that aqua-vitae is likewise made thereof Next after barley oates are a graine very commodious Of Oates In leafe and stalke this graine resembleth wheate but it beareth on the top thereof as it were little twolegd grashoppers hanging where the graine is inclosed which though it seeme to be created of nature rather fit for beasts foode then for man yet in Germanie they oftentimes eate it in good fat flesh pottage being boiled therein after it hath beene cleansed of all filth as is vsed in rice Oates also in the vse of phisicke doe very neere approch to the qualitie of Barley For being applied it drieth and moderately resolueth But it is a little more cold and somewhat more restringent in temper so that it is good for the flux in the belly and profitable for those that haue the cough Of Rice Wee may likewise consider of Rice which the Ancients did hold to bee a kinde of corne The leafe thereof is very thick resembling that of a leeke The stalke thereof is about a cubit long knotty bigger then that of wheat and stronger on the top of it groweth an eare parted into little branches on both sides whereof is the graine included in a yealow huske rough and hauing creuises on the side of an ouall figure and beeing taken out of the huske it becommeth white It groweth in some places of Italie in moist ground but it aboundeth in Asia Syria and Egypt Rice is very vsuall in meat and nourisheth meanely but it is made of more e●●●… digestion and of better tast beeing sod in cowes-milk almond milke or fat flesh pottage It is very good to giue to such as haue the laxe and colick The flower thereof is good in repercussiue plaisters It staieth inflammations that rise in the dugs The decoction of Rice also is very profitable in clisters against laxes or fluxes and in drinke likewise Now to end this talke Of Millet wee will say something concerning Millet for it hath many properties both in food and phisick This plant beareth leaues like those of a reed hauing a stalke of a cubit long thick knottie and rough At the top thereof do hang certaine hairie heads in which the graine groweth in great abundance beeing round massiue yealow and lapped in a thin skin In many places bread is made of this graine and euen at Verona it is carried hot about the streets whereof they make much account for it hath a sweetnes very pleasant to the tast if it bee eaten a little after it is drawne out of the ouen but beeing hard it is vnpleasant The common people of Trent are nourished with Millet boiled onely eating it with milke and it is the best food that they can get Besides there are very good fomentations or serge-clothes made of Millet to dry moderately and to driue out ventosities especially beeing mixed with salt It is happily applied against griping in the bellie caused through windines but it is much better yet beeing mingled with flowers of Cammomill It is commonly fried in a pan and then put hot into a bag and so laid vpon the diseased parts It hath the vertue to preserue medicines long time from moulding and putrifying if they bee buried in an heape of Millet yea and fresh flesh is long kept thereby in hot weather Now to finish this daies discourse it seemeth good to me ACHITOB that you speake of the vine and fruit thereof of which men make their most delicious drinke Of the Vine of Grapes of Wine and of Aqua-vitae Chap. 80. ACHITOB. IT were very superfluous to make here a long discourse concerning the Vine and concerning the diuers qualities which are found in this plant of which wee doe not onely receiue Grapes a most pleasant and delicious meat but haue also that most exquisite drinke which wee call wine for all the world hath so much cherished the vine that there are few people of any condition soeuer but can discourse sufficiently well of it and of the nature thereof Property of the Vine We will briefly then declare that which wee shall thinke most notable therein and chiefly in the vse of medicine The leaues and tender branches thereof helpe the head-ach beeing laid thereupon and appease inflammations and heat of the stomack The iuice of them drunke serue against Dysenterias or fluxes spitting of bloud weakenes of stomack and the corrupt appetite of great bellied women The licour of vines which lieth thick vpon the stock thereof like gum beeing taken in drinke with wine purgeth grauell The ashes of the branches and stones beeing mixed with vineger helpeth the hard bindings of the fundament and is good against the stingings and bitings of vipers and against inflammation of the spleene beeing laid thereupon with oile of Roses Rue and vineger As grapes are the most singular fruits