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
of thys herbe together / and kneade them together / and vse them for the purposes aboue rehersed Thesame herbe beaten into pouder / made into pilles with a figge / and then taken / softeneth the belly Ground pyne put into the mother with hony / driueth furth such thinges as hurt the mother It driueth awaye the hardnes of the pappes / or the brestes it closeth woundes together It stoppeth also / if it be layd to with hony / sores that do run at large / and consume the fleshe Pliny also sayth / that it is good against the biting of a scorpion If it be dronke / it draweth out cloddy or clotted blood It maketh men to sweat if they be anointed with it It is also good for a newe cough latelye begon Some do write that this herbe sodden with vinegre / and dronken / will dryue out a dead chylde out of the mothers wombe Of Gume succorye Chondrylla CHondrilla is not in Englande that I haue sene / it is muche in hygh Germanye / and because it hath leues lyke succory / and stalke lyke rishes / it maye be named in English Rishe succorye / or Gume succory because it hath a clammy humor in it There is mētion made of two kindes of Chondrilla in Dioscorides / of the whiche the former kind is thus described Chondrilla which is called of some men Seris / and of other Succory / it hath a stalke / floures and leaues like Succorye wherefore some call it wilde succory / but it is hole together smaller / in whose stalkes there commeth furth a gume lyke milke / in a lumpe like a beane There is an other kinde of Chondrilla / with a longe leafe indented / as it were gnawen rounde about / spredinge it selfe vpon the ground / the stalke is full of milky iuyce / the roote is small wel lykinge yellowe and ful of iuyce The seconde is it / that I haue sene in Germanye The leaues of this herbe are spred vpon the ground / and are indented much lyke vnto Dandelion the stalkes and braunches are smal / and in the top of euery braunche is a yellow floure / which when it fadeth / is turned into whyte downe The Properties of Gume succorye THE leaues and the stalke of Gume succorye haue the poure to digest The iuyce boweth back againe the heare of the eye browes / that stande not in order It groweth in ranke and mauored groundes / some do recken that it is good against the biting of a serpent / because it is knowen by experience / that when the feld mouse is hurte / she doth eate it Of Chrysanthemon CHrysanthemon is of two kindes / one of them is spoken of in the intreating of Camomil / and it is called in English yellow camomille The other kind is it wherof I intreat now of The herbe which I take to be Chrysanthemon / groweth plentuouslye vpon the walles of Andernake in Germany / it hath smal leues after the figure of Tansey but manye partes lesse and much indented / it is ful of braunches / euerye braunche hath yellow floures / and wonderful bright Dioscorides describeth Chrysanthemō thus Chrysanthemon or Calchas which is called Bupthalmus of some / is a tender herbe and ful of braunches / bringeth furth smoth stalkes and leues / cut or indented it hath floures wounderfully shyning yellowe / and resembling the appel of an eye / wherevpon it hath gotten the name of oxey it groweth besyde tounes / The herbe maye be called in English Goldenfloure Chrysanthemon The properties of Goldenfloure THE floures of golden floure broken and mixed with oyle waxe / are supposed to dryue awaye the fat that is gathered vnder the skin / after the maner of a lompe / they heale the iaundies / and restore a man to his color shortly / if a man after the longe vse of the bath drinke of thē / after he is come furth oute of the bath Of Cicerbita called Sowthistel CIcerbita is named in Greke Sonchos / in English Sowthistel / in Duche Hasenkoel or Gensdistel / in French Lateron it groweth comon inough in al contres There are two kindes of Sowthistel / ther is one that is a wild one / hath more pricks vpon it the other is but soft tender / much desired to be eatē in meat / with a stalke ful of corners holow wtin somtyme red with leaues indented about the edges of them The other Sowthistel is yet tenderer / after the maner of a tre / hauing brode leaues / the leues departe the stalke which groweth out into braunches The kindes of Sowthistels are common in euerye countre / wherefore I nede not to tell nether their description largelier then Dioscorides hath done / nor their natural places of growinge Cicerbita Sowthistel Rough Sowthistel The Vertues of Sowthistel THE vertue of both is to coole and binde / therfore they are good for the hoote stomake / and also for inflammations / if they be laid vnto the place the iuyce of them swageth the gnawinge of the stomake if it be dronken it prouoketh also milke if it be layde to in woll It helpeth the gatheringe together of mater that is about the fundament and the mother Both the herbe and the root is good for them that are bitten of a Scorpion / if it be layde to in the maner of an emplaster Of Ciche or Ciche peese CIcer is called in Greke Erebinthos / in Duch Kicherns Kicherbs / and zisserne / in Frenche Ciche ou pois ciches Cicer is much in Italy and in Germany I haue sene thē in the gardine of the Barbican in London / and I haue it in my garden at Kew Cicer may be named in English Cich or peese / after the Frēch tonge Cicer is described nother of Dioscorides / nether of Theopra nether of Pliny / sauing that Pliny sayth / Ciche hath a round cod / but other pulse haue longe and broad Ccicer Theophrastus sayth that Ciche hath the longest roote of any pulse / and that Cicer differeth from other pulses by many properties / first in that it is longe in bringing furth the floure / and doth hastely bring furth the fruyte / for within xl dayes after that it is come vp / it maye be made perfit as some saye It is also very fast and harde as wood it is very ill for newe fallowed ground / by the reason that it wasteth it vpon / it killeth all herbes / and most sounest of all other ground thistel / euerye ground is not fit for this pulse / for it requireth a black and a grosse ground Ciche also as Pliny sayeth / cometh well vp with saltnes / and therefore it burneth the ground Cich ought not to be sowē excepte it be layed in stepe a daye before There are diuerse kindes of Ciches / one is called Cicer Arietinum / which hath the name of the likenes of a rames head / and this is
female growe in Germanye about Bon and Colon. Of Anagyris ANagyris groweth not in Englande that I wote of / but I haue sene it in Italye It may be called in English Beane trifolye / because the leaues growe thre together / and the sede is muche lyke a Beane Anagyris is a bushe lyke vnto a tree with leues and twigges / like vnto Agnus castus of Italy But the leaues are greater and shorter / and growe but thre together / where as Agnus hath euer fyue together / and excedinge stinkinge / wherevpon riseth the Prouerb / Praestat hanc Anagyrim noÌ„ attigisse It hath the floures lyke vnto kole It hath a fruyt in longe horned coddes / of the lykenes of a kidney / of diuerse coloures / firme and stronge / whiche when the grape is ripe wexeth harde The properties of Anagyris THE tender and yong leaues of this bushe broken and layd to lyke an emplaster / holdeth doune wyndye and louse swellinges If the byrth sticke faste / and the floures be stopped / or the secondes abyde behynde / they are dronken in the weight of a dramme in swete wine So are they also good for the head ake with wine They are also bounde to the weomen that haue an hard labour / but so that streyght waye after they be taken awaye The sede eaten / maketh one vomite sore Of Anchusa DIoscorides maketh thre kindes of Anchusa The fyrste kinde hath leues lyke vnto sharpe leaued Lettis / rough / sharpe / black / manye growynge on euerye syde harde by the ground / and full of prickes The roote is a finger thick / and it that commeth furth in summer / is of a sanguine coloure / it groweth in a ranke ground This kind groweth in many places of Germanye / and it is so like gardine buglosse / that a man can not lightelye discerne the one from the other / sauinge onelye by the roote which is very rede withoute / but not within It maye be called in English / as the Frenche men do / Orchanet or rede Buglosh The seconde kinde differeth in thys from the fyrst / that it hath lesse leaues / and sharpe lykewyse / small braunches comminge oute of the stalke it hath a purple floure turninge towarde cremesyne It hath reade rootes / and longe / whyche in the haruest tyme putteth furth a sanguine iuyce It groweth in sandye places Thys herbe is called in some places of Englande Cattes tayles / in other places wilde Buglosse It groweth in grauilly and sandy places / and in pittes / where as grauel is digged oute of The thyrde kinde is lyke vnto the seconde / but it hath a lesse fruyte or sede / and that of a Cremesine colour I do not remembre / that I haue sene thys kinde The vertues of the two former kindes THe fyrst kinde of Anchusa / is good with oyle and wexe against burning and old sores It heleth the outragious inflammation or hete that commeth of choler with barle mele / It is layd on with vinegre against lepres and foule scurfines The same put into a womannes mother / draweth out the byrth The broth of it is giuen for the disease of the kidnes and the miâ—te / and to them that haue the iaundis / and if the pacientes haue an ague / it must be taken with mede The leues dronken with wine / stop the belly The second is good against the bitinges of all serpentes / and especiallye against the biting of a Vepere Of Tutsan TVtsan as I do iudge is the herbe / whiche is called of Dioscorides Androsemon / and of oure Potecaries Agnus castus It semeth to haue had the name of Tutsan / because it heleth all And of Androsemon / because it hath iuice like vnto mannis blood Androsemon differeth from saint Iohns grasse / and from Asciro / called great saint Iohns grasse / in that it hath manye braunches / and it hath rede twigges and leues lyke Rue / but thrise or fourfolde greater / whiche broken / put furth a winishe iuyce / they haue in the toppe two and two leues euer comminge oute one agaynste an other / resemblinge a byrdes winges stretched furth / as when the byrde doeth flye where aboute there growe smal yelowe floures / and sede in litle knoppes like vnto the sede of black poppye / and it is notable wyth certayne small leues in it The small leues in the top broused or broken sauour lyke rosyne The vertues TVtsanes sede broken / and dronken in te quantite of two drammes / driueth out cholerike excrementes / it healeth most the Sciatica But after the purgation / the pacient must drinke water The herbe layed to burned places / healeth them / and stancheth blood in woundes And not onely the herbe doth thys / but also the wyne that the herbe is sodden in / as witnesseth Galene / which vnder the name of Androsemon / conteyneth in the booke of his simple medicines / Ascyron also Anemone The common Anemone MAtthiolus in his commentaries vpon Dioscorides hath set out two kindes of Anemonis / wherof nether kind that euer I could se / groweth in Germanye and England / nether in Italy that I remember Anemone hath the name in Greke of winde / because the floure neuer openeth it selfe / but when the winde bloweth The Herbaries therefore call the herbe commonlye taken for Anemone / though it be not the true herbe / but som bastard of it Herbam venti / the Duche meÌ„ call it Hacket craut / the Frenche men Coque lourdes and it maye be called in English Rose persely / because there groweth a floure like a single rose in the top of this herbe / which is very lyke Persely in the leaues that are aboute the rote / or it maye be called Wind floure It groweth in greate plenty about Bon in Germany / and about Oxford in EnglaÌ„d / as my frende Falconer tolde me Dioscorides writeth thus of Anemone There are two kindes of Anemone / The one is wilde and the other is tame / or of the gardeine Whereof are manye other vnder kindes / one that hath a Cremesin floure / and an other a whitishe or of the coloure of milke or purple The leaues are like CoriaÌ„der / with smaller cuttinges or indentinges / nere the ground the stalke is all downye and roughe and smalle / whereon growe floures lyke poppy / and the middes of the litle heades are blacke or blewe The rootes are of the bignes of an Oliue / or bigger / it is almost compassed about wyth smalle ioyntes with knoppes like knees The wilde Anemone in all pointes is greater then the tame / and hath broder and harder leaues / a longer head / and a Cremesin flower wyth manye small rotes It is more bytinge then it that hath the black leaues This description of both the kindes of Anemone proueth playnely that the common herba venti / and that the Anemone that Bockius setteth out / are not the righte
Sparta perilla that they geue vnto Guaico and to the rote chine Of Sanicle Saniculae SAnicle is muche lyke vnto Cinkefoly or fiueleued grasse / or vnto the leafe of a vyne / but it is more depely indented in fyue places / the leafe of it is muche lyke vnto some kindes of Kingcuppe / the rote is blacke without and whyte within / full of litle smalle tasselles like thredes comminge oute of them / the stalke is verye smalle lyke vnto a rishe / sometyme a cubite longe In the toppe of it growe manye litle floures / they departe awaye and leue behinde them pretye litle knoppes like litle burres The roote with the rest of the herbe is astringent / and somethinge bitter It groweth commonlye in colde and shadoish woddes and hedges The vertues of Sanicle THe leues or rote of Sanicle sodden in mede dronkē / scoureth away the diseases of the lunges / if it be soddē in water or wine dronkē / it is good for inward burstinges wondes if it be dressed after the same maner / it is good for them that spit blood / for the ache of the backe / for the gnawing of the belly / it stoppeth both the running out of blood of man or woman / men vse to put this herb comonly with other inward wonde herbes It is good for al maner of burstinges / layd to after the maner of an emplaster / some hold that it hath such a mightye pore in ioyning fleshe together / that if it be sodden with fleshe it will make the fleshe growe together in the potte whiles it is in sethinge Of Sanders SAnders are kindes of woode / there are thre kindes / the whyte / the red / and the yelowe / the yelowe is best smellinge / nexte vnto that is the whyte / and last of all is the red / and the yelow in my iudgement is hotest / and nexte vnto him is the whyte / and of the third the red is the coldest I do not agre with the Arabianes which holde that all the Sanders are colde / seynge that the yelow are at the lest hote in the first degre / and the whyte is temperate / and the read scarcely can be proued to be fully colde in the second degre It is proued by often experience that all the thre kindes are very good and profitable for mans principal partes / and that the yelowe are good for the trimblinge of the harte Rede sanders hinder the flowinge of humores to the partes of the bodye / and strenghthen the gummes and stomach Al kindes of Sanders are good for the trimbling of the hart ioyned with an ague / and the speciallye when they are layd vpon the hart Rede sanders are good to be menged with colde herbes both for the goute and for the head ache of an hote cause / and they stoppe humores that flowe into the eyes Sanders / namelye rede / are good to be brused and put into rose water / and to foment there with any place diseased with heate / and namelye the liuer Sanders are good against itchinge / if the place be bathed with the water that they are sodden in Of Saxifrage THE later writers call manye herbes Saxifrages / and especiallye suche as breke the stone / for so doth this worde Saxifrage signifie In Englande there is a wilde kinde of Daucus with longe smal leaues / whiche groweth commonlye in ranke medowes / that oure Countremen call Saxifrage Aboute Colon there groweth in sandye groundes not far from the Rhene syde a kinde of Saxifrage / whiche groweth verye thicke and crepeth by the grounde in fashion and forme lyke vnto Tyme the Coloners call it Klein steinbrech / and I name it in English Tyme saxifrage I haue sene of this kinde growinge in Essexe by the Seasyde There is an other in Germanye called weiss Steinbrech This hath round leaues / and is indented very litle / I mighte compare it to Yuie / if it had a sharpe pointe comminge oute of the middes / the stalke is small / and whyte floures growe in the toppes / the rote is full of litle knoppes lyke pearles It groweth verye commonlye in Germanye and in diuerse places of England to / Fuchsius maketh the common Melilote Saxifragiam luteam / that is yelow steinbrech Saxifragia alba The vertues of Saxifrage THE name of Saxifrage teacheth the vertues of all the kindes thereof / and declare the vertues of thē The white Saxifrage with the indented leafe is moste commended for the breakinge of the stone / for if the leaues and rootes be sodden in wine / they make a man make water / and purge the kidneis and driue out the stone both of the bladder and kidneys / if it be not confirmed into muche hardnes before The newe writers holde also that if the rotes be beaten into pouder / and made after the maner of an electuary and receyued / is good for the same purpose Some of them hold also / that if in the moneth of May the herbe be distilled in a duble vessel after the maner of alcumistry / that the water thereof after a man hath sitten in a warme bath dronken / hath the same propertye to breake the stone Of the herbe called Scabius SCabiosa is named in English Scabius / and there are diuerse kindes of Scabius / wherofsome are more some are lesse / most commonly according vnto the nature of the grounde where as they growe it that groweth amongest the corne / is rākest of al other And this is the token whereby Scabius is knowen from the deuils byte / and diuerse other lyke herbes vnto it / that if ye breake the leafe insunder / ther will come out small sinewes like smalle here 's whiche will not suffer the one halfe of the leafe to be pulled insunder one from an other to fall awaye to the ground of a longe tyme. All the leaues of euerye kinde of Scabius are indented or iagged / and haue blewe floures in the vppermoste of the stalke Scabiosa The vertues of Scabius SCabius which hath the name of Scabbes / is good against scabbes and breking out of the skin / whether it be takē in with the broth wherin it is sodden in / or if the sore places be anointed with the iuyce of it / or with an oyntment made of it It is good for al the diseses of the brest lunges / for it purgeth the lunges brest of all filthy matter It is very good to be layd vpon pestilent sores to ripe thē / to breke them / in so much that if dedly sores be anointed plastered therwith al / in iij. houres as the later writers hold / the same wil vanishe and go away / or ellis at the lest be resolued or made ripe Of the herbe called Sene. Sena THere hath bene a great errour of late yeares amonges many men / whiche haue thought that Sene had bene a tre / which groweth in
Dioscorides It is not therefore truely sayeth of Matthiolus / that the fyrste kinde of Wormwod that Dioscorides intreateth of / is the common Wormwode that groweth commonlye in Italye / whiche is the common Wormwode both of Germanye and of Fraunche / of Englande / and of Scotlande Because Dioscorides describeth not Pontike wormwode / as an herbe in hys tyme well ynough knowen / euen vnto the common sorte If anye other Autentike author describeth Pontike wormwod at large / we ought to beleue him / and to take that for Pontike wormwode / whyche disagreeth wyth hys description But where as Dioscorides lefte Pontike wormwode vndescribed / the noble Phisician Galene / who practised Phisick / not onelye in Grecia / but also in Rome / described Absinthium Ponticum verye diligentlye / wherefore we must take that onelye for Pontike wormwode / that agreeth not wyth hys description But this common Wormwode agreeth not wyth the description of Galene of Pontike wormwode / therefore thys common Wormwod is not the Pontike wormwode Galene in the description of Pontike wormwode sayeth that in Pontike wormwode is no small bindinge qualitie In all other Wormwoddes the bitter qualite is moste exceadinge and greatest Pontike wormwode hath a leafe and a floure muche lesse then the other haue / the smell also of the same is not onelye not vnpleasant / but also resembling in smell a certeyne spice But all the other haue a stinkinge or foule smell These are Galenes wordes But the common great wormwod is bytterer then all other Wormwoddes / it hath a greater leafe and floure / then anye other / and it stinketh also more then anye other Wormwod / therefore of all other it is farthest from Pontike wormwod I knowe thre sortes of Wormwode besyde the common / the right Sea wormwode / the smale Wormwode that groweth in the olde walles and ruines of Rome / and the thyrde sorte / that groweth in Gardines in Englande / and in the fieldes aboute Wormes and Spyer in Germanye All these thre sortes haue lesse leaues and floures / and a better smell then the common Wormwod hath Therefore if Matthiolus had regarded as he oughte to haue done the authorite of Galene / he shoulde haue taken anye of these thre / or at the lest two of them rather for Pontike wormwod / then the common wormwode / namely when as he hath sene these two sortes of Wormwod / the one in Rome and the other ether in Italy or in Germany / or at the lest described in the later writers of the Germanes / vnder the name of Abrotoni feminee / and especiallye in Fuchsio and in Hieronymo Trago / where he sayeth that the clyme or nature of the countreye maketh such diuersite and difference betwene the wormwod Pontik and the Wormwod of Italy / which he can no other waye proue / but by onlye gessinge Then when ther is such diuersite and difference of the clyme and of the nature of the countre betwene Rome and Freseland / and the farthest parte of Englande / then shoulde ther be some notable diuersite betwene the comon wormwod of England and Freseland / and the comon Wormwod of Italy But ther is no difference at all betwene them / nether in qualite nor quantite that a man may perceyue / ye and if ther were any suche notable difference / how chaunseth it that the Wormwod growinge in Germany both in the fieldes and also in gardins / and the Wormwode that groweth in Rome besyde the temple of Peace / and in diuerse other places of the olde walles and ruines of the cytie / are nothing at all / or at the lest but a littel differinge from the quantite and qualite of Pontike wormwode And yet the common Wormwod if it were wormwod Pontike / or a kinde of it / shoulde differ so farre both in quantite and also in diuerse qualities from the right and naturall Pontike wormwod / Surely euen if he coulde proue that it were a kinde of Pontike wormwod which thinge he shall neuer be able to do it must nedes folowe that it were the worst of all the thre kindes that are in Italye Then lett wyse men iudge how rightly Matthiolus iudgeth in this matter / when he refusing ether / or if I should saye the best / not knowinge these two better sortes / aloweth this euell fauored and stinkinge common Wormwode / namelye when as Galene expressedly condemneth thys greate stinkinge and bitter kinde of Wormwod / and aloweth it with the smaler leaues / and better and pleasanter smell Matthiolus as though he had proued his purpos well with his glose of the diuersite of the clymes and natures of the groundes / sayeth also these wordes Galene sayeth in the sixt boke of simple medecines Sothernwod is a fare other thinge from Wormwod / and of wormwod are thre kindes / wherof they call one by the same kinde or countre name / wher it groweth Whereof the Pontik is the best The second they call Seriphium / and the thirde Santonicum / wherefore me thinke that Dioscorides iudged well when in the kindes of comon Wormwod / he commended Pontike aboue the rest This is the sayinge of Matthiolus / If that Dioscorides sayed wel / because Galene sayed the same after him as though Dioscorides makinge thre kindes of Wormwod / and praysing most Pontik wormwod / had not done well / if Galene had not alowed it that Dioscorides had written before If that the autorite of Galene be so great with Matthiolus / why doth he alowe amongest the kindes of Wormwod / for Pontike wormwod that kinde that Galene of all other most disprayseth commandeth to excheue / and taketh awaye from the kindes of Pōtike wormwode / in these wordes / All other Wormwods / sauing Pontik wormwod haue a foule smell and a greater leafe and floure then Pontike hath wherefore they ought to be fled / and Pontike to be receyued But I wote whye he prayseth Dioscorides / that is because he semeth to geue him a maior or sure grounde to make an argument that this comon Wormwode must nedes be Pontike or a kinde of Pontike Wormwod / and he semeth to reason priuely thus Both Dioscorides and Galene make no more kindes of Wormwod but thre but this great kinde of comō Wormwode is nether Sea wormwod nor Santonick wormwod Therefore it foloweth that it is Pontick wormwod / or a kinde of it Fyrste vnto this argument I answer / that it is no good argument Dioscorides maketh onely thre kindes of Wormwod / ergo there are only thre kindes of Wormwood / and no more For as Dioscorides doth seuerally describe diuers kindes of herbes / that other haue not touched so diuerse autentike and noble writters do describe diuers kindes of herbes / whereof he hath made no mencion at all Theophrastus who wrote longe before Dioscorides / describeth a kinde Bruthalassij / in likenes and qualite and quantite / muche differing from it that
purposes it is good to be bathed with the broth of the same It is good for women to sit ouer this herbe / to bringe doune their floures It is good that the aking teth should be washed with the same herbe This herbe is also good to be put into Clisteres agaynst the bloodye flixe The leaues with Salpeter in drinke / helpe the strangling that commeth of Todstolles / wyth honye in an electuary / it is good for the gnawinge in the bellye / and for the shortwinded / and if it be layde to wyth salt / it driueth awaye wennes and hard keruelles it scoureth sores / and if it be layd to / it swageth the paynes of the ioyntes The common baume that is commonly vsed in England / is but a bastarde kinde / and the true baume groweth in manye gardines in Germany / but I haue not sene it in England / that I remembre It maye be called in English / Baum gentle Of Arbutus leafe with the braunche / as the quicken trees leaues are Dioscorides describeth the Arbut tree after this maner Comaros called in Latin Arbutus / or Vnedo / is a tree lyke vnto a Quince tree / hauing thinne leaues with a fruyt of the greatnes of a Plumme / without anye keruell When it is rype / it is ether yelowe or rede Pliny describeth the Arbut tre after this maner Strawberyes that growe one the grounde / haue an other kinde of bodye then the Arbut berryes haue / which are like in kinde with the other / which groweth on the tree / called in Latin Vnedo / which onely fruyte is lyke vnto the fruyt of the earth The tree it selfe is thick and bushy The fruyt is rype in a yeare / and it that groweth in vnder bloometh / and the other that is elder / waxeth ripe in the tree at one tyme. It is a fruyt of small honor / and therevpon hath the name / that it bringeth furth but one alone by it selfe Yet do the Grecianes geue two names vnto it / Comaron / and Memekylon Wherevpon it doth appeare that there are so manye kindes wyth vs. This is called in an other name in Latin Arbutus Ouide also ioyned tree Strawberry / and ground Strawberry together in these wordes Arbuteos fructus montanaque fraga legebat Theophrastus giueth vnto hys Arbuto a leafe betwene Ilicem and Laurū / as the leafe of the tree hath / whose figure I set furth And Dioscorides semeth to geue vnto his Arbuto the likenes of a Quince tree / wherefore this tree that I set furth / agreeth better with the description of Theophrast / then with Dioscorides / except Dioscorides in comparing Arbutum to a Quince tree / meane not of the leaues / but of the fashion of the tree and maner of growing of it The Properties GOod properties / that I knowe of / this fruyte hath none / but that it delyteth some men for the diuersyte / for it is euell for the stomache / and ingendreth the head ake Of Aristolochia Aristolochia rotunda Aristolochia longa ARistolochia is a Greke name / and is so called / because it is very good for weomen / that labour of childe The Latines vse the same name / the Germanes call Aristolochia in their tonge / Osterlacye Dioscorides maketh thre kindes of Aristolochia / the fyrst is called Aristolochia rotunda / and this is the female The Potecaries both in Germany and in Englād haue abused in the steade of the true Aristolochia rotunda / capnophragmite / mētioned in Pliny / which is very well called of the Germanes holwurtz / because the rote is holow But they haue erred far for this Holwurt is nothing agreyng with the description of Aristolochia rotunda / for Aristolochia rotunda hath leaues lyke Yuy / and a good sauour with some sharpenes / somthinge round and soft It hath many twigges / cōming furth of one roote / longe braunches and whyte floures / representing litle cappes / wherein is a read thinge that sauoreth euell the roote is roundaboute lyke vnto a rape roote The leaues of Holwurtes / which is their Aristolochia rotunda / are cut and far in indented / and very lyke vnto our gardine Rue / but the leues of our gardine Rue / are not lyke vnto Yuy leues therfore this Holwurt of theirs / is not Aristolochia rotunda of Dioscorides I haue sene this Aristolochia rotunda diuerse tymes it hath the same sauour and taste / that the other Aristolochia / whiche is called longa but this hath a round roote / but here and there appeare out certayne vnequall corners It maye be called in English round hart wurt / because the leaues represent a painted harte / or round byrthwurte because it helpeth women to bringe furth their byrth The seconde kinde of Aristolochia / is called Aristolochia longa / whiche hath a leafe some thinge longer then the former kinde hath it hath litle braunches of a span long / a purple floure of a stinking sauour / out wherof commeth a fruyte lyke vnto a peare but black and al full of sedes in figure thre square / the rootes are a finger bigge / and a span long / and somthinge longer Thys kinde groweth plentuouslye besyde Lake de come in the vineyardes wallis it groweth also besyde Bon about the vineyardes by the Rhynsyde / of iche syde of the hygh way / but I could neuer se the fruytes so perfyt in Germany / as I dyd in Italy this maye be called in English Long hartwurt / or long byrthwurte The thyrde kinde of Aristolochia is called Clematitis / because it hath long smal braunches like a vinde / it hath leaues some thing round / lyke vnto stone crop / and floures like vnto Rue / longer rootes / small wyth a thicke barke which hath a good sauour I did se suche a kinde as this at Basell / whose leaues are lesse then all the other kindes / but yet they were so great and vnlike vnto a stonecrop / that I dare not playnely determe / that it was the right Clematitis Matthiolus writeth that Pliny and Leonicemus do erre / because they saye that Aristolochia hath the name / because that it is good for weomen with chyld / when as Dioscorides writeth that it hath the name / because it is good for weomen that are in labor Because Pliny and Leonicemus are dead / and cā not aunswer for thē selfes / I aunswer that their error is not so great as Matthiolus maketh it / if he could be contēt to interprete gently their worde as they meant by it / for it is out of all dout / that they knewe it as well as Matthiolus / that Aristolochia was euell for weomen with child / except the tyme of byrth were cummed / for they knew both the Greke tonge as well as Matthiolus doth Therfore it is out of dout that they meant / when they sayd it is good for weomen with child / that it was good for
come of this herbe / if it be not taken in right tyme and quantite This herbe to much occupied in meat / ingendreth euel / and melancolick iuyce It dulleth the sight / and it troubleth the slepe with contrary thinges which are sene in the dreame The floure of Cole / of a certeyne propertye that it hath / destroyeth sede / it hurteth also the lunges Cole is hote and drye in the fyrst degre Of Sea Cole BRassica syluestris is named in Greke / krābe agria It maye be called in English Sea cole / because it groweth naturally by the sea syde I neuer sawe it in all my lyfe / sauinge in Douer clyffes This is muche lyke the other cole / but it is whyter and rougher / and bitter withal But the leaues of it that I sawe / were much lesse narrower / then the gardine cole Theophrastus describeth a certayne kinde of wild cole / that hath smouth leaues / whyche appeareth to me to be a certayne kinde of Carloke / that groweth in the corne wyth other leaues / then the common Carloke hath Thesame is called in Northumberland this daye / Wild kele There are yet two kindes of wilde Cole / whereof I finde no mencion in anye writer The one is a wounderfull great Cole / hath leaues thrise as thicke / as euer I sawe anye other cole haue It hath whyte floures / and round berryes lyke Yuy / wherein the sede is conteyned This herbe groweth at Douer harde by the Sea syde / and in manye other places The other kinde of wilde cole / groweth euer by water sydes / wyth a leafe indented / as rocket is / in taste / smell / fashion of floure / and sede / lyke vnto the gardin cole / harde by the Seasyde I name the firste of these in Latine Brassicam Dobricam / in Englishe Douer cole / because I founde it first besyde Douer The seconde kinde I call Brassicam flumatilem / and in Englishe Water cole / because it groweth euer by water sydes The Vertues of the Sea cole THE tender buddes of this cole are not vnpleasant vnto the mouth / if they be sodden in lye The leaues of thys herbe layd to after the maner of an emplaster / do bind and close vp woundes and driue away and scatter abroade inflammationes and soft swellinges Of Brassica marina BRassica marina named in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 / is thus describeth of Dioscorides Brassica marina differeth in all thinge from the gardin brassica It hath longe leaues lyke vnto Aristolochia the round Euerye leafe commeth furth alone of litle braunches / somthinge readishe / and hath but one litle foot stalke as Yuy hath It hath white iuice / but not muche / it hath a saltishe taste / and somethinge bitter / with a fat growinge together The hole herbe is euell for the stomache / sharpe or bitinge / and it louseth the belly excedingly sodden wyth meate and for the great sharpnes it is sodden with fat meat Although I haue these xvj yeares sought for the right Brassica marina / and haue founde one herbe that the common sorte of learned men take for it / And another which I thought alone that it had bene the right Brassica marina / yet when I consyder and wey both the herbes with the description of Dioscorides / I find nether of both agreynge with the hole description The herbe which I toke for brassica marina / groweth within the floodmarke of the Sea / and commonly at the bankes of crekes that rin throw middowes or grene grounde / and in stonye Ilandes / wherevnto the saltwater commeth to at certayne tymes in the year / as at great springe tydes and tempestes I haue sene it in East Freseland about Norden / where as it is called Leppelkruyt / of the likenes that it hath with a spoune I haue sene it in England at Westchester / at Portlande / and at Porbeke / but I could neuer learne anye name of it / but Scurby wede / or Scurby wurt / it maye also well be called Spounwurte When it commeth fyrst furth / it hath fyue or sixe / somtime mo / and sometyme fewer leaues altogether / standing right vp after the maner of Pirola / or of a yonge Bete / the foote stalke is longe and towarde the ground redishe / the leues are fat thick and round / not vnlike to Asarabacca or Folfoote / but that they are lesse and grener They are somthinge saltish bitter / and very hote and sharpe in tast / and haue a certayne smake of cole / which is vnpleasant by the reason of the heate bitternes that is ioyned wyth it It hath a stalke almost a span long / and the leaues that growe vpon the stalke / are much longer and more sharper pointed then they that come streight waye first from the roote The floure is whyte / and the sede is dunnish blacke The people of the countre vse it against the scurbuke or crippel euel I haue proued that it is not only good against that disease / but also against the dropsey / as the noble clerke Reinerus the Rector of the scole of Gruninge / and Henrike Herbart can bere witnes Yet for all thys I dare not giue sentence that it is the right Brassica marina of Dioscorides / namely because a great deale of it purgeth but a litle / when as the true Brassica marina of Dioscorides purgeth very sore / and that at no tyme that I sawe it / any milke or whyt iuice did appere in it The herbe which is commonlye taken in Italy / Fraunce and Germany / for Brassica marina / is called of the Herbaries Soldana or Soldanella But it that Matthiolus setteth out / is not the same herbe / namelye in the roote / that oure Soldanella is / which groweth in England and Flandres / nether it that is sold at Frankford and at Anwerp For as the rest of the hole herbe is like vnto wythwinde or wedebind / called of some Volubilis / of other Helxine cisampelos / in al thinges / sauinge that the leaues are rounder and not so sharpe / so is the roote also lyke vnto the roote of the same herbe Oure Soldanella a far of loketh like a Mallowe / both in the floures and leaues / but when a man commeth nere vnto it / it loketh so lyke a Withwinde / that a man wold saye / that it were nothing ellis / but a Sea withwinde / The floures are in all pointes lyke the common with windes floures / that is of the fashion of a bell / sauing that they are greater and purplish blewe And when as all the rest of the herbe crepeth vpon the Sea sande / the floures stand gallantly right vp / and shewe meruelous well vpon the plaine sand or grauell The sede is lyke the sede of other windes / blackish and round / as great as a fitche / and somethinge greater The leaues are as
hath / nether what vertue it hath / nether what the Potecaries name it / nether the comon people Wherfore no man can learne of him how to find it againe / except a man wil go to the Phisiciane which sente him the herbe For the figure of an herbe maketh it not alone / but the qualities also that belonge thereto As with diuerse other learned Phisicianes / Matthiolus refuseth herbes hauing a conuenient figure / yet for lack of the vertues and qualitees that the herbe should haue with the figures / and will not suffer them to be taken for the herbes which other of lighter iudgemēt take thē to be only for the figure and fashions sake Wherfore I had leuer take Brooklime for Cepea / though it be not so like porceline as other be / because it is tried to heale scabbes as cepea of Dioscorides doth Amatus Lusitanus who taketh in hand to declare Dioscorides / beyng belyke more cunning in the Duche tonge / then in his oune / or ellis hauinge more helpe of the Duche writers / then of the Spanyards or Italians / giueth to Cepea nether any Spanish / nether Italian name / but a Duch name / and he calleth it in Duche wild purtzel But wild purtzel as Tragus a duch writer of herbes saith / differeth nothing from the gardin porcelain / but that it hath lesse leaues and floures / and rinneth and spedeth it selfe vpon the ground / when as the gardin porcelaine hath broader leaues groweth righter vp This wild purtzel did I finde thissame yeare in the montaines of Wissenburgh / a litle frō a vineyard / I am sure that it was a righte kind of porcelaine Then whē as Cepea is not in Dioscorides a kind of porcellain / but is only lyke porcellaine / Amatus giueth a wronge Duch name to Cepea Wherefore let not the Duche men gyue any credit vnto him in this matter The same maketh Telephium wild porcellaine / the third kinde of sedi wilde porcellain / and Cepeam wild porcellaine It is maruel that he that hath bene in so manye landes / and professeth to teache so manye names / in so many tonges can finde for thre diuerse herbes all differing in name one from an other / but one name which is in Latin Portula syluestris / which is named in duch Wild purtzel And in his enarration of Cepea / which is the 165. he sheweth no more but that this herbe groweth chefely about the sandye sea shores / where as the wild purtzel of the duche men groweth not as Fuchsius and Tragus in their Herballes beare witnes Wherefore his enarration is contrary vnto his nominatiō / of very smal effect / as the moste parte of al his enarrations be The Vertues of Cepea THE leaues dronken in wine / help the strangulion / and them that haue scabbes in their bladder / and that doth it chefelye / if it be taken in wine wherein the rootes of wild sperage is sodden Of Chamecyparissus CHamecyparissus is supposed of some men to be the herbe that we call Lauender cotton / whose opinion thought it is not worthye to be condemned with checkes Yet I found an other herbe in the mountaines aboue Bonne / whiche beynge in all poyntes muche more lyke a Cypres tree then Lauender cotton is me thynke that it is rather Chamecyparissus / it maye be called in English Heth Cypres / because it groweth among Heth / or dwarfe cypres This herbe that I speake of / is litle more then a span longe / and hath leaues as ye shall se in the picture very lyke to a Cypres tree / and litle knoppes in the toppe lyke vnto a Cypres nut / but some thing longer for their quantite / The leaues are plaine astringent withoute anye heate at al. This herbe groweth in a Heth beyond Bon / in the syde of a mountaine / but I neuer sawe it anye where ellis / sauinge there in all my lyfe Tragus calleth this herbe sabinam syluestrem / and Matthiolus writinge vpon sabine / sayeth that some in Italy are deceyued in the knowledge of the right sabine / and take this herbe for it He sayth also that he hath iudged this herbe to be Silago in Pliny / whiche he maketh like vnto sabine Nowe when as Dioscorides sayth that sabine is lyke cypresse / and diuers take this herbe for a kinde of sabine / and is but of a small height / me thinke I iudge not amisse / that this is Chamecyparissus / namelye / when as it hath astriction besyde the figure / lyke vnto Cypressus Matthiolus graunteth that Lauander cotton is in Dioscorides Abrotonum femina / and intreating of the cypres tree / sayeth that it is also Chamecyparissus Plinye / whiche I thynke can not be true / seynge that Plinye nether intreatinge of Abrotonum / calleth anye kinde of it Chamecyparissum / nether wheras he speaketh of Chamecyparissus / sheweth that it is also called Abrotonū / whiche maner he oft times kepeth / when one herbe hath many names Chamaecyparissus Chamaecyparissus Fuchsij The Vertues of Chamecyparissus THE herbe of Chamecyparissus / which maye be called ground Cypres or Heth cypres / dronken in wine / is good agaynst all poyson of all serpentes and scorpiones / other properties I finde in no autoure of this herbe / wherefore I dare not geue vnto it al the properties of the Cypres tree / as some men do / because it hath some qualitees lyke Cypres tree / hath the name of Cypres tree / and this worde Chame / which betokeneth by the grounde or lowe / for as Chamemelum hath the name of Chame and melon / and one qualite of an appel / that is to witte / the smelle / and yet hath not the nature of an appel And as chame daphne / which hath the name of chame and daphne / that is a lowe bay tree / and hath leaues lyke a bay tree / and yet hath not the vertues of a bay tree euen so it foloweth not / that because Chamecyparissus hath the name of chame cyparissus / whiche is a Cypres tree / and hath some qualitees of the cypres tree / that whatsoeuer properties the cypres tree hath / that chamecyparissus shall haue thesame / thys therfore haue I gyuen you warninge of / to rede all newe writers with iudgemente / and to trye their saynges before ye put them in practise Of Germander GErmander / whiche is also called in Cambridge shyre Englishe Triacle / is called in Greke Chamedris / in Latin / Trissago / in Duche Germanderlen / in French Gelimandre It is called of the Potecaries Chamedrios Germander groweth in rockes of Germanye / ouer agaynst Binge / besyde Erenfels / and in the mountaines of Wissenburgh In Englande I sawe it no where / sauinge onelye in gardines It is hote and drye in the thirde degre / it is a litle bushe / of a span hygh and more / and
hath litle leaues and bitter / in forme and indentinge of the leafe lyke vnto an Oke leafe The floure is litle / and almost a purple colour It is best tyme to gather it / when as it is full of floures / redye to bringe furth sede Chamaedrys vera Chà maedrys foemina Fuchsij Chamaedrys vulgare faemina Fuchsij Chamaedrys vulgare mas Fuchsij The Vertues of Germander GRene Germander sodden in water and dronken / is good for the cough / for the hardnes of the milte / and for the stoppinge of the water / and dropsyes that are in the beginning It prouoketh also womens sycknes to come doune / and the same dronken wyth vinegre / wasteth awaye the milte It is also a special remedye with wine both dronken / and also in maner of an emplaster agaynste the bytinges of serpentes It scoureth also olde sores with honye / the same layde on wyth oyle / driueth awaye the darcknes of the eyes It cutteth in sunder all grosse humours / and openeth all the inwarde partes The leaues of Germander / as Theophrastus writeth / broken and layd in oyle / are good for burstinges / and against woundes and consuminge sores The fruyte of Germander draweth oute choler The leaues also broken in oyle / are good for the whyte hawe / or the pearle in the eye Of Chameleuce CHameleuce / called also populago / Farfagium / and Farranum is not all one herbe in Dioscorides and Aetius / for Aetius semeth to make of Chameleuce and Bechion al one herbe / for he writinge remedies against the cough / geueth the same properties vnto Chameleuce / that Dioscorides geueth vnto Tussilago or Bechion / where as Galene Paulus write in two seueral places of Bechion Chameleuce / Aetius maketh no mention at all of Bechion / comprisinge or holding it also vnder the name of Chameleuce / as far as I can se Pliny also in hys tyme sayth / that ther was some that toke Chameleuce and Tussilago to be al one And in the names that were added vnto Dioscorides / Tussilago was called Chameleuce howbeit in Dioscorides they are two contrary and diuerse herbes for he writeth contrarye description of thē in two sundry chapters Chameleuce hath leaues bowynge inwarde / and hath certeine branches but Tussilago hath plaine and streight leaues / and wanteth al kinde of branches / for euery leafe commeth out by it selfe out of the root / and not of the stalke Dioscorides sayth that Chameleuce is a grene herbe with leaues bowyng inwarde / with certeine braunches / with a floure lyke a rose / wherevpon it foloweth / seyng that Tussilago hath whytishe leaues and streight / and no braunches / nether anye floure lyke a rose / that they can not both be of one herbe This herbe that I thynke most lyke of all other to be Chameleuce / vseth to grow commonly about watersydes and in watery medowes The proportion of the lesse is muche lyke vnto a water rose / otherwise called nenufar / but the leafe is sharper and many partes lesse / and there growe many leaues on one stalke / and in the top of the stalke is a yelow floure lyke vnto the Kingcup / called ranunculus but the leaues of the floures are thycker / and turne inwarde againe / in the maner of a knop or litle belle / so that they differ nothing to loke to from the floures of the second nenufar with the yelow floure / but that they are lesse / and turne a litle more inward as I do remember / but I am sure not much But there is one thinge / that wil not suffer this herbe / that I cal Lucken gollande / to be Galenis Chameleuce and that is / that this herbe is cold / when as Galene maketh his Chameleuce hote almost in the thyrde degre When as Matthiolus a man wel sene in Simples / and as some iudge best learned in them / of al other new writers / and borne in a countrey / which is very plētuous and ful of al kindes of good herbes / which may haue comming to it out of Candy / Turky Alexandria / and out of Inde al kindes of herbes that growe not in Italy there and hath the helpe of very manye learned men in Simples as hys boke in many places doth witnes can not tell what herbe is Chameleuce in Dioscorides / it is no meruel that I a poore man without helpe / dwellinge in a bare and barbarous contrey in comparison of Italy / know it not He compleyneth of the shortnes of the description of this herbe in Dioscorides The description is shorte / but not so short as manye other be / for he sheweth thre markes / whereby he mighte haue knowen it / if he had sene it / that is the grennes of the leafe / the bowinge of the leaues inward / and the lykenes of the floure vnto a rose But if this description had bene so shorte as it is not so longe and large as nede were / it that wanted / might haue bene fulfylled by it that is written more largely of Plinye For Plinye in the 24. boke of his naturall history / and the 15. chapter / describeth Chameleucen thus Chameleuce with vs is called Farranum or Farfugium it groweth by water sydes with a leafe of a Popler tre / but greater And in the 26. boke and 6. chapter / he writeth thus of Chameleuce Bechion stilleth the cough / which is also called Tussilago There are two kindes of it / the leaues of the wilde are greater then Iuye leaues / fyue or seuen towarde the grounde whytish / aboue pale without stalke / floure and sede / and it hath a small roote Some reken that the herbe whiche is called with an other name Chameleuce / is Bechion Hetherto Plinye Now when as besyde the notes aboue marked in Dioscorides / Pliny hath put to these markes aboue rehersed / me thinke that Matthiolus hath no suche cause to compleine so much as he doth of the shorte description of Chameleuce The vertues of Chameleuce I can not find in Dioscorides any other properties that Chameleuce hath sauinge onelye that it is good for the ake of the loynes Of Chamepeuce CHamepeuce as Pliny writeth / hath leaues lyke vnto a larch tree / which is called in Latin Larix I can finde no mention of this herbe in any Autor / which hath written of herbes / sauinge onelye in Pliny / he describeth it no largelier then ye rede before Wherfore it is harde to tell which is the herbe which Pliny meaneth of Gesnerus rekeneth that the herbe whiche is called in Duche Berentopen / of other called pata vrsina / shuld be Chamepeuce the herbe that he supposeth to be chamepeuce / groweth in the top of the alpes / it is of a finger length and a halfe / bowinge somethinge doune / like a fether that standeth in ones cap and it is set about euery wher
the colour of the floure / and the squares of the stalke which is yet squared in dede ought not to put furth our Langue de befe / out of the kinde of Cirsion / allthough it be not all the best As touching the litle leaues whyche shoulde represente the forme of a rose / I reken that Dioscorides meaneth that the leues spreadinge on the grounde / shoulde haue a certeyne lykenes vnto the figure of a rose / whyche thynge this oure Langue de befe doth not wante For Dioscorides maketh mention twise of the leaues / and compareth them vnto two herbes nothing like at all that is vnto a rose and to borage wherfore to saue Dioscorides from contradiction / we must saye that in the former place he meneth not of euery one lefe seuerally / that it should be lyke vnto a rose leafe / but that al the leues spred abrod that are about the rote on the ground / should resemble a rose in their fassion maner of growing out together If anye man vnderstand not what I mean / let him loke vpō the herbe which Matthiolus setteth out for cinoglossa / he shal vnderstande me Here is to be noted for thē that rede Dioscorides in Latin of Ruellius translation / that they trust him not to muche wtout the Grek text / for he trāslateth in the description of Cirsion macrotera maiora / whē in other iiij herbes he trāslateth the same word lōgiora It is also not to be passed ouer in silence that Pliny hath here / where as Dioscorides hath macrotera / and Ruellius maiora / minora / that is lesse leaues / so that Plinye meaneth that Cirsion hath lesse leaues then buglossum hath Matthiolus setteth out the figure of an herbe / that my maister Lucas Ginus sent vnto him / whiche he taketh for the right Cirsion / but he nether telleth the Italian name of it / nether the name of Herbaries / nor of the Apothecaries / nether describeth it so / that if a man se it agayne / by his description he mighte knowe it And because he doth lightely passe ouer it / nether the taste nor smell / nor the vertue of the herbe told / we can nether iudge it to be the true Cirsion / nether perfitlye confute him in sayinge that it is the true Cirsion But by the figure that he setteth out / he maye be so confuted for holdinge of that herbe to be Cirsion / as he confuteth other that hold that Buglosse is the true Cirsion / for he confuteth him thus The litle pricky leaues that come furth from belowe / resemble not the likenes of a rose in the comon Buglosse / therfore it can not be Cirsion And euen so maye Matthiolus be confuted / the leaues of the herbe that are be lowe nexte the grounde in his figure resemble not a rose / sed louga et continua prodeunt Matthiolus knoweth these his owne wordes wel / therefore by his owne reason the herbe that he setteth oute / can not be Cirsion Loke vpon his figure when ye will / and ye shall finde that it is true that I saye The herbe which I take for Cirsion / are at leste for a kinde of it / groweth commonly in gardines in England / and also abroad in the feld in great plentye betwene Sion and Branfurd Oure cookes holde that it is a good pot herbe / and so it is in dede / if Buglosse and Borage be good pot herbes / for in taste it is very lyke them / and rather pleasanter in taste then they be The sede of the herbe is rede drawinge towarde yelowe Amatus erreth in this herbe as in manye other rede his confutation of Matthiolus / and ye shal finde that he sayeth / but nescienter / amonges other reasons / to proue that Buglosse is Cirsiō Exbuglosse floribus nescio quid euanescit Out of the floures of Buglosse / I wot not what vanisheth out or away If he can not tel what vanisheth awaye / then he can not tel what herbe is Cirsion He shoulde haue said / if he had knowen it as Dioscorides sayth Soluuntur capitula purpurea in lanugmem But how should he saye so / except he lyed / for he neuer saw nether anye other man / the purple floures of Buglosse vanished awaye in to downe / for no honest man wil saye that euer Buglosse had any down Wherfore Amatus writeth of it that he neuer sawe / onely folowynge the iudgemēt of other / hauinge none at all in this herbe that we now intreate of The Properties of Cirsion DIoscorides sheweth that Andreas the Herbary wrote / that the roote of Cirsion bounde to the sicke place / swageth the ache of the great veynes whiche beynge to muche enlarged / send to manye humores to one place Of Cistus Cistus mas Cistus foemina CIstus is named in Greke Kistos / Kitharos Kissaros / of the common Herbaries rosago rosa canina / in Frenche rose canine as Gesner sayth I haue sene it in Italy in certaine gardines / and ones in Englande in my Lordes gardine at Sion But it that I sawe at Sion / hath broader and longer leaues then it which I sawe in Italye I haue not heard as yet any Englishe name for Cistus / but for lack of other / it maye be called Cist bushe or Cist sage / of the lykenes that it hath with sage Cistus as Dioscorides wryteth / is a thicke bushe and full of braunches / and groweth in stonye places / ful of leaues / but not hygh / the leaues are rounde and tarte / wyth a certeyne bindinge / and rough The male hath a floure lyke a pomgranat / the female hath a whyte floure Pliny also sayth that there are two kindes of Cistus / the male with a floure lyke a rose / and the female with a whyte floure It that I sawe in Italye was the male / and it that I sawe in England was the female The Properties of Cistus CIstus is astringent / wherfore his floures dronken twyse on the daye in tarte wine / stop the bloodye flixe / they layd to by them selues / stop sores whiche eate vp the fleshe / the floures mixed and made with wexe after the maner of a treate / heale olde sores / and the places that are burnt with the fyre Hypocistus called of the Pothecaries Hipoquistida / groweth about the rootes of Cistus / and is lyke vnto the floure of Pomgranat / some of them are yellowe / some grene / some whyte The iuyce is melted out and made thick as Acacia is / but some drye it / and stepe it when it is broken / and seeth it / and do all other thinges that is done with Licio It hath the strength of Acacia / but it dryeth somthinge more and bindeth but dronken and put in / it is good for the bloodye flixe of weomen Of Cistus ladanifera THer is as Dioscorides sayth an other
kind of Cistus / called of some Ledon / which is a bushe / and groweth as the other Cistus doth / but it hath longer leues and blacker / which in the spring of the yere haue a certain fatnes The nature of the leues is astringent / is of as great strenght as Cistus is / of this is made gum / which is called ladanū for when as the gotes gote buckes eat the leaues of Cistus / they gather manifestly the fatnes with their beardes / and carye awaye with their clammenes it that cleueth vpon their heary and rough fete The whiche the inhabiters of the countre combe of / and streyne it / and make it in lumpes together / and so laye it vp / other pul ropes thorowe the bushes / and with them take of the clammines / and make Ladanum of it It is moste commendable that sanoreth well / and is somthinge grene / and is soune softe and fat / not full of sande / or euell fauored / and full of Rosin as it of Cyprus is It that commeth out of Arabia and Lybia / is viler then the other be The Nature of Ladanum LAdanum as Dioscorides sayth / hath the propertie to bind together / to warme / to make softe and to open the mouthes of the veynes Put myrre and myrtell oyle and wine vnto Ladanum / and it will holde still the heyre that goeth of Wyth wyne layd vpon scarres of woundes or sores / maketh them loke better fauored Ladanum poured into the eare with honyed water or rose oyle / healeth paine of the eares / and thesame in a fumigation / draweth doune the secondes Ladan put into the mother in a pessarye / or in a long fashion of a suppository / healeth the hardnes of the mother It is good to be put into medicines for the cough and in softeninge emplasters Ladan dronken with olde wyne / stoppeth the bellye / and prouoketh vrine Ladanum is full hote in the firste degre / as Galene sayth and reacheth nere vnto the seconde Of Perwincle / or Perywincle CLematis is so named of Dioscorides without anye addition / of other it is called Clematis Egyptia / because it groweth plentuouslye there It is called of Plinye in some places Daphnoides / in other Chamcedaphne / in other Vinca peruinca It is called in Englishe Perwincle / or Periwincle / in Duche Ingrien / and in Frenche Dulisseron Clematis is named in English Perwincle / and it groweth in fatt and well bearinge groundes / It hath litle braunches of the bignes of a rishe The figure and colour of the leaues / are lyke vnto a Laurell or Bay leafe / but they are lesse a great deale Thus doth Dioscorides describe Clematis It hath prety blewe floures / and the herbe crepeth vpon the grounde very thicke / one braunche wouen about an other Clematis Perwincle The properties of Perwincle THE leaues and stalkes of Perwincle dronken with wine / stoppe both the bloodye and other flixe / with milke and rose oyle or priuet oyle / thesame put into a pessary / or mother suppositorye / relese the payne of the mother Perwincle chewed / staunched the tuth ache Thesame is medicinable to be layd vpon the places that are bitten of serpentes Perwincle groweth wild in many places of Germany / and it groweth plentuouslye in Englande in gardines / and wild also in the West countre Of Clematitis CLematitis putteth furth a long branche / somthing rede / and tough / the leafe is bitinge in taste / and maketh blisteres / it crepeth vpon trees as Smilax doth I neuer sawe this plant / nether in Germany nor in England / wherfore I know nether the English nor the Duch name of thys herb / but it may be called in English Bush perwincle / or byting perwincle I sawe this in a gardin in Ferraria / it had leaues not vnlike vnto the leaues of Clematis daphnoides But they were Clematis altera longer and sharper at the ende / and very lyke vnto the smal leaues of the byting vynde / called in Latin of som Vitis syluestris Ruellius ioyneth in hys translation of Dioscorides Clematis and Clematitis together / and setteth them in one chapter / when as my Dioscorides in Greke describeth Clematis in the beginninge of the fourth boke / and Clematitis in the ende of thesame boke Which thinge Galene maketh mention of in the booke of Simple medicines / where as he checketh Pamphilus the Herbary / for confundinge these two herbes together / whose nature were diuerse Furthermore seynge that the names are also diuerse / and the herbes are described in diuerse places / it shoulde not belonge vnto a translator to make of Clematitis Clematis / and to take an herbe out of the place / where as Dioscorides hath set it / bring it by force into an other place where it should not stande / if he foloweth hys Greke exeample / that led him to that whiche he dyd / he is excusable but if he dyd it of his owne head / he is worthy blame / and not to be folowed Matthiolus hath now in hys Latin commentaries vpon Dioscorides / marked the same thinge that I noted longe before I sawe his commentaries But he maketh another herbe then I do to be Clematitida / for he maketh the wind with the douny thinge in the top about the sede / to be Clematitida / If the plant that I set furth / crepe vpon hedges and trees / as the other of Matthiolus doth / doutles it is more to be taken for Clematitidis then the other is / but I dare not holde that it doth crepe vpon bushes / like as Smilax doth / for I neuer sawe it / but at one tyme in one place But as far as I remember it did crepe vpon other bushes / as Smilax doth Thys am I sure / that when I compared the leaues of my braunches that I brought from Ferraria with the hory vinde / I found no difference betwene them at al / sauing that myne had hoote leaues withoute anye cuttinge / and the other was indented about the edges The Nature of Clematitis THE sede of Clematitis broken / and dronken in honied water / dryueth furth thynne fleme and choler The leues layd to lepres / scoure them awaye Some vse to condite thys herbe wyth Dittany to eat it Galene sayth that thys herbe is hote in the beginninge of the fourth degre Of Clinopodium / called Horse Tyme Clinopodium CLinopodion called of the Latines Clinopodium / maye be called in Englishe Horse tyme / because it is lyke vnto wilde tyme / but a great deale greater Clinopodion is thus described of Dioscorides / Clinopodium is a litle bushe full of twigges / hauinge the lenght of two spannes / it groweth in stones it hath leaues lyke vnto wilde Tyme / and floures representinge a Bedfoote / and one standinge from an other / certayne spaces goynge betwene / as we se in Horehounde Pliny describeth
leafe are not deuided awaye from the portion of the leafe / out of the which they come / if the leaues of the common Hellebore leaues had bene ioyned / as I haue aboue rehersed in the bottom / to one portion of the leafe / lyke as it were the palme of an hande / then I would haue sayd that they had bene lyke to the leaues of the Plaine tree and of Sphondylij But seynge they are not / I conclude that they are nether lyke vnto the Plain tree leues / nor to the leaues of Sphondilij / and therefore that the common black Hellebor is not the black Hellebore of Dioscorides Then when as the common Hellebor hath the vertues of Consiligo / and no other herbe is knowen to haue the lyke / sauinge true Helleborus / and Helleborus is not Consiligo / and this common Hellebor is not Helleborus niger / it is no vayne gatheringe / that this herbe commonly called Helleborus niger / is Consiligo The nature of Consiligo after Columella WE knowe sayth Columella a present remedy of the rote / which the shepeherdes cal consiligo / that groweth in greate plentye in Mersis mountaines / and it is very holesome for all cattel They say it should be vsed thus / The brodest parte of the ear must haue a rounde circle made aboute it with the blood that rinneth furth with a brasen botken / and the same circle must be round lyke vnto the letter O / and when this is done without / and in the higher part of the eare / the halfe of the forsaid circle is to be bored thorowe with the forsaid botken / and the roote of the herbe is to be put in at the hole / which when the newe wounde hath receyued / holdeth it so fast that it wil not let it go furth then all the mighte and pestilent poison of the disease is broughte so into the eare And whilse the part which is circled aboute / dyeth and falleth awaye / the hole beast is saued with the lose of a verye smal parte The nature of Consiligo out of Pliny THE roote of the herbe called Consiligo whiche we sayde was found but of late / hath his propertie to hele the disease of the longes of al beastes / only put thorow the beastes ear / it ought to be dronken with water / to be holden continually vnderneth the tonge We can not tel as yet whether that the ouer partes of the herbe be profitable for any thing or no. Fuchsius writeth that Christwurt which we cal Berfote purgeth the belly of fleme and choler / that it is good for the falling sicknes / for melancolike persones / or mad folke for the payn in the ioyntes and the palsey / if it be put in a suppository to the conuenient place / it bringeth doune weomens sycknes The wilde kind killeth lyfe / and not onely lyfe but also shepe and other beastes / if they do eate it wherfore men had nede to take hede how that they take it Of Withwinde or Bindwede COnuoluulus is a kinde of helxine cisampelos / is called of the Herbaries volubilis / in English Withwinde or Bindwede / in Duche Windē / in French Lizet / Lizeron / or Campanet Helxine hath leaues lyke vnto Iuy / but lesse small twigges / wherwith it claspeth aboute whatsoeuer stronge thinge it doth tuche Pliny describeth conuoluulus thus There is a floure not vnlyke vnto a lylye in the herbe / whiche is called Conuoluulus it groweth among shrubbes and busshes / and hath no sauour nether anye litle chyues lyke Saffrone as a lyly hath / only representinge a lily in whytenes / and it is as it were an vnperfit worke of nature / learninge to make lilies Conuoluulus Mesue describeth diuerse kindes of Conuoluulus / one kind sayth he is great and hath milke in it / and it is called funis arborum / with a whyte floure like vnto a belle The seconde kinde is a litle one / and hath both a lesse floures leaues then the other / and it crepeth vpon the grounde / and the braunches of other herbes The thyrde kinde is also ful of milke / and hath leues somthinge whyt horye / vnmeasurably hoote / it cutteth and pulleth of the skinne / and in purgationes bringeth out blood / wherefore as a venemous thinge it is to be auoyded his fourth kinde is hoppes The fifte kinde hath a roote lyke Britonye or rather greater / as bigge as a great gourde / hys stalke is two cubites longe / the leaues are narrowe and litle / and hath the forme of an arowe with fetheres on it The Properties of Bindweed THE iuyce of Weedbinde purgeth the bellye Mesue geueth foure vnces of the broth of the fyrst Weedbinde / and a hole pounde of the infuse of the same in whaye Of Coriandre Coriander COriandrum or Corianum is called in Greke Corion and Corianon / in Englishe Colander or Coriandre / in Duche Koriander / in French Coriandre Coriander hath leues lyke the first kinde of Crowfoote / and vnto herbe Robart with the smal leaues / groweth in the woddes / vnto the third kind of Daucus / and to the right Venus heyre / called Adianton The leues beneth are some thinge bigge lyke vnto Venus heire / and those aboue are very small lyke vnto Fumitorye the leaues are wonderfully stinkinge when they are grene the stalke is a cubit and a halfe of height / full of litle braunches / the floures are whyte / and the sede is round bare / and whē it is drye / it is of a good sauour a good taste The vertues of Coriandre oute of Galene COrianon or Corion / or howsoeuer ye will call it / the older Grecians call it Corianon / that newer Physicians call Corion / euen as Dioscorides doth / which sayth that the herbe hath a cooling nature / but there he missed / for it is made of contrary powers / hauing most of bitter substance / whiche we declare to be of subtile partes / and of an earthly nature / nether hath it a litle of a waterye moyster / which is of a warme power and vnto this is ioyned a litle astriction or bindinge together oute of al the properties it worketh diuerselye all those thinges / that Dioscorides writeth of / but not by no cooling vertue that it hath Dioscorides writeth that Coriandre laid to with bread or barly mele / is good for saint Antonies fyre / for sores the sprede sore abrod / it healeth also sores that arise on the night that haue bloody mater in them / the inflammacions of the stones carbuncles / with honye and rasynes It dryueth away with beanes brokē / hard swellinges / kernels and wennes The sede driueth furth the wormes of the guttes / dronken with maluesey It increaseth the sede but if it be taken oute of measure / it doth trouble a mannes witt / with greate ieopardye of
madnes Wherefore ye must not continuallye vse it / and out of measure The iuyce of Coriandre with whyte lede or lythargery and vinegre / rose oyle layd to / healeth the inflammations of the vttermost skinne Auerrois writeth that Coriander hath a propertie to holde meate in the stomake vntill it be digested / and that it maketh fleshe wherewith it is sodden / to haue the tast of spice Simeon Sethi writeth that Coriander is good for the stomacke / and when it is perched at the fyre / that it stoppeth the bellye In drinke it stoppeth the ishue of blood / and also if it be brused and layd vpon it that bledeth Of the Cornell tree Cornus foemina COrnus is called in Greke Crania / in Duche Thierlinbaume / in French Cormiez or Cornier There are two kindes of Cornus / the male and the female Cornus as Dioscorides sayth is a hard tree / bringing furth long berries / lyke an Oliue / which first are grene / and after when they are rype / are rede / or of the coloure of waxe and this is the male kinde which is also described of Theophrastus / he writeth of both the kindes of this maner There is one Cornel tree which is the male / and an other the female it hath leaues like an almond tre / but that they be fatter and thicker / it hath a barke full of synewes and thin / the bodye of the tree is not verye thicke / but the female putteth furth smal twigges / out of the syde as the right agnus castus doth / and it is fuller of braunches / they haue both knottes as agnus hath / both two one against another / and one meting with an other The woode of the male hath no pythe I call so the softe thing that is in any tree / as in Elder and such lyke but it is sound and fast like vnto a horne / both in thicknes and strongnes The female hath a pythe in it / and is softe / and made hollow / the length of the male is at the moste of xij cubites / of which lenght the longest huntinge staues were of that were in Macedonia the hole bodye of the tree is nothing excellent They the dwell in Ida beside Croye / holde that the male is barrone / and that the femal is fruyteful / the fruyte hath a kernell lyke an olyue / the fruyte is swete in eatinge / and pleasant in sauoure The floure is lyke an Oliue tree / and it blometh bringeth furth fruyt after the same maner / so that out of one stalke growe many / they agree also in tyme but the Macedonians saye that they bringe furth both fruyte / but the females fruyt can not be tasted / and that they haue a stronge roote out of the daunger of corruption as agnus is It groweth in moyst places / and not onlye in drye places / both by sede / and also by sticking in of slippes / which are slipped of the tree I haue sene the first Cornus which is the male / plentuouslye in Germany / and the second whiche is the female / both in Germany and Englande the male maye be called in Englishe a Cornel tre The female is called of some Dog berrye tree some call it Corne tree / some because bucherers vse to make prickes of it / cal it prick tree it were best to call it with one common name / wild Cornel tree The leaues are much broader then the Almond tree leaues are / they are almost round / sauinge that towarde the ende they are small and sharpe The male hath as far as I remembre / but one very growinge vpon one stalke alone but the femal hath many growynge together The Properties of the Cornel tree COrneles in meat do binde and stop / and are holsome both for the bloody flixe / and also for the other / whether they be geuen in meat or sodden in wine they maye be kepte in bryne as Oliues be the matter that commeth furth of the grene tree or bowes / when it is in burninge / is good to laye vnto the scurfe lyke leper Plinye sayeth that the sweete of a twigge or Cornel tre / receyued vpon a burning hote plate of yron / which the wood toucheth not / healeth the scuruy euel in the beginning if the rust of the yron be layd vpon the scurfe / I haue kept the beryes of Cornel tree verye longe in the iuyce of Corneles a litle sodden vpon the fyre I heare saye that there is a Cornel tree at Hampton courte here in Englande Of herbe Iue Coronopus COronopus or Coronopodium is called in Englishe herbe Iue or Crowfoote plantayn / in Duche Rapfulz / in Frenche Capriole / ou dent ou chien / Theodore Gaza / calleth it Silago / it groweth muche about Shene in the hygh waye / and aboute the sea syde in the bankes / whiche are made by mans hande Coronopus is a litle long herbe / creping vpon the ground with clouen or cut leaues / it is sodden with other eatable herbes / the roote is astringente bindinge it groweth in vnmanerd groundes in heapes of earth or stones / as are made to defend the sea bankes / or the fresh water bankes / frō ouerflowing in high waies My Greke Dioscorides hath en doomasi / it appeareth by the translation of Ruellius / that his Greke example had an choomasi / and that lyketh me better / for experience teacheth me that herbe Iue nether groweth about houses / but very plentuouslye vpon artificiall bankes and heapes of earth or stones / whiche are called in Greke Cheomata Theophrastus rehearseth Coronopus among the herbes whiche haue only leaues from the roote / and frō no other parte / and so groweth herbe Iue / and the stalke is lyke Plantayn / and hath suche an head as it hath The maner of dressinge this herbe / and puttinge it into sallettes / when it is a litle sodden / endureth yet still in Frenche / and in some places of England The Nature of herbe Iue I Read of no other medicin of this herbe in Dioscorides / but that it is astringent and stoppeth a laxe Paulus Egineta writeth that it is thought to be good against the cholyke / if the translation be true / which I do partlye suspect both / because Galene and Aetius saye / that it is reckened to be good / and not colicis cruciatibus / but celiacis / that is for them that haue the flixe of the bellye / which cometh commonlye of the longe debilite of the stomacke Of the Hasel tree Corilus Auellana Auellana domestica COrylus is called in Greke Karya pontike / or Leptokarya / in Latin Nux pontica / parua et auellana / in Englishe an Hasel tree or an Hasel nutt / in Duch Hasel nuss / in French Noisette ou Anelme There seme to be two maner of Hasel nuttes rather then two diuerse kindes / the one is the
shall fele an heauy weightly in his stomake / and shall turrne vp his stomake / and be desyrous to vomite / from the which grefes a man can only be delyuered by vomiting Therfore men vse to eat this as they do with all other vndurable fruytes ether sodden or fryed in a frying pan / or rosted The gourde as much as lyeth in it geueth vnto the bodye a moyste and coold / and therefore smal norishement / but it goeth easely vnto the bottom of the stomake / both by the reason of his slyperines and also moysture Furthermore it is not harde to be digested / if it be not corrupted before And that chaunseth vnto it when it is noughtely dressed or any euell humor is gathered in the stomake / and somtyme because it taryeth to long in the stomach / which thinge chaunceth vnto al other vndurable fruytes that are of a moyst complexion / for they putrefy quicklye in the stomake / except they come fyrst vnto the bottom of it Therefore euen as the gourde as much as is in it / hath a iuyce that can not be discerned by any sence what qualitie it is of / and is easy to be distribute into the hole body / so when as it is mingled with anye other thing that hath any great notable qualite / it is made lyke it very easely / as if it be taken with mustarde / the iuyce which commeth of these two mixed and diuided / and sent into the bodye / shal be sharpe or byting with a notable heate Euen by the same reason if it be eaten with anye salt thinge / it will ingendre in the bodye a salt humore And so is it a verye pleasant meat if it be dressed with the salt fishes of pontus / which are called in Greke mela But if it be sodden and seasoned as it ought to be with quinces / it wil haue an excellent tarte taste in the distribution If it be fryed or rosted / it putteth a greate deale awaye of his owne moysture Therefore because it is so moyste if ye will boyle it / it is best to boyle organ or wild mergerum with it For al suche as thys fruyte is / had nede to be mixed with other thinges that are byting / or sower / or tarte / or salt / if ye wold haue them delectable in eatinge / not to make one to be redy to vomite Simeon Sethy sayth that the gourde prouoketh vrine / and maketh a man go to the stole / and it is good for hote and drye complexions It stancheth the burning heate of the stomache and liuer It hurteth them that are flegmatike and waterishe / and it is euel for the colyke And if it finde euel humores in the stomach / it is corrupted therewith / and is made holsom norishment It dryueth away the desyre vnto lechery / and minished sede and engendreth thin bloode It is good for the brest / for the longes / and the bladder Of Coloquintida COloquintida is called in Greke Colokinthis / in Latin Cucurbita syluestris / the Potecaries cal it Coloquintida / it groweth only in gardins in England and Germanye Coloquintida putteth furth braunches and leaues lyke a Cucumbre / creping by the ground diuided a round fruyt lyke a balle / excedingly bitter / which ye must gather whē it beginneth fyrste to be turned into a pale yelowishe coloure The vertues of Coloquintida Coloquintida THE inner parte of the fruyte of Coloquintida hath the nature to purge / if ye take two scruples / made in pilles with honyed water / sodden honye / myrre / and nitre / or salt petre The balles bryed and broken / and poured in by clister / are good for the palsey / the sciatica / and the colyke / for it pulleth furth choler and fleme and shauinges / and somtyme also blood It taketh away the tuthache / if a man purge it and couer it with clay and heate it with vinegre and nitre / and washe his tethe with the broth that this is sodden in If anye man sethe in it honyed water or swete wine / and drinke it after that it is cooled without the dore abroad / it purgeth awaye grosse humores of the bellye / and thynges lyke shauinge or scrapinges of the guttes It is exceading hurtful vnto the stomache If it be put into a suppositorye / it will pull furth the excrements of the bellye The iuyce of the grene Coloquintida is good to be rubbed vpon the place that is vexed with the sciatica Plinye writeth thus of it Coloquintida poured in by a clyster / healeth all the diseases of the guttes / of the kydnes / loynes / and the palsey also / if the sedes be casten out The fleshe of Coloquintida with salt and wormwod / healeth the tuth ache The iuyce of Coloquintida made warme wyth vinegre / maketh fast / louse teth The same heleth the payne of the ricke bone / loynes and hyppes bone / if they be rubbed with it / and with a litle oyle let them that vse the fruyt of Coloquintida / take hede that they beate it into very fyne pouder / or ellis it wil frete the guttes verye sore Of Cummyne CVmmyne is called in Greke Kyminon / in Duche Kummine / or Comin / in Frenche Cumine The sede of gardin cummyn is well knowen in Englande / but the herb groweth not with vs that euer I could se Dioscorides describeth not the gardin comyn / belyke because it was so well knowen in his countre but he describeth two kindes of wild cummyn / the first after thys maner Wilde cumyne hath but a small bushe / and hath a stalke a span long and small / oute of which come out foure or fyue litle leues / lyke as they were indented after the maner of Gingidium It hath in the top fyue or sixe rounde and softe litle heades / wherein is chaffye sede / hoter in taste then the gardin cumyn It groweth in litle hilles The seconde kinde of wild cumyn is not vnlyke vnto the gardin cumyn / it putteth furth of euerye floure longe hornes where in is sede like vnto Git or Nigella romana The former kinde of wild cumyn haue I not sene that I can remembre but the second kind I suppose I haue sene Some there be in Italy which thinke / the pale nigella to be the second kind of wild cumyn / other recken the litle black nigella which is common in the stobble in Germany after the corne be caried awaye to be the seconde kinde of wild cummyn But nether the pale nigella / nether the other wild kinde can be wild cummyn / except the gardin nigella romana be also wilde cummyn / for they are all of one figure in leaues and sedes / and of lyke smell The second kind of wild cummyn putteth furth of euerye floure longe hornes / wherein are sede lyke vnto nigella The kindes of nigella haue hornes in dede / but no
wilde organ or wild Merierum blacke and softe The sauoure is betwene Baum mint and Sage verye pleasant It is good for the same thinges / but it smyteth not vp in the nose It is mingled with emplasters and medicines / which are made against the bytinges of serpentes / and are called triacles Of the wilde Tasell Dipsacus Fullers tasil Dipsacus syluestris Wild tasel DIpsacos / called in Latin Labrum Veneris / that is Venus basin / because it holdeth alwayes water / it is called in English wild tasil / in Duche Karten distel / in Frenche Chardon or Carder It is named of the Potecaries Herbaries virga pastoris wild tasel is one of the pricky herbes It hath a hygh stalke / and full of prickes / and leues like lettes / ful of prickes two euer together which go about euery ioynte / and the leues are somthing long / and haue as it were certaine belles or swellinges lyke vnto the bublinges that rise in the water When it rayneth sore / in the middes of the back / both within withoute / they haue an holowe thinge at the cumminge out of the two leaues / whiche come one furth agaynst an other / wherein is gathered water both of the rayne and also of the dew and here vpon it is called dipsacos / that is thyrstye Oute of the top of the stalke groweth furth in euerye braunche a pricky head / sharpe / and somthinge long / and when it is wythered / it appereth whyte If ye cleue the head in the middes / ye shal finde a worme in it This description of Dioscorides agreeth also vnto our gardin tasel / which the fullers dresse their cloth with all The wilde tasel groweth commonly about diches and watery places / in the beginning of winter the Goldfinches vse muche to haunte this herbe for the sedes sake / wherof they are very desyrous the other groweth in gardins In the wild tasel is found a worme when the heade is full rype / which fisherers vse for a baite Besyde all other tokens and differences whereby these ij kindes do differ / is one that the prickes of the wild tasell growe not hokedly inward as the prickes of the other do The vertues of wild Tasel THE roote of wilde tasel soddē in wine / and brused whilse it be as thick as an emplaster / layd vpon the riftes and fistulas of the fundamente / healeth them This medicine ought to be kept in a boxe of copper It is also a good medicine for al kindes of wartes Some hold that the wormes whiche are found in the heade / hong ether aboute the necke or arme / heale the quartane ague Some vse to lay the water that is in the leues about the stalk vpon wartes Wild tasel as Galene writeth / dryeth in the second degre / it hath some vertue / or poure of scouringe Of Dragon Dragon Wild Dragon DIoscorides maketh but one kind of Dracunculus / which he calleth Dragontion / but Pliny maketh thre kindes of the same / in these wordes lib. 24. ca. 16. Id autem quod Graeci Dracontium vocant triplici effigie demonstratum mihi est folijs betae non sine thyrso c. It that Grecians call Dracontion / was shewed vnto me after thre diuerse likenesses / one with leues like a bete / not withoute a smoth stalk / and a purple floure / this is like vnto Aron An other shewed me one with a long roote like as it were marked and ful of ioyntes / and it had but iij. litle stalkes The third which was shewed me / had a greater leafe then the Cornel tree lefe is / with a roote lyke a rede and they sayd it had as many ioyntes in the roote / and as many leues / as it was yeares olde The firste kind that Pliny describeth / might seme to be our comon dragon / if that the leaues of oure dragon were not smaller / then the leaues of a Bete / wherevnto Pliny compareth the first kinde of Dracontion / but Pliny sayth that the firste kinde is lyke vnto Aron / for whiles the dragon is yet yonge / the leaue of it is verye lyke vnto the lefe of Aron Dioscorides also maketh Dragon lyke vnto Aron in the description of Aron Galene also writeth that Dragon is lyke Aron / both in lefe and roote / wherfore I doute not but that our common dragon is the true dragon Howebeit when the stalke is greate and redy / within a shorte whyle to bring furth the floure and fruyte the lefe that is in the top of the stalke / goeth awaye from the firste lykenes / and hath manye leaues together / but al ioyned together in one lefe / and not cumming furth of diuerse stalkes or braunches And most commonlye / one of the leues which is the ouermost / and as it were the maister lefe / doth somthing resemble an Iuye leafe The seconde kinde of Dragon that Plinye describeth / except my memoyre fayle me / I sawe it ones in the land of Drent / not far from Meppel in a marrish ground The thyrde kinde is now adayes well knowē / and it groweth in diuerse places of Germanye / where as it is called Klein schlangen kraut But I haue not sene it in England and therefore I knowe no common English name of it Howbeit / it maye be called in Englishe Water dragon Dioscorides describeth his Dragon thus Dragon hath a leafe lyke Iuy great and notable with whyte spottes / and a streyght stalke / two cubites long of diuers coloures / sprinkled with diuerse purple spottes / so that it doth resemble a serpent very nere / it is as thick as a staf The fruyte groweth after the maner of a cluster / in the top of the stalcke first grene and afterwarde reade / hote in taste and bytinge The roote is somthinge rounde / and hath a rounde heade lyke vnto Aron / couered with a thin filme or skin It groweth in darke and shadowy hedges Matthiolus maketh mention of an other kind of Dragon / whereof is no mention made in anye good textes of Dioscorides Neuerthelesse I thinke that it is a kind of Dragon / euen perteyning vnto it that Dioscorides writeth of Mathiolus also his selfe granteth that that chapter is set vnto Dioscorides by some other writer The vertues of Dragon out of Galene DRagon hath a certaine likenes vnto Aron / both in the lefe and also in the roote / but it is both more biting and bitterer then Aron is / and therfore is he hoter and of finer partes It hath also a certaine light astriction or binding / the whiche because it is ioyned with the other qualites that is sharpe and bitter / it must nedes be a stronge medicine for the roote purgeth all the inwarde partes / making thin and breakinge tough and gros humores / and it is a special good medicine against the almost incurable sore / called cocoeth It purgeth and scoureth awaye
Duch / ein Buchbaū / in Frenche fau Fagus is thus described of Plinye The nut of a Beche tree beynge lyke vnto kyrnels / is enclosed in a three cornerd skyn or huske / the leafe is thyn and excedynge lyght / lyke vnto an aspe or poplere / it wexith yelowe verye hastelye / ofte tymes it bryngethe furthe in the myddes in the vpper parte a lytle grene berye / sharpe in the toppe / the nuttes are verye swete Thrusshis desyre greatlye to eate of the beche nut / and myse eate gladlye of the same Thus muche dothe Plinye wryte of the description of a beche tree / Virgill in his Egloges maketh beche tree to haue a great and a broade toppe / whiche maketh suche a greate shadowe / that bothe men and bestes maye be defended therbye frome the heate of the sonne whiche thinge we see to be true by daylye experience / and specyallye in greate olde Beches The propertyes vse and commodytes of the beche tree DIoscorides wryteth that the leaues of the oke the beche tree and of suche other lyke brused and broken are good for softe swellinges / and to strengthen those partes that are weke The leaues of the beche tree / are good to be chowed for the dysease of the gummes / and the lyppes The powdre burned of the beche nut / is good wythe honye for askalde a skuruye head / when the heare goethe of / if it be layde to Plinye rekenyth the same good for the stone Palladius writith that the beche tree is good tymbre / if it be kepte drye / but that it is sone rotten / if it be in moysture or in weate places / in Virgilles tyme men vsed muche to make cuppes of the beche tree as a man maye gather by his Egloges Of the herbe Ferula FErula is called in Greke narthex / but howe that it is named in Englishe / as yet I can not tell / for I neuer sawe it in Englande / but in Germanie in diuers places It maye be named in Englishe herbe ferula / or fenell gyante / because it is lyke fenell / but a great deale higher and larger in all partes then fenell is Ferula bryngith furthe a stalke of three cubytes longe / and leaues of fenell / but rougher and broder I fynde no larger description of ferula in Dioscorides / but Theophrastus describeth it thus Ferula hathe but one stalke / and that full of ioyntes or knees / The leaues and branchis come oute of the ioyntes / one oute of one syde of the ioynte / another oute of the other syde / as the leaues of the rede do The leafe is greate / softe / and muche deuyded or iagged / so that it that is next vnto the grounde / dothe muche resemble here The floure is yelowe / the sede is darke and lyke dyll sede / but greater it is clouen in the toppe / and is deuyded into smale styckes which holde the floures and the sede The smal branchis want not theyr floures nor sede / but haue bothe as dill hath The stalke lasteth but for one yere It hath but one single roote / and that goeth depe into the grounde The vertues of Ferula oute of Dioscorides Ferula Herbe Ferula or Fenelgiante THe harte taken oute of the grene ferula / and dronken / is good for the spittinge of blode / for the flixe it is geuen in wyne againste the bytinges of vipers Thesame put into the nosethrilles / stoppith bloode there The sede dronken is good for the gnawinge of the bellie / if the bodie be anointed therwyth and wyth oyle / it prouoketh sweate The stalkes / if they be eaten / make the head ake / they are sawced in brine The vertues of ferula oute of Plinye HHe stalkes of ferula are vsed to be eatē / when they are sodden / they are the better takē wyth muste and honie / and so they are good for the stomake / if a man take manye of them they brede the heade ake / a dramme of the roote dronken in two vnces / and a halfe of wine / is dronken agaynst serpentes / and the roote is layed to it selfe / so is it good for the gnawinge in the bellye wyth oyle and vinegre / it is good to staye swetinge euen in agues The juyce of ferula taken in the quantyte of a beane / doth stop the bellye .x. graynes of the seed broken / are good to be dronken in wyne to stop blode The harte or the pithe of the herbe so taken / is good for the same purpose The nature of Ferula is the sorest enemie that can be to Lāpreys / for yf it ones touche them / they dye therwyth The vertues of Ferula oute of Galen THe sede of ferula heateth and maketh thyn or subtyll / but it that is within / whiche they cal the marye / the pythe / and the hatte / hath a byndinge nature in it By reason wherof it is good for the flixe and them that spyt blode Of the Figge tree FIrus is called in Greke syke / in Englishe a figge tree / in Duche / Ein feig baū / in Frenche vng figuez A figge tree is no greate highe tree / for the moste parte / but in some places some are founde as bigge and as high / as a pere tree The leaues are cut or indentid / and euerye leafe hath thre partes / of the whiche euerie one resemblith a finger Therfore Ficus Figge euerye figge leafe / semith as though it had thre fingers The figge tree is so well knowen / that it nedith no farther description The vertues of the Figge tree NEwe figges that are ripe / as Dioscorides writeth / hurte the stomake / and lose the bellye / but the flixe that cometh therof / is sone stopped They prouoke sweat and drawe oute wheles and pockes they quenche thurste and abate heate / whē they are drye / theyr nature is hote / they norishe the strenghth / but thē they make a man more drie / they are good for the bellye / and are cōtrarye to the rumes or flowinges of the stomacke / and the bellie Yet Galen wrytith that the figges both grene and also dryed / loose the bellye They are verye good for the throte / for the wynde pipe / for the kidnes / for the bladder / and for them that are euill colored wyth a longe sycknes / and for them that are shorte wynded / and for them that haue the dropsye / and for them that haue the fallinge sycknes / The same made warme / dronken wyth Isope / do purge the breste / they are good for the coughe / for the bellye / for the olde diseases of the lunges / Thesame brused wyth niter chartan saffron / then eaten / do softē the bellye The brothe of figges / is good for the swelled kyrnells besyde the throte If a man gargill therwyth / they are good to
be put in softenynge implaysters / mixed wythe barlye meale / the same brothe is good to be mixed in womans bathes wyth Fenygreke / and sodden barlye When they are sodden wyth rue / they are good to be powred in / agaynst the gnawinge of the bellye Figges sodden and laide to driue awaye hardnessis / they softē swellinges behinde the eares / other angrye swellinges They make rype wheles / called Pauos / speciallye yf there be put vnto them niter aryce / or lime if rawe figges be beatē wyth these / they are of lyke effecte Wythe the shell of a pomegarned they purge awaye anguaylles suche harde swellinges wythe copperus they heale the runnynge yssues of the legge / whiche are almoste incurable / if they be soddē withe wyne worniwode Romane barlye meale They are good to be layed vpon them that haue the dropsye / burnte figges laide one with a playster of waxe / are goode for kybed or mooled heles / and for ytchynges The mylkye juyce of bothe the wilde and the garden figge euen as runnynge or chese lope / maketh mylke runne together into cruddes / and louseth it that is growen together / as vinegre it takyth the skynne of from the bodye / it openyth the poores / and losith the bellye The same broken wyth an almonde dronkē / openyth the mother The same layd to wyth the yolke of an egge or Tyrrinicall waxe / bringith downe womens sycknesses It is good to be put into playsters wythe the floure of fenygreke and vinegre for the gowte It scowryth awaye lepres / frekles / skuruynes and the disease of the face / stables / runnynge sores in the head / if it be layed to wyth barlye meale It is good for them that are bytten wyth a scorpion or of anye other venemens beast / or of a mad dogge / if it be dropped into the wounde The same receaued in wulle and put into the holowe tothe / is good also for the tothe ake If it be layde to wyth fatt / it taketh awaye wertes Drye fygges are hote in the fyrste degree fullie as Galen wryteth They are hote in the beginnynge of the seconde degree / and of fyne and sutil partes The figge tree as bothe the juyce / the leaues and the tree dothe testifye / is verye hote / for they do not onlye byte or vehementlye scoure awaye / but also / do pull of the skynne / and open the mouthes of the vesselles / although figges wyth other frutes haue some euyll juyce / yet this good propertye they haue / that they go quicklye thorough the bellye / and easelye go thorowe the hole bodye / for they haue a notable vertue to scoure awaye / wherfore it chaunseth that they that are greued wyth the stone / after that they haue eaten figges voyd oute sande in theyr vrine they norishe more then the commen sorte of frutes do / but they make not fast and styffe fleshe as breade and swynes fleshe do / but somethinge lowse and emptye fleshe as beanes do Figges are wyndye / but their wyndynes endurith not / if a man eate oute of measure of rype figges / they will fill him excedinglye full of lice They haue vertue to cutt in soudre and to make fyne / by reason wherof they prouoke a man to stoole and purge the kydnes Of the Brake or Ferne. FIlix is called in Greke Pteris / in Englishe Ferne or a Brake / in Duche ein walt farne / in Frenchefauchier There are two kyndes of brakes / the one kynde is called in Latin Filix mascula / in Greke Pteris / wythoute anye addicion It growyth commenlye vpon stones It is all full of lytle winges euen frome the wote The seconde kynde is called in Greke Thelipteris / in Latin Filix femina this is the commen ferne or brake whiche the Norther men call a braken / It hath a thinge lyke a longe bare stalke / and the leaues are onelye on the top of that Dioscorides wrytith of the Ferne or Brake thus / It hath leaues wythout anye stalke or frute / whiche leaues comme oute of a thinge lyke a stalke / and the same is a cubite highe / the leaues are manye wayes deuided and full ol branches lyke fethers The sauor of it is somewhat rauke / the roote of it is black / and that goeth euen by the ouermoste parte of the grounde It is also longe / and putteth furth manye branches / the taste therof is somewhat byndynge It groweth in montaynes and in stonye placyes The female brake hath leaues lyke vnto the male full of branchis / hyer from the grounde / whiche growe not all vpon one herbes synnewe as it were / as the other Filix Ferne or a Brake doth / but vpon diuers and manye lytlen synnowes lyke stalkes This kynde hath manye longe rootes writhen one by an other / whiche beyng somthynge yelow turn toward a black Some also are founde red Dioscorides denyeth that the Ferne hath anye frute / and therbye that it hath also no seede / but not onelye the opinion of the commen people is / that the Ferne hath sede / but also it is the opinion of a Christen Phisicion / named Hieronymus Tragus / who doth not onlye saye that Ferne hath sede / but wrytith that he founde vpon mydsomer euen sede vpon Brakes I haue taken oute of his herbal his wordes concernynge that matter / haue translated that into Englishe after this maner folowinge Although that all they that haue writen of herbes / haue affyrmed and holden / that the Brake hath nether sede / nor frute yet haue I dyuers tymes proued the contrarye / whiche thinge I will testefye here in this place / for there sakes that be studentes in the knowledge of herbes / I haue foure yeres together one after an other vpon the vigill of saynt Iohn the Baptiste whiche we call in Englishe mydsomer euen soughte for this sede of Brakes vpon the nyghte / in dede I fownde it earlye in the mornynge before the daye brake / the sede was small blacke and lyke vnto poppye I gatherid it after this maner I laide shetes and mollen leaues vnderneth the brakes whiche receyued the sede / that was by shakynge and beatynge broughte oute of the branches and leaues Manye brakes in some places had no sede at all / but in other places agayne a man shall fynde sede in euerye brake / so that a man maye gather a hundred oute of one brake alone / but I went aboute this busynes / all figures / coniurynges / saunters / charmes / wytchcrafte / and sorseryes sett a syde / takynge wyth me two or three honest men to bere me cōpanye / when I soughte this seede / all the villages aboute / did shyue wyth bonfyers that the people made there / sometyme when I soughte the sede / I fownde it / and sometyme I fownde it not Somtyme I founde muche / and sometyme
Wherfore I can not so muche commende the distilled waters of herbes as I do the iuice and brothes / of the same / wherin the herbes are sodden Of fenel FEniculū is called in Greke Marathrō / in Englishe fenel or fenkel / in Duche finchell / in Frenche fenonil Fenel is a great a lōge herbe / somtyme higher then a man / the stalke is great and full of ioyntes / the leaues are very lōge and small / the flour is yelow / the top is lyke vnto the top of dill / the sede groweth thick in the top wythout any coueringe / it is somthinge croked lyke a horne / the outsyde of it is full of gutters and crestes / the rout is longe and white The properte of Fenell out of Dioscorides FEnell / if the leaues be eaten / or yf the sede be dronken wyth a ptisame filleth weomens papes wyth milke / the brothe of the toppes of the leaues is good to lay vnto the back / for the ake in the kidnees / for it dryueth furth water It is good to be drōkē in wine against the bytynge of serpentes It prouoketh flowres / in an agew drōken wyth colde water / it slaketh the lothsunnes / and the heate of the stomacke The rotes of fenel brokē / and layde to wyth hony / are good agaynst the bitynge of a dogge The iuice whiche is pressed out of the stalke leaues / and dryed in the sonne / is put vnto those medicines that clere and bryghe the eysight In som places men vse to cut the stalke of fenell / and to take out of it a iuice like a gumme whiche is verye good for the eyes Out of Macer FEnell prouoketh men to the procreation of childer / the serpētes chow this herbe / and purge and clere theyr eyes therwyth / wherof learned mē dyd gather that it shoulde also be good for mans eyes The iuice of fenell put into a mans eares / killeth the wormes therin the vse of fenell wyth wyne is good against the swellynge of the dropsye It is also good both Feniculum Fenell or Fenkell for diseases of the liuer and the longes The broth that the rootes of fenell is sodden in / wheter it be wather or wine / is good for the diseases of the bladder and kidnens It dryueth furth water / if it be layed vpon the belly a litle aboue the priuites The broth of the rote helpeth the ake of the yearde / if it be therwyth bathed It will do the same put vnto oyle and layde to seth fenel and vineger together / and it will swag any swellinge that cometh sodēly by bytynge The sede stirreth mankind to the procreation of childer And the same is good for a pleuresy / and so is the broth of the herbe Autours wryte that serpentes waxe yonge agayne by tastinge and eatynge of this herbe / wherfore sum thinke that the vse of the herbe therfore is very mete for aged folke Out of Aetius FEnell is so hote that it may be rekened to be hote in the thyrde degre / and it drieth in the first degre / and therfore it engendreth milke Of Fenegreke FEnum grecum is called in Greke Telis / in Englishe Fenegreke in Duche Bucks horne / in Frēche Fenecreke It groweth in Italy and Germany This herbe is also called in Greke Keratitis / that is horned / aigōkeros / that is gotis horne / and bonkeros that is cowishorne / it is also called in latin siliqua / silicia silicula Fenegreke runneth vp wyth small lytle braunches stalkes / whiche are rede / the lefe is lyke vnto trifoly thre leaued grasse The flour is lytle whyte / the sede is rede / it is conteyned in a long cod / lyke a horne / the rote is rounde and sūthinge longe The vertues of Fenegreke out of Dioscorides THe flour or meale of Fenegreke hath power to soften / to driue away The same soddē in mede / if it be layed to / is good both against inwarde and outwarde inflāmations or burnynges wyth salpeter Fenum Grecum Fenegreck and vineger it minisheth the milt the iuice of the broth is good for womās diseases / if they sit in it and be bathed therwith / whether the mother is stopped or is swelled The broth that it is sodden in / streyned and layde to the head / purgeth the here scoureth awaye scurf the runnyngh sores of the heade / if that the naturall place of conception be harde and streyte by reason wherof sum women bringe furth ther childer with great ieperdy if ye mixe Fenegreke and gose fat / and put them together in the conuenient place / accordynge vnto the discretiō of an honest midwyff enlargeth and softeneth it If it be layde to grene with vineger / it is good for raw places that haue the skynne of The droth of it is good agaynst the often vaine desyre of goinge to stole / and agaynst the stinkinge fylthe of the blody flix The oyle that is pressed out of it of myrtilles / scoureth away the starres of the priuitees Of Strauberries FRagraria is called in Englishe a Strawberye leafe / whose frute is called in Englishe a strawbery / in Latin Fragū / in Duche Erdber / in Frenche Fraisue The strawbery rynneth vpon the grounde / and hath a litle roughe stalke / and in the toppe of it growe whyte floures / after the whych floures be gone / ther growe berries / whiche are grene first / Fragraria Strauuberrie and afterward rede The leafe is indētid / alwayes thre of them grow together / the rote is in som place blake and som place redyshe The vertues of Strawberries STrawberies leaues taken in meate / helpeth thē that are diseased in the milt / so doth also the iuice dronkē wyth hony The same is good to be geuen wyth peper for them that are short winded Strawberryes quenche thirst / and are good for a cholerike stomack Ther is a iuice pressed out of strawberries / whiche by cōtinuance of tyme encreaseth in strēgh / and that is a present remedy against the sores and wheales of the face / against the blodshotten eyes The brothe of the rothe swageth the heate of the liuer / dronken the morninge eueninge Many vse this herbe to ioyne together grene woundes / to stoppe laxes / and ishewes of women / to strenghehen the gūmes / to take away the sores or wheales of the mouth / and the stinkinge of the same The frut semeth to haue som warmenes in it / but the leafe is colde Of the Ashe tree THe tre is called in Latin fraxinus / in Greke melia / is named in Englishe an ashe tree / in Duche ein Esch baum / in Frēche fraisne as Theophrastus wryteth there are two kyndes of ashes / of the whiche the one is verye high tawllē / the wood of it is whyte / hath as it were grosse
mother / and the burstinge out of man or womans water Some do write that this herbe bound to / and hanged vp in a cremesin flece / stoppeth blode Of Hiacinthus Hiacinthus maximus Hiacinthus ceruleus maior Hiacinthus Ceruleus minor Hiacinthus albicanus foemina HYacinthus hath leaues like vnto the herbe called bulbus / it hath a stalke a span long / smaller then a mans litle finger / of grene color / the toppe of the herbe hāgeth downe / full of purple flowres / the roote is like vnto the rownd hede of a Bulbus The best kinde of Hiacinthus that euer I sawe / was it that Lucas Gynus the reader of Dioscorides in Bonony shewed me about a xiiij yeares agoo / harde by the mount Appennine Hiacinthus is also commen in Englande / though it be not of the best / and it is called crowtowes / crowfote crowtese The vertues of Hiacinthus THe rote of this herbe dronken / stoppeth the belly and driueth furth water / it is a remedy againste the bytinges of a felde spider The sede is more bindinge and desired for triacles / wyth wine if it be dronken / it healeth the iawndes The boyes in Northūberlande scrape the roote of the herbe and glew theyr arrowes and bokes wyth that slyme that they scrape of Of Hiosyris HYosiris is like vnto succory / but it is lesse and rowgher / the herbe that I take for Hyosiris / hath a rowghe leafe / growinge harde by the grounde indented / after the maner of succory or dandelion / but the teth are not so sharpe / the stalkes / flowers / downe are like vnto thē that are in Dandeliō / sauinge that they are roughe in this herbe / and smothe in Dādelion Wherfore I name it roughe Dandelion It groweth in sandy baron groundes / and about casten diches that haue muche sand in them The vertues of Hyosiris PLiny writeth / if the leaues of Hyosyris be brused and laide to woundes / it healeth them wounderfull well It doth appere by the taste of this herbe / and certayne qualities that I finde in it / that it shoulde serue for the same purpose that succory and Endiue serue for Of saint Iohans grasse THe herbe whiche is called in Greke Hipericon / in Englishe saint Iohans grasse / or saint Iohans wurt / in Duche saint Iohans kraut / of some herbaries fuga demonum / groweth comēly in woddes and in hedges / in som gardines wythout any settinge Dioscorides writeth thus of Hypericō Hipericon is named of som Androsemō / of other Coriō / of other Grounde pine / because the sede of it hath the smell of rosin / it hath a bushe like ferula / that is to say / fenel gyant a span long / rede / it hath a lefe like rue / a yealow floure like vnto wall gelouer Whiche if it be brused wyth a mans finger / putteth furth a blodi iuice / wherfore som haue called it mans blode It hath a cod that is roughe and round of the bignes of barley The sede is blacke and Hypericon S. Iohans grasse of the smell of rosin This herbe is called of some of the later wryters perforata / that is throw holed / bycause if ye set the leafe betwene yow and the sonne / ther shall appere an infinite nombre of holes in the leaues The vertues of saint Iohans grasse SAint Iohans grasse driueth furth water / if it belaide to / it bringeth downe flowres It deliuereth from tertiā and quartan agues if it bedronken wyth wine The sede dronken the space of xl dayes / healeth the sciatica The leaues laide to emplasterwise wyth the sede / heale burninges Of Hysop DIoscorides leueth Hisop vndescribed / belike it was so well knowen in his dayes that he thought it neded not to be described but by that meane it is now comme to passe that we dowt whether this Hysop that we haue / be the true Hysop of the auncient writers or no. Dioscorides in the description of Ograne / compareth organe in likenes vnto the hysop / but no organ that euer I saw / whether it came out of Candi or out of Spaine / or grew here in England / like vnto oure Hysop / for their is brode leaued / and our hysop hath longe leaues / wherfore ether we haue not the true hysop / or els we neuer saw the true organ The Hysop that Mesna also describeth / is not agreinge wyth this oure Hysop as ye may perceyue by this his description that foloweth here Hysop is of two sortes / ther is one mountaine Hysop / and an other gardin Hysop The gardin Hysop is halff a cubit hyghe / hath fewer stalkes and braunches thē time hath It hath leues like vnto time but greater / the flour is purple / the wilde is shorter and hath lesse leaues Ye se here that Mesne maketh his hysopes leaues like vnto the leaues of time / but we haue no suche hysop and time that agre ether in figure or bignes together / wherfore it is to be suspect that ther is som better Hysop / then this that we haue Howbe it / I thinke in vertue propertie that it differeth nothinge from the hysop of the olde writers We haue in Sumershire beside the cōmē Hysop that groweth in all other places of Englande / a kinde of Hysop that is al roughe and hory / it is greater muche and stronger then the cōmen Hysop is / som call it rough Hysop Hyssopus Hyssopum montanum Cilicium The properties of Hysop HYsop hath the vertue to make fine and to hete The brothe of Hysop made with figges / water / hony / and rue / dronken / helpeth the inflammation of the longes / the olde coughe / the shortwinded / rheumes or poses / and them that can not well take theyr breth It killeth wormes It hath the same power if it be licked in wyth hony The brothe of it dronken wyth a drinke made of hony and vinegre / called oximell / draweth out grosse humores thorow the belly / and it is good to be eaten wyth grene figges to make yow go to the stole / but it worketh better if Aris be put therto / or Cardamome or Ireo It kepeth and maketh the color of the body continewe still Wyth a fyg and nitre / it is good for the mylt and for the dropse It is vsed to be layde vnto burninge heares or inflāmationes wyth wine It druleth and scattereth awaye the blue markes of brusinges It is good to be gargled wyth the brothe of figges against the quinsey The broth of Hysop wyth vinegre swageth the toth ache if the mouth be washed ther wyth The brethe or vapor of Hisop driueth away the winde that is in the eares if they be holden ouer it Of Gethsamine or Iesemin IEfemin or Gethsamine / as I suppose is called in Greke iasme / and it is the flower / wher of the oyle called in Dioscorides oleum
iasminum is made But I finde nether any description of iasme in Dioscorides nor in Plini nor in any other olde writer / sauinge that Dioscorides maketh a litle mention of it / as also the Arabianes do I think that the Arabianes / call this bushe Iesemin / fetchinge that name corruptly out of Dioscorides Iasminō / for the same vertues that Dioscorides assigneth vnto the oyle of Iasme / the Arabianes geue vnto their Iesemin But that ye may iudge the mater more plainely I will reherse vnto you what Dioscorides writeth of his oyle called iasminum / what the Arabiane write of ther Iesemine Out of Dioscorides THer is an oile made amongest the Perseanes / whiche is called Iasminū / of the whyte flowers of a violet / wherof two vnces are put into a quart of oile sesanime / and the violettes must be oft changed / as we haue tolde before in the makinge of lily oyle It is miche vsed in the land of the Persianes / when men be at meat to make a good smell for it agreeth well wyth all the hole body / then specially when a man goeth into a bath but it is best for suche bodies as had nede to be made hote / and to be loused and set more at large / for it smelleth strongly / for it smelleth so strongly that som can not abide it Thus muche hath Dioscorides written of Iasme Som do holde that Dioscorides writeth here of the oyle that is made of the herbe called Lencoion in Greke / and in Englishe white stock gelouer But I am of the contrary opinion / for Dioscorides speaketh not in my iudgement here of that kynde of Leucoion with the whyte flour for that kinde of Leucoion with the flowre hath nether any suche smell as Dioscorides gyueth vnto Iasme / nether any suche heat / Dioscorides speaketh of for Serapio writyng of the kyndes Leucou sayeth these wordes Et oleum quod ex eo fit est temperatum subtile proprie illud quod fit ex eo cum oleo amygdalarum dulcium coeleste est debilis caliditatis album est debilius propter aequitatem quae in illo est Wherfore if the autorite of Serapio be to be receyued and alowed / Matthiolus erreth / whiche writeth Iasminū to one oyle made of Leucoio wyth the whyte floures If any man reply that our cōmen iesemine is no violet I answer that I thinke that Dioscorides called that flowre of Iesamin a violet floure / of the likenes that it hath wyth the flour of a violet / as he calleth of times the pricky toppis of great thestelles echinos / that is vrchens / of the likenes that they haue wyth an vrchen Out of the Arabianes IEsemin otherwise called rambach is of two sortes / the one hath a yealow flower / and the other hath a white floure The yealow is not so hote nor so myghtye in operation as the white is The flowre is also founde in som place blewishe gray Iesemin is hote in the beginninge of the seconde degre / and it is good for moystenes and for salt fleme / and for olde men of a cold complexion / it is good for aches that com of a clāmy or towgh humores / when as the very and right naturall iesemin ether dried or grene / if it be broken and laide vpon any tetter or foule spottes / it will driue them away and will resolue all colde superfluites It is good for the pose / but it maketh and engendreth the heade ache in them that are of an hote complexion / and the oyle of it is very good in wynter / but it is to be ferde / if that any man of a very hote complexion smell of it / lest it make him blede at his nose Compare these properties wyth thē that Dioscorides geue vnto iasmino / ye shall fynde that in propertes / iasme doth agree very well wyth the iesamine of the Arabians Of Sciatica cresse or wilde cresse Iberis BYcause Dioscorides describeth this herbe Iberis / in suche place as no herbes but trees are described / and it is contrary vnto his custome to mixe the intreatinge of herbes wyh trees som holde that this herbe is not Iberis Dioscorides And som gather that for this cause that this herbe that I intreate of / is not Iberis / because ther is an other herbe called of auncient writers / namely / of Paul and others Iberis / and it is cleaue cōtrary in proportion and likenes vnto the herbe that Paulus setteth furth for Iberis to whō Iberis I answere / that although it were not Iberis Dioscoridis Yet it foloweth not / but that it may be som other learned mās Iberis / though it be nether Iberis Paulinor Aetij This herbe out of dout is Iberis of Democrates / wher of Galene maketh manifest mētiō in the / x. boke De compositione medicamētorum secundum locos and ther he bringeth it in Democrates describing after this maner This herbe saieth Democrates / groweth muche euery wher / beside graues and olde walles / and about highe wayes whiche are not commenly plowed It is alwayes grene wyth a lefe like gardin cresses / and this leafe is lesse then cresses lefe / and it commeth furth in the springe time The stalkes are a cubite longe and som time longer / and som time shorter The leaues grow on the stalke all sommer euen vnto the depe winter / whiche wyth the frost wasteth the leaues awaye / and bringeth the hole herbe vnto the likenes of a twig or busshy rod. Yetit groweth vnto the roote / other buddes / whiche make a new herbe againe in the next springe It hath a smal white flowre / the sede is so small that a man can scarslie se it The roote hath a very hote and sharpe smell muche like vnto gardin cresses Thus far hath Democrates described his Iberis Now let vs se how that Dioscorides or som other in his name describeth his Iberis Iberis / otherwise called Cardamantica / hath the leaues of cresses / but in the springe grener The stalke is a cubit highe and somtyme lesse / it groweth in vnplowed grownde In sommer it hath a whyte floure / at what time it hath most vertu / it hath two rootes like vnto crosses / heatinge and burninge Ye may se how that in the description of Iberis both these autoures do agre Wherfore this herbe must not therfore be spoiled of the name of Iberis / because other autours haue in their workes an other kinde of Iberis This is the herbe as I suppose that Fuchsius describeth for shlaspi minori it is called in Duche besenkraut I haue sene the herbe in all pointes agreinge wyth the descriptiones aboue shewed beside the walles of Bon in Germany and in east Fresland in the sea bankes But I haue not sene it in Englande that I remember of It may be called in Englishe waycresses / wilde
of the littel wild dock / the stalke is not great / the sede is somthinge sharpe / round rede / and byting / and it is found in the stalke and outgrowing twigges hetherto hath Dioscorides written To whose writing som of the later Grecianes do not fully consent / and namelye in the descriptiones of Oxilapathi and Oxalidos / for som of the later Grecianes seme to take Oxilapathum / as though it had the name of the sour and sharp taste / and not of the sharpnes of the ouermoste part of the top of the leafe Aetius in the healing of the falling sicknes / writeth these wordes after the translacion of Cornarius of Oxalis Oxallidem siue rumicem acutum / viridem presertim quotidie dato a primo luna vsque ad trigestimam / in whiche wordes he semeth to confound and make all one of Oxilapathum and Oxalis The same Aetius writeth thus of Oxalis in the healing of the iaundes Oxalis est rumex acri sapore / folijs ranulis et folijs caude quadrangulari / c. Ye may se that Aetius geueth here vnto the tast of Oxalis sharpnes / wyth bytinge as this worde Acris doth signifie / a four cornered stalke / whereof nether of both Dioscorides geueth vnto his Oxalis / nether to his Oxilapatho As for my parte I do not remember that euer I sawe anye such sorel as Aetius describeth Nowe as concerning the kindes of dockes whereof Dioscorides writeth / I am sure / we haue the same / and also more then he made mention of / we haue the great kinde of Dock / which the vnlearned toke for Rebarbe / is called of som Rubarbarum monachorum / and this do the common herbaries of this tyme take for the garding Dock of Dioscorides / we haue a kinde of Dockes that groweth in shallow diches and watery places / wyth a very sharp leafe / wyth a taste lyke vnto other Dockes / and thys do I take to be Oxalapathum in Dioscorides There is an other kind of Dockes that groweth in moyste and watery grounde / with a leafe muche rounder then it that I spake last of / it hath a very soure taste lyke sorel / and this do I take for Oxalapatho of Aetij and other of hys tyme. We haue two kindes of wild Dockes / the one with the form and lykenes of plantayn / whych groweth in middowes and in bare grenes / and an other kind with a leafe not much vnlyke the leafe of Aran and so many kindes haue we also of Oxalis or Sorell / for the one hath a rounder leafe / and the other sharper / with sharpe thinges resembling abrode arrow head We haue also an other kind of dock growing in orchards gardines / about tounes suche places as kye oxen / other beastes vse cōmonly to haunt stād in Thys kinde for the form that it hath with the garding dock / maye seme to be a kinde of it But by it that groweth without settinge / or sowynge / it maye seme to be a kinde of wilde docke But it maketh no great matter of what kinde it be of / seynge it is knowen by experience to haue the vertue that other dockes haue The vertues of the Dockes THe leaues of all the kindes of dockes / when they are soddē soften the belly The leafe layd to raw with rose oyl or safron / driueth awaye melicirides / which are apostemes / which haue an oylish thyng within them lyke vnto honye The sede of the wilde dockes / and of the diche dock with the sharpe leafe / and of the sorrel / is good to be dronken in water or wine agaynste the bloodye flixe or other flixes / and agaynst the lothsumnes of the stomack / and agaynst the biting of a scorpion If any man drinke any of these sedes / and after chaunce to be bitten / he shall haue no hurt of it But the routes of them / sodden wyth vinegre / and also though they be raw / if they be layd to / heale lepres / the foule scuruy euell / and rough scabby nayles But the place must be rubbed before in the sonne with nitre and vinegre The broth also if the itchinge places be bathed therwith / driueth awaye the itche They swage also the payn of the teth / if they be sodden in wyne / and the teth be washed therewith / they swage also the payn of the eares / they dryue also away harde lumpes and wennes if they be sodden in wine and layd therto The same layd to stop the ishewe of weomen / if they be sodden in wyne and dronken / they heale the iaundes / and breake stones in the bladder / and prouoke doune floures / and they are good for them that are bitten of a scorpion The great dock called in Greke Hippolampathon / which groweth in meres and great pooles / hath the same nature that other haue The old writers appoynt no certayn degre vnto the kindes of dockes / but Aetius writeth that the dock is partaker of heat / naminge no certayn kinde But Rasis vnder the name of Acetisa / whyche worde the Arabianes interpretes without all discretion vse for al kindes of dockes / sayeth that acetosa is cold and drye / but he telleth not in what degre / but I suppose that Rasis writeth of sorell rather then of any other kind But my iudgement is that sorell is colde at the least in the first degre / and that the other kindes are not manifestly hote / but rather bowynge to coldnes / then to any notable heat Of the bushe or shrub called Kneholme or Buchers browme RVscus is named in Greke myrsine agria / that is myrtus syluestris / in Barbarus latin bruscus / in English Kneholme / or Knehull / and of other Bucher broume / and of som Petigre / I neuer sawe it in Germany / therfore I know not the Duche name of it Sabina RVscus called of Dioscorides Myrtus syluestris / hath a leafe lyke vnto a myrtell tre / but broder / lyke in fashon vnto a lance / sharp in the top It hath a rounde fruyte in the middes of the lefe rede / when it is ripe with a harde kirnel within The twigges are bowing lyke vinde braunches / which come out of the route / they are tough a cubit high / full of leaues / the routes are lyke vnto grasse binding / tarte in taste / and somthing bitter This bushe groweth verye plenteously in Essex and in Kent / and in Barke shyre / but I could neuer se it in Germany The vertues of kneholme THe leaues and the berries dronken in wine / do moue a man to make water / and bring weomen theyr floures / and breake the stone of the bladder / they heale also the iaundes / the Stranguriā / the head ache / the broth wherin the routes are sodden / can do the same The yong stalkes vse to be eaten
/ and as it were graye in color / for suche it is freshe and of a perfect age The vertue of mustarde is to heate / to make subtil / and to draw vnto it / and when it is chowed / to draw doune thynne fleme from the head but the iuyce of it menged wyth mede / if it be gargled wyth all / it is good for the diseases of the almondes aboute the rootes of the tonge / and for longe roughnes / and hardnes of the wynde pypes If it be broken and put into the nose thrilles / it maketh a man to nese it is good for them that haue the fallinge siknes / and it stereth vp weomen that are strangled of the mother It is also good to be layd vpon the heades of them that haue the drowsey euell / or forgetfull siknes / called lethargus / after that the heare is shauen of If it be menged wyth a fygge / and layed vpon the place vntill that it be rede / it is good for the sciatica / and for the milte / and to be shorte for euerye olde ache / where as by the greffe of an other parte / we will remoue anye thynge from the depe / vnto the skinne / it healed also scalled heades / where as the stalke is rede / and the heare falleth of If it be layd vpon the sore place / it scoureth also the face / and taketh awaye blewe markes that come of brusynge / if it be layd to wyth honye or fat / or wyth a cerote mayd of waxe If it be layed to wyth vinegre / it is good for lepres and wilde scabbes / and rynninge scurffe It is good to be dronken for agues whyche returne agayne by course at a certayne tyme / so that it be sprenkled or put into the drynke after the maner of perched barle mele It is also good to be mengled wyth drawynge emplasters / and wyth suche as are prepared agaynst scabbes And thesame broken wyth fygges / and put into the eares / it is good for them that are hard of hearinge And it is good for the soundyng or noyse of the heade The iuyce of it / if it be layed to wyth honye / is good for the dulnes of syght / and for the roughnes of the eybrees Men vse to presse out the iuyce of it / whylse it is grene / and then to drye it in the sun Galene sayeth that mustard is hote and drye in the fourth degre Out of Pliny PIthagoras dyd iudge that mustarde was moste principall of all those thynges / whose vertue were caried vp into the head / because that there is nothynge that percheth more the nose and the brayne then it doth And it setteth furth his poure and streyngth very far abrode If that to greate a slepe vexe them that haue the forgetfull syknes / it is good to be layd to emplasterwyse / ether vpoÌ„ the heade / or the shynnes / wyth a fygge and vinegre It healeth by making of blisteres by the reason of the burning heat / anye parte of the bodye out of the whych euel humores and faultes of the body ought to be drawen oute / from the depe vnto the skin / and taketh awaye olde aches of the breste / loynes and hippes / by the foresayd meanes In a greate hardnes it is layed on wythout a fygge / but if greater burninge be loked for / it is layd on a double cloth / goynge betwene Of the herbe called Sion THe herbe that is named in Greke Sion / and in Latin Sium / is supposed to be called of Pliny lauer The same â—s called of som in English / but falsely / water cresses / and of other belragges but to haue som sure and comon name / it is best to call it water persely / or sallat persely It is named in Duch Brunnen peterlin / or wasser merk / in Italian Gorgolestro / as Matthiolus sayth / and in Spanish Rabacas / in Frenche Berle Sion as Dioscorides describeth it / groweth in the water / and is a smal bushye herbe / growynge ryghte vp and fatt / it hath brode leaues lyke vnto Allexander / but lesser / and of a spicye smell By this description they are confuted / that hold that brooklen / called in Duch Bachpungen / should be syon / when as it hath nether leaues lyke vnto Alexander / nether groweth ryght vp / but groweth low by the ground sydelinges / so are they also confuted to take water kresse or burn kresse to be syon / when as it hath no leaues lyke vnto Alexander Ether Matthiolus knoweth not the ryght syon / or ellis I knowe it not For the Sion that I knowe / hath not sede in litle coddes / but in the toppe after the maner of anise / and the roote is not lyke the rootes of water cresses I am far deceyued / except the figure that Matthiolus setteth out / be not lyke the monstre that Horace maketh mention of / whych hath a mannis head / set vpon a horse neck / and many diuerse fethers vpon them / for I haue gone thorow England / hygh Germany and low Germany / and a great deale of Italy / where as I sought diligentlye all kindes of herbes / but I could neuer fynde yet any such herbe / as Matthiolus setteth furth for sion / for his sion hath the verye true rootes and coddes of water cresses / whych neuer man / as I thynke dyd se in sion Let men that are learned in the history of herbes iudge / whether I iudge ryght or no. There are two kindes of herbes besyde this / wherof the greater is in all thynges / sauinge the bignes is like vnto sion / the other kinde is of a cubite hyght / and hath leaues verye lyke perselye in figure / sauinge that they are a great deal bigger I iudge that thys kinde is called of Pliny silans / whyche as he sayeth / nascitur in glareosis perennibus fluuijs apij similitudine The vertues of water persely called in Latin Sium or Lauer. The leaues of water persely / whether they be eaten rawe / or sodden / do breake the stone / and driue it out / and they also prouoke a man to make water / and they dryue oute of a womannis bodye / both her burdin and her floures Galene graunteth also that Sion is so muche hote / as it is well smelling / when it is tasted Of Persnepes and Skirwartes Sisarum satiuum magnum Sisarum satiuum minus Sisarum syluestre BOth Fuchsius Matthiolus set furth two kindes of Siser / but as they agre in the seconde kind / which is oure skirwurt / so they differ much in the former kinde for wher as Fuchsius maketh the former kind of siser / to be our pershepe / Matthiolus setteth furth in his figure a kinde of carot / whyche he sayeth is called in Duche / gurlin gergelim / in French cheruc gyroles / but his description afterwardes / agreeth
/ whyche are layd to agaynst sharpe flowynges of the eyes If it pe poured in / it is good for the ache of the eares if it be layd to wyth wool / it stoppeth the isshue that weomen haue Of Alkakinge or winter chirres Halicacabum vulgare THere is an other kind of Solanum / called Halicacabus and Phissalis / it hath leaues lyke vnto nyghte shade / but yet broder When hys stalkes are fully growen / they bowe to the ground it hath the fruyte in litle sede vesselles lyke vnto bladders round and rede lyke golde / and also smouth lyke a grape or wynberry / whyche the garlande makers vse in making of garlandes The vertues of Alkakinge It hath the same vertue that gardin nyghtshad hath / but that it is not to be eaten / the fruyte of it dronken / healeth the iaundes / and prouoketh water The iuice of both the herbes called Solanum / is vsed to be pressed furth / and when it is dried / it is set vp in the shadowe / and when it is dressed after this maner / it is good for all these purposes aboue named Of the kindes of Sorbus Sorbum ouatum DIoscorides maketh mention but of one kind of Sorbus / Theophrast writeth of two of the male and female / but Pliny maketh mētion of iiij kindes / wherof I haue sene iij. kindes / but one kinde I confesse that I neuer saw vnto my remembrance The two fyrste kindes whyche I knowe / haue leaues so lyke as can be / set wynge wyse as the asshe leaues grow / indented / but they differ in the fruit The former of them hath rede berryes lyke corall bedes / growyng in greate clusters / whych the byrdes eat in the beginning of winter / the tre groweth in moyst woddes / and it is called in Northumlande / a rowne tre / or a whicken tre / in the South partes of England / a quick beame tre The seconde kinde hath a fruyt of the bignes of a small crabbe or a wild peare / a litle longer then a crab / but not full of the fashion of a pear This tre groweth very plenteously in hygh Almany / where as the fruit is called sorbere or sorbepffel / and spierlin it may be called in English sorb appel The thyrde kinde which is called of Pliny sorbus forminalis / hath a lefe much lyke vnto a playn tre leafe Thys tre is called in English a seruyse tre / as though a man wold say a sorbus tre The fruyte is almost as small as are haw / in color broun / in taste binding / as the other two kindes are And thys kinde euen as the sorb appel is verye pleasant to be eaten vntill it be rotten / but then it is very pleasant / but not so pleasant by a greate deale as the sorb appel is The vertues of the thre kindes of Sorbus The sorb appels beyng yelow in colour before they be full rype / if they be cut in peces / and dryed in the sonne / if they be then eaten / they will stop the belly Also the pouder of them / after they be beten or ground / if it be taken in the stede of perched barley mele / and taken in / and the broth of them doth the same Of the herbe called Sparganium SParganium hath leaues lyke vnto the herbe whyche is called in Latin gladiolus / and in Greke xiphion / and that is small after the maner of a small sege or sheregrasse / called in Latin carex but the leaues are yet narrower / then the leaues of it that is called gladiolus / and more bowynge in the top of the stalk are rounde knoppes lyke bedes / where in is sede Thys herbe groweth most commonly in waters and fennes / the knoppes are full of litle tuftes Thys herbe is comon in England and in many places of Germany / but I neuer heard anye Duche nor English name of it but vntill we can happen vpon a better name / it maye be called bede sedge or knop sedge The vertues of Sparganium The roote is good to be geuen wyth wyne agaynste the poyson of serpentes Of French or Spanish brome SPartium is called in Greke spartion / in English / spanish brome o◠Frenche brome that spartium is not ginista of the Latines / I haue sufficiently proued before intreating of the brome bushe The description of Spanish brome SPartium is a bushe / hauinge longe twigges withoute leaues sounde / very tough / and som binde vyndes wyth them It beareth coddes lyke vnto phaseles / wher in are sedes lyke vnto lentilles It hath a floure lyke vnto wall gelouer / called of som Hartis ease This bushe groweth in diuerse gardines in England / in Spayn / and Italy Spartium wylde It groweth in my Lorde Cobhammes gardin at Cobham hall / and also at Shene in the gardine It hath leues in dede / but so small that I suppose that Dioscorides toke them for no leaues / because they were so litle and fewe / that they deserued not the name of leaues / or ellis Dioscorides looked vpon the braunches / whych at that tyme had no leaues And that thys is lyke to haue bene so the affirminge of Dioscorides / that Dictamnus of Candy had no floures nor sede / may bring credit vnto my gessinge For it is well knowen / that it hath bothe floures and sedes / thoughe Dioscorides neuer sawe them The vertues of Spanish brome THe sede and floures of the Spanish brome are good to be dronken wyth mede in the quantite of two scruples and an halfe / to pourge strongly / but wythout iepardye vpwarde but the sede purgeth dounward If the twigges be steped in water / and the iuyce be pressed out / after they be well brused / a ciat of it will heale the diseases of the sciatica the squynansie or chokes / if it be dronken fasting / som vse to stepe thē in bryne / and poure them in by a clister / to them that haue the sciatica / by this meanes it driueth furth blodye matter and full of stringes or ragged peces Of the herbe called Spartum or Sparta Spartum BEside the bushe that is called in French brome / whych is called spartum There is an herbe also called spartum / and of som writers sparta / as in thys prouerbe Spartam nactus es hanc adorna for Pliny in the xix boke and second chap. maketh mention in these wordes folowyng of the herbe spartum or sparta Herba hic sponte nascens quae non queat seri iuncus quod propriè aridi soli vni terrae dato vitio nanque id malum telluris est nec aliud ibi seri aut nasci potest c. And a litle after / in sicco praeferunt è cannabi funes spartum alitur demersum veluti natalium sitim pensans c. And a litle after Iunco Graecos ad funes vsos nomini
diuerse places of the West countrey / where as it is called Cassidonia or spanish lauandar / and about London it is called Frenche lauander The vertues of Cassidonia oute of Dioscorides THe broth of stichados / as the broth of hysope / is profitable and good for the diseases of the breste It is also good to be menged wyth triacles preseruatiues It deliuereth from stoppinge It maketh fyne / scoureth and streyngtheneth all the bowelles or inwarde partes / and the hole bodye / and the hole complexion They that are disposed to know more of the nature of stichados / let them rede Mesue de simplicibus / ther they shal fynd inough Of Comfrey DIoscorides maketh two kindes of symphytum / wherof the former kinde is called symphiton petreon / and hereof I intend not to write / because it groweth not in England that I know of The other kinde is called symphyton alterum / in Duche swartzwurtzel / in Englishe comfrey / of the comon herbaries consolida magna Thys hath a stalke two cubites hygh or hygher / smoth / thicke / full of corners / holow empty as the stalk of sowthistel is / about the which stalke / are rough leaues great spaces goyng betwen narrow / long / and drawyng nere vnto the likenes of winter borrage The stalke also hath certayn appearinges out of thynne leaues / clening about the corners stretched furth from the holow settinge on of euery leafe The floures are yelow / the sede is about the stalk as molleu sede is The hole stalke and leaues haue a litle sharp horynes / whych when it is touched / make a man iche or yuke The rootes are wythoute black / whyte wythin / clammy / and they are also profitable and muche to be vsed Symphytum THE rootes are good if they be broken and dronken for them that spitte bloode / and are bursten The same layd to / are good to glewe together freshe woundes They are also good to be layd to inflammationes / and specially of the fundament wyth the leaues of groundsell Of the Vghe tre TAxus is called in Greke smilax / in Duche eibenholtz / in English Vghe The Vghe tre is of the bignes of a fyre tre / and hath leaues lyke vnto the same It groweth in Italy and in Narbone of France / whyche is nexte vnto Spayn The byrdes that eat the berries of the Italian Vghe / are made black and men that eate the same / are cast into a flixe The Vghe of Narbone is so full of poyson / that if any shepe nuder it / or sit vnder the shaddow of it / are hurt / ofte tymes dye Wherefore I haue written these wordes of the Vghe tre / that men should beware of it Thus far Dioscorides Virgil also in hys Egloges signifieth that the Vghe tre is full of poyson wher as he writeth thys verse Sic tua cyrneas fugiant examina taxus Galene also writeth that the Vgh tre is of a poysoned nature Of the Turpentine tre TErebinthus is named in Greke Terminthos / I haue not sene the tre in England / and therfore I haue heard no name of it but lesse it shuld be without a name / I call it Turpentine tre / because Turpentine cometh oute of it I haue sene both the leaues and berries of turpentine / whych grow in Italy / but I haue not sene the tre it selfe Because Dioscorides describeth not Terebinthum / and Theophrast describeth it at large I will translate vnto you the description of the turpentin tre out of Theophrast Of Turpentine trees one is the male / an other is the female The male is barun / of the females one bringeth furth fruyte by by rede of the bignes of a lentill / whych can not be made ripe / the other bringeth furth a grene one / dieth after rede / maketh it at the last black / when as it waxeth rype / wyth the grape / it is of the bignes of a beane full of rosin / brimstony The tymbre of the turpentine tre is tough / the rootes are mighty in the ground thys tre is taken hole to be vncorrupt It hath a floure like vnto the oliue tre / but of a rede color The leaues are for the most parte all about one litle stalke / lyke vnto bay leaues / growyng by payres together one agaynst an other / as the sorbapple tre leaues grow / it that is in the outermost ende of the payres of leaues / is od / but the leaues are not so cornered / as the sorb tre is / and in the goyng about / they are more lyke vnto the bay tre leafe / then the sorb tre leafe The vertues of the Turpentine tre and of the Turpentine The leaues / the fruyte / the bark of the turpentine tre / haue a bindinge poure / are good for all thinges that the mastik tre is good for / they are prepared after the same maner / are taken after the same maner Som eat the fruyte / but it is euel for the stomack / maketh a man pisse well / heateth / doth very much stir a man to the procreation of childer If it be dronken with wyne / it is good for the biting of the feld speder The rosin or turpentin that coÌ„meth out of it / is brought from Arabia Petrea It groweth also in Iewry / Cyprus / in Africa in Ciclad ylandes / which is better then all the rest / is clere / thorow feable / whyte / like a glasse blewish gray / well smelling / and resembling in smell the turpeÌ„tine tre Amongest all rosines / that rosin called turpentine / is principal / mastick deserueth the second place The rosin of the pyne tre foloweth mastik in goodnes / after the which folow the rosines of the rede firre tre / of it that is called strobylus som take strobilus for a tre / other as Galene / take it for the pyne apple But euerye rosin softeneth / heateth / poureth abrode / scoureth / is good in electuaries by it selfe / or with honye for coughes It scoureth also away it that sticketh in the breste It stereth a man also to make water / maketh rype / softeneth the belly / it is good for lepres / wyth vert gresse / coperus / naturall salpeter With honye and oyle it is good for matter rinninge oute of the eares / and agaynst the itche of the priuye paâ—tes If it be layd to by it selfe / it is good for the ache in the syde Of Adders grasse and other of that kindes Orchis mas angustifolia Orchis foemina angustifolia Triorchis mas minor Orchidis alia species TEsticulus is called in Greke orchis / cynosorchis it hath the leaues sprede by the ground / about the stalk and the bottom / much lyke vnto a soft olyue leafe / but narrower and
Iuy / diuided into fyne corners as it were synewes / appearinge somthyng furth aboue the rest / drawyng themself into a sharp poynte The leaues are lyke Iuye in figure / sauing that they are round / and haue a sharper ende The commodites and properties of the Lynde tre The later wryters hold that the distelled water of the floures of the Lind tre / is good for the growyng and griping of the belly / and for the blody flixe / som vse the same agaynst the falling siknes The coles of the Linde tre beaten into pouder / menged wyth the pouder of the eyes of creuesses / dissolue clotted blood / and are good for them that are brused wyth a fall The middel or inner bark layd in / stepe in water / hath a slymye moysture / whyche is knowen by experience to be good agaynst all kindes of burnyng ther is no cole of any tre that serueth better to make gun pouder of / then the coles of the Linde tre Of the kindes of Tithymales or kindes of Spourges DIoscorides maketh vij kindes of Tithymales or Spourges The fyrst is the male called Chariacias / of other Comeles / of other Cobius or Amigdeloides The stalkes of thys excede a cubit in hyght / in color rede / full of bitinge and whyte iuyce The leaues are about the twigges like vnto oliue leaues / but longer and narrower The roote is thyck and woddye In the toppes of the stalkes there is a thyck busshy thynge lyke vnto small twigges / and vnder them are holowe places lyke vnto basynes / and there in is sede It groweth in roughe places and in mountaynes Thys kinde haue I sene in diuerse places of England Fyrst in Suffock in my lorde Wentfurthis parte besyde Nettelstede / afterward in Sion parke / aboue London / it maye be called woode spourge The seconde kinde is the female / and is called myrtites / and it hath leaues lyke a myrtel tre / but greater and sounde / at the poynte sharp and prickye / it bringeth furth long braunches a span longe It bringeth furth euerye other year a fruyte lyke a nut that gently biteth the tonge Thys groweth also in sharp places Thys kynde haue I neuer sene growynge oute of gardines I knowe no English name for it / but it may be called myrtel spourge Tithymalus Helioscopius Thys kind in dede hath leaues lyke flaxe / but they are much broder and longer / and growe thycker together vpon the braunches I knowe no English name that this hath / but vntill we get a better / it maye be called ether sea spourge / or flax spourge The fourth is called Helioscopius It hath leaues lyke vnto porcellayne / but thinner / and rounder It bringeth furth from the roote iiij or v. braunches / small / a span hygh / rede / full of much whyte licore The top is lyke vnto dyll / and the sede is as it were in litle heades / the ouermost busshy top of it / is turned about / wyth the turnyng of the sonne where vpon it is called Helioscopius / that is sonturner It groweth most comonly in olde wastes / and fallen dounwalles / and about cities This kinde is called in diuerse partes of England Wartwurt it maye also be called son spourge / or son folowynge spourge It groweth muche in the grounde / where as flaxe hath growen / shortely after that it is pulled vp Cyparissias The fyft is called Cyparissias / and it hath a stalk a span long or longer / somthyng redish / out of the whych grow leaues lyke vnto the pyne tre / but tenderer and smaller / and to be short / it is lyke a yong pyne trē / lately sprong vp / where vpon it hath the name thys hath also very much whyte iuyce Thys kinde groweth much in the stuble after the corne is caried in / it is so lyke Chamepitis / that if a man take not hede / he maye be easely deceyued in taking the one for the other I haue hetherto learned no English name of thys herbe / but it maye for lack of a better name be called / pyne spourge The sixt is called Dendroides / it groweth in rockes / aboue it is very large / and full of busshy leaues full of iuyce It hath braunches somthyng rede / about the whych are leaues lyke vnto a smal myrtel The sede is lyke the sede of wod spourge I neuer sawe thys kinde that I remembre of Tithymalus Platyphyllos The seuenth kynde is called Platyphyllos / and it is lyke vnto mullen / I remembre not that euer I sawe thys kinde The vertues of the kindes of Spourges The fyrste hath a iuyce whych hath the nature to purge the belly by neth driuing out fleme and coler / taken in the quantite of a scruple wyth vinegre and water But if it be taken wyth mede / it prouoketh vomite It taketh awaye wartes that are lyke vnto pismires / and hangyng wartes / and great thyck ones / lyke the heades of tyme and scurfines If it be layd to / it is also good for aguayles and tarbuncles and freting sores and fistels The sede is gathered in Autumne / and dried in the son / and lightly brused / clenged / and it is layd vp clean The sede and the leaues do the same / that the iuice doth / if they be taken in the measure of an half aceptable The rote cast into mede in the quantite of a dram / and dronken / driueth furth by the belly The seconde kinde hath lyke vertue wyth the former kinde / but that the former kinde is stronger in prouoking of vomit The thyrd kinde is of lyke vertue wyth the former kindes The fourth is of the same nature wyth the former / but not so strong The fyft kinde and the sixt kinde is lyke the reste and the seuenth kinde killeth fishe / as all the other kindes do Of Thyme THyme as Dioscorides sayeth is a litle bushe ful of braunches / compassed round about wyth narrow leaues / and in the top it hath litle heades wyth floures / resemblinge a purple color It groweth moste in rocky groundes / and in leane or bare places Allthough Dioscorides maketh here mention but of one kinde of thyme / yet writing of epithymum / he semeth to make two kindes of thyme / where he sayeth that epithymum is the floure of an harder thyme lyke vnto sauerey And Pliny maketh mention of two kindes of thyme / wherof the one is black / and the other whyte And we se that the thime that cummeth from Venis and from Candy / is of an other kind then it that we haue growyng in England Thyme is called in Greke thyme / in Latin thymus / in Duch thymian / or welsh quendell The vertues of Thyme Thyme hath the poure to driue furth sleme throw the belly / if it be taken wyth vinegre and salt in a drinke The broth of it wyth hony helpeth them that are shortwinded / and
the black Hellebor VEratrum nigrū is named in Greke Helleborus melas / Melampodion It hath grene leaues lyke the leaues of the playn tre / but lesse drawyng nere vnto the leaues of sphondiliū / which I cal cow persnep or middow persnep / mo ful of cuttinges / blaker / somthing rough The stalk is sharp the floures are whyte / purple in figure of manye berries the sede is lyke vnto Spanish saffron the rotes are small / black hangynge vpon a litle head lyke an onyone / and these are commonly vsed It groweth in rough places and hygh and drye places The beste is it that is fet from such places as is it / that is fet from anticyra For the black that is best / groweth in it Chuse it that is full and thyck / hauing a litle pyth / or hart / byting and sharpe in tast Hetherto Dioscorides Men haue ben long of that opinion / that the herbe whyche is called in English Bearfoot / and of other Citterwurt / is Helleborus niger / whom I haue folowed vntill I founde that the description of Helleborus niger dyd not agre wyth it Our Bearfoot hath not leaues lyke vnto a playne tre / but lyke vnto hemp The stalke also is not so sharp or rough as Dioscorides maketh the stalke of his Helleborus For these and other causes showed in the chapter of Contiligo / I consente not vnto Matthiolus / otherwayes a well learned man / who agaynst Fuchsius and other learned men / holdeth that our Bearfoot is Helleborus niger Dodoneus setteth furth an herbe for blak Hellebor / whose leaues agre very well with the description / but because the stalke is smooth / and not sharp or rough / and the sede is lyke anis sede / full of wrinckles / and not lyke vnto Spanishe saffron sede I can not thynke that it should be the ryght Helleborus niger And as for me / I dare not saye that euer I founde the righte black Hellebor / but thys I dare holde / that a man for defaut of it / maye vse verye well that kinde of beare foot that goeth euery yeare into the grounde / whereof groweth greate plentye in a parke besyde Colchester / and in the west parke besyde Morpeth a litle from the riuer called Wanspek The vertues of black Hellebor IT purgeth the nether parte of the bellye / driuinge furth fleme / and choler / ether by it selfe / or wyth scammona / and wyth one dram of salt / or one scruple and an half It is also sodden wyth lentilles and brothes / whyche are taken for purgationes It is good for them that haue the falling siknes / for melancholick personnes / for mad men / for the goute / for the palsey If it be layd to / it bringeth doune weomens sikenes If it be put in / it scoureth fistulas / if it be taken oute after the thyrde daye It is lyke wyse put into the eares of them that are hard of hearinge / and it is suffered two or thre dayes wyth Franckincense / it healeth scabbes or if it be layd to wyth waxe or piche / and cedre oyle If it be layd to by it selfe or wyth vinegre / it healeth frekles / foul scurffynes and lepres It swageth the teth ache / if it be sodden wyth vinegre / and the teth be wasshed there wyth It is also menged wyth torrosiues But if a playster be made of it wyth barley mele / and wyne / it is good for the dropsey If it be set at the rootes of vyndes / it maketh the vyne to purge The pyth ought to be taken out of the black Hellebor / as well as out of the whyte Of Mollen and suche lyke herbes Verbascum Verbascum syluestre THere are two principall kindes of Verbascus / whyche is called Gohlomos in Greke The one is the whyte / and the other is the black / of the whyte the one is the femall / and the other is the male The female hath leaues lyke vnto cole / but rougher and broder / and whyter the stalke is a cubit longe and somwhat more / whyte and horye The floures are whyt / and som what yelowe / it hath a black sede / a longe roote / tarte / and of the bygnes of a finger It groweth in playne feldes / but the male kinde is somthyng longe / it hath whyte and narrow leaues / and it hath a smaler stalke But the black mollen is lyke vnto the whyte in all poyntes but it hath broder and blacker leaues And there is also a wylde kinde that beareth longe twigges like a tre / and it hath leaues lyke vnto sage / and hyghe twigges / and woddishe / and about them litle boughes as hore hounde hath / and it hath yelowe floures lyke vnto golde The whyte Verbascum is called commonly in English mollen or hickis taper / and in som places longwurt The black may be called black mollen The wilde one groweth no where in England / sauinge in gardines I haue sene it of late in maister Riches gardin It may be called in Englishe Sage mullen The vertues of Mullen THe rootes of the two fyrst kindes / are binding / wherefore they are good for a lax / if they be taken in the quantite of the bone / called in Greke astragalos / and in English cok all / wyth wyne The broth of them / helpe places that are bursten / shronken together and brused / and the olde cough They heale the tuth ache / if the teth be washed with their broth The leaues of it that hath golden floures / sodden in water / are good for swellinges / and the inflammation of the eyes / and for sores that ar full of rottennes / wyth hony or wine But wyth vinegre they heale woundes / and they are good for them that are bitten of a scorpion The leaues of the wylde are good to be put in an emplaster agaynst the burninge of anye place Of Veruine Verbenaca Sacra herda THer are two kindes of herbes named peristereon in Dioscorides / the one properly peristereon / and the other / Hierobatone properly / and somtyme also peristereon And Pliny maketh two kindes of Verbena / or Verbenaca Matthiolus writeth that ther is no difference betwene these two herbes Peristereon and Hierobatone / but that the one hath hys stalkes / growyng ryght vp wyth few leaues / one far from an other / and the other lyeth wyth hys stalkes vpon the grounde / turnynge a litle vpwarde wyth more leaues But the text of Dioscorides that Matthiolus taketh in hand to expound / declareth far other difference / then Matthiolus speaketh of for Peristereon as the text of Dioscorides declareth / is a span long or longer / and Hierobatone hath braunches a cubit long / and longer Lo here is great difference betwene the length of Peristereon and Hierobaton The leaues of Peristereon are indented and somthynge whytishe / the leaues
head ache It is good to poure it vpon the head / when a man hath a phrenesyc / or forgetfull euell / beynge menged wyth vinegre and oyle The leaues of it made in a perfume / and strowed vnder vpon the ground / driue awaye venemous beastes / and if they be layde to / they are good for the bitinges of the same Wyth the leaues of the vynde and butter / they soften the hardnes of the stones The sede also layd to wyth water / swageth the payne of the nickes / or ryuinge of the fundamente But wyth the leaues it healeth it that is oute of ioynte and woundes It appeareth also to be good for chansyng in a iorney / if a man carye a rod of it in his hande it is called agnos / that is chaste / because weomen kepinge chastite / in the sacrifices of Ceres / vsed to straw this bushe vpon the ground / and other places It is called ligos / that is a twige / because the twiges of it are so stronge Galene sayeth that agnos is hote and drye in the thyrde degre it is of a subtil substance / sharp in taste / and also binding The sede of chaste tre / both fried and not fried / stayeth the desyre to the pleasure of the bodye The leues and floures of it / can do the same but som beleue that the leaues and floures not onely eaten and dronken / helpe to kepe the chastite / but also if they be strowed all about wher folke trede Of Brionye VItis alba is also called in Latin Brionia / and in Greke ampelos leuke / and also brionia it is called in English Briony / in Duche Hunds kurbs or kurbs wurtzel it groweth comonlye in all countrees Briony hath long braunches / bushy / yong spruytinges / and leaues lyke vnto the gardin or manered vynde / but all thinges rougher it wrappeth it selfe aboute the next bushes / embrasyng them wyth his busshye braunches or claspers it hath a fruyt full of berries / in color rede / and there wyth skinnes haue the heare taken of them Vitis alba The vertues of Brionye THe fyrst twigges that comme furth lyke vnto Sperage are sodden and eaten / and they prouoke a man to make water / and also to the stoole The leaues / the fruyt / and the roote haue a sharpe or bitinge nature / wherefore they are good if they be layd to wyth salt / for olde festering rotten and consuming sores of the legges The roote scoureth the skinne / and taketh awaye winkles / with bitter fitches and the earth of Cio / and Fenegreke it scoureth awaye frekels made wyth the son / and suche lyke spottes / and black scarres The same roote sodden wyth oyle vntill it be softe / is good for the same purposes It taketh also awaye the blewe markes of brused places / and it draweth together the aguayles in the fingers If it be layde to wyth wyne it driueth awaye inflammationes / and it breaketh impostemes / and if it be dronken and layde to / it bringeth furth bones / and it is good to be menged wyth Corosiue medicines The same is good to be dronken in the quantitie of a dram euerye daye for the space of a yeare / for the falling siknes It is good for them that are taken / and for them that are dusye or haue a swyminge in the heade / if it be taken after the same maner But if it be dronken in the quantite of two drammes / it healeth them that are bitten of a viper or adder It is perillous for weomen wyth chylde it troubleth somtyme the minde a litle And if it be dronken / it stereth one to make water if it be layd to the mother it will drawe doune the secondes it is good to be geuen in an electuary to them that are almost strangled / and them that are shortwinded / and them that haue the cough / and to them that haue ache in the syde / to them that haue any place bursten and drawen together A scruple and an half of the pouder of it / taken wyth vinegre for the space of xxx dayes / melted awaye the swelled milte It is good to lay to the same wyth a figge for the same thynges it is sodden to sit in / to pourge the mother The iuyce is gathered oute in the springe Thys is dronken with mede for the same purposes it driueth furth so thinne fleme The fruyte is good for lepres and scabbes / whether the places be anoynted therewyth / or it be layd to The iuyce of the fruyte draweth milke to the breste / if it be taken wyth frumentie made of sodden wheate Of the black Brionye Vitis nigra THe black Brionye hath leaues lyke Iuy / but lyker to the leaues of Smilax / but greater / and so are the stalkes Thys dothe also embrace and cleue aboute trees wyth hys busshye braunches and claspers The fruyte is full of berries / grene at the fyrste / but it waxeth blacke when it is ripe The roote is blacke wythoute / and of the coloure of boxe wythin The vertues of black Brionye THe fyrste buddes of blacke Brionye prouoke water / dryue doune floures / and make lesse the milte It is good for the dusines of the heade / and for them that haue the fallinge sikenes / for the palsey The roote hath lyke vertue wyth the whyte Briones rootes / but it is not so stronge The leaues layde to wyth wyne / are good for the chafynge of beastes neckes The same is also good to laye to membres oute of ioynte Matthiolus setteth oute an herbe for black Brionye / whyche in my iudgement for diuerse causes can not be that herbe both for the color of the berry / when it is rype / it is nether black in Italy nor in Almanye nor in England and also because that thys herbe beynge manifestly colde / hath not the propertyes that Dioscorides and Galene and Mesue geue vnto it / they graunt all that it is of lyke vertue wyth the whyte Brionye / but that it is not also stronge And Mesue maketh whyte Briony hote and drye in the thyrde degre / and he maketh the black Briony manifestly hote / where he sayeth it is not so hote as the whyte is And he sayeth vtriusque radix The root of both is good for the colde diseases of the synewes / and that it scoureth the brayne of rotten fleme / and is good for the fallinge siknes He writeth that the blak Briony is also good for wennes nowe whether a colde herbe / as I am sure it is that Matthiolus setteth furth / will heale these diseases aboue rehersed or no I reporte me vnto learned men And whether the herbe be colde or no / they maye knowe that will taste it aboute midsummer / and se what qualite it hath in taste It groweth in the hedges that go aboute the closse / that is nexte vnto them Som haue taken thys herbe for
iuice of panicis Also if they be layde vnto louse nayles / they make them come of the soner Of wall penny grasse VMbilicus veneris is named in Greke kotyledon scytalion and cymbalion It hath a leafe lyke vnto the hole that receyueth the rounde ende of the huckel bone / whiche hath the forme of a sawser / rounde and darkly holowe / a short stalk in the middes / wherein groweth sede It hath a rounde roote lyke an olyue Thys herbe groweth in welles and diuers places of Summerset shyre in more plentye / then euer I sawe in anye other place all my lyfe I knowe no English name for it but lest it should be wythout a name / I call it wall penny grasse To put a difference betwene it and the shepekyllinge penny grasse / that groweth in merishe and waterye groundes As for the other kinde / I neuer sawe it that I wote of / excepte I sawe it paynted in Matthiolus / but his seconde kinde is set oute wyth lesse leaues then the former is / whych agreeth not wyth the description of Dioscorides / who maketh the seconde kinde bigger then the former The vertues of wall pennye grasse THe iuyce of the leaues layd to wyth wyne / or poured in / louseth the stoppinge of the priuities The same layde to / is good for the inflammationes / and saint Antonies fyre / for kybed heles / and wennes / burninge stomackes But the leaues taken in meate wyth the rootes / breake the stone / prouoke water / and they are geuen wyth honied wine to them that haue the dropsey Of the Elm tre Vlmus VLmus is named in Greke Ptelea / in Duche ein ilm baum / in English an Elm tre / it groweth comonly in all countrees Theophraste maketh two kindes of elm / the elm of the playne and mount elme The playne elme is more braunchie or full of braunches the mount elme is of greater grouth the leafe is not diuided / lightly iagged about / longer then a peare tre lefe / rough and not smothe This tre is notable both in greatnes and in leingth It loueth moyste groundes the tymbre is yelowe / strong / full of synewes / and euel fauored / for it is al hart Virgil also maketh the elm an hygh tre in thys verse Nec gemere aeria cessabit turtur ab vlmo The vertues of the Elm tre THe leues / the boughes / and the barck of the elm tre / haue a binding vertue the leaues are good for the lepre / layd to with vinegre / they bind woundes together / but the bark is better / therfore if it be bound to as a swadling band But the thicker barck dronken with wine or water in the quantite of an vnce / driueth out fleme If broken bones be sprengled washed with the broth of the leaues / or the barke of the roote / they will soner be couered with an hard crust grow together But the iuyce that is in the knoppes or buddes that come fyrst furth if it be layd to / it maketh the face very clere the same moysture after that it is dried vp / is resolued into litle flies like ganattes The fyrste grene leaues are sodden for kichin or sowell as other eatable herbes be Of the Nettell Vrtica Romana Vrtica maior Vrtica minor VRtica is named in Greke acadyphe / and knide in English a nettel / in Duche ein nessel / in French ortye There are two kindes of nettels the one is wilder sharper and broder / and it hath blacker leaues the sede is lyke lynt sede / but lesser This is the kinde that is called Vrtica Romana / and it groweth in Englande onlye in gardines but in Italy / and in Mentz in Germanye it groweth wilde as our comon nettel doth The second kinde hath small sede / and is not so sharpe as the other is / and this take I to be our comon nettel of Englande The vertues of Nettels THe leaues of both the kindes of nettels / layd to wyth salt / heale the biting of a dog / sores called gangrenes / and other cākred sores / and foule sores / and partes out of ioynte / lumpes / swellinges behind the eares / swelling of kirnelles lyke bread / and impostemes The same are good to be layde on the milt wyth waxe The leaues broken and put in wyth the iuyce / stoppeth the gussing out of blood of the nose If they be brused / and put in with myr / they bringe doune floures The grene leaues layde to / set the mother in her place agayn / when it is fallen doune The sede dronken with maluasey / ster a man to the pleasure of the bodye / and openeth the mother the same licked vp wyth hony / is good for the stopping of the pipes / for the pleuresy and long sought or inflammation of the lunges It bringeth out tough fleme whyche cleueth fast in the brest or lunges The leaues sodden wyth shell fishe / soften the belly / louse winde / and make a mā pisse But then it bringeth fleme beste out of the brest / when it is soddē wyth a tyfan The broth of the leaues that are sodden wyth myrr if it be dronken / it will bring doune weomens floures the iuice if a man gargle with it / it is good for the inflāmation of the vuula Of Clot bur Xanthium XAnthium is named in duch betlers leuß or klein kletten / in French glouteron / in English clot bur or dich bur / it groweth in fat groundes and in diches / that are dryed vp it hath a stalk a cubit long / fat and full of corners / and therein many winges or holow places like armeholes The leaues ar like vnto a reche cut about the edge / wyth a smell lyke cresses the fruyt is round / as a big olyue / full of prickes / as the pilles of the playn tre are / and they will stick vpon your clothes / if ye touche them The vertues of Diche bur THe dich bur is good to be layd vnto swellinges The broth of the bark of the roote dronken / wasteth away the swelling of the milt / and the broth of it / if it be sodden wyth wyne / fasteneth louse teth / if the mouth be wasshed therewyth Of Xyris or Spourgwurt Xiris XYris hath leaues lyke floure de Lice / but broder and sharp in the top / and a great stalk of a cubit hyght / cominge oute of the leaues wherein are thresquared coddes / and in them is a purple floure / and it that is in the middes / is of a cremesin color / and there is sede in the sede vesselles / lyke the fruyte called Faba in Latin / rounde / rede and bytinge the roote is parted wyth many ioyntes / and it is long and rede in color Diuerse learned men holde that thys is the herbe / whych is comonly called of the comon herbaries spatula fetida /
a man want the great Gentian / that he maye for a nede occupye this herbe in the stede of it Of Quibibbes I Haue not sene the tree / nether the leaues / of Quibibbes / for it groweth not in those places of Europa that I know of / where I haue bene / and therefore I can not describe him I haue sene the berries oft tymes / for the berries are common in England and in al countreys They are of the bignes of pepper / but lighter somwhat brouner with a litle stalke / as the Iuy berries haue They are called in barbarous Latin Cubebe I thinke that the old writers knew nothing of this simple The vertues of Quibibbes THE sede is hote in the beginning of the third degree / and perfitly in the ende of the thirde degree This berrye maketh stronge the stomake / that is weike by reason of fleme or of winde / and they scoure from the breste / tough grosse humores They helpe the milte / and dryue awaye winde / and helpe the cold diseases of the mother If they be chawed longe with mastick / they drawe fleme from the head / and strengthen the brayne / and to be short / they are good against all cold diseases Of whyte Dittanye I Haue written of two kindes of Dittany alredye in my former bokes / whereof the former is called in Latine Dictamnus / or Dictānus creticus The second is called Lepidium This kind is called in Barbarous Latin Dictamus albus / and of some writers Fraxinella / of the likenes that it hath with an ashe in the settinge of the leaues It groweth in the high mountaines in Germanye in plentye It is a very beutuous herbe / and wel smelling The floures are purple whytish / the roote is whyte / and stinketh like a goat buck / and goeth a good lenght in the ground The taste of the roote is bitter / the sede of it is blacke / and it groweth in litle smale coddes The vertues of whyte Dittanye / or Duche Dittanye THE pouder of it is good to kill wormes The hole herbe of nature is good against poison and the bitinges of venemous beastes / and also against the pestilence It is good for them which are diseased in the stomake / and for them that are shortwinded The water distilled out of the floures / if it be poured in at the nose / is good for all diseases of the head that come of a colde cause Of Doronike Romane Doronicum Romanum DOronicum Romanum / otherwise called Carnabadium / groweth not that I knowe of in England / and that I remember I neuer sawe it growyng but ones / that was in Germanye The leafe of it was shewed me for Doronico Romano / was muche bigger and broader then a violet leafe / and muche more blackishe grene The rootes are wel knowen in the Apothecaries shoppes The vertues of Doronike Romane THE Arabian commendeth this herbe verye muche agaynst the diseases of the herte / and hold that it is good against poyson and venome Of diuerse herbes which haue the name of Eupatorium Eupatorium vulgare IN my firste boke I haue declared sufficientlye that Agrimony was the Eupatorium of Dioscorides / and of other of the Grecians Nowe because there are two other kindes of Eupatorium / whereof Mesue maketh mention of the one / and Auicenna of an other it shal be necessarye as farre forth as we cā to set furth it which is the Eupatorium of Mesue / and which is the Eupatorium of Auicenne Matthiolus writeth that the comon Eupatoriū of the Apothecaries which I haue named water hempe / is Eupatorium Auicenne / and he writeth that the herbe that is called Ageraton in Dioscorides / is Eupatorium Mesues / mockinge Fuchsius and Cordus / who held that Gratiola was Eupatorium Mesue / as muche worthy to be mocked of other his owne selfe / for the herbe that he setteth furth for Eupatorio Mesues / agreeth not with the description of Mesue / for the leaues of Mesues Eupatorium are smalle like Centorie / his herbe hath broad leaues nothing like Centorye The floures of Eupatorie of Mesue are longe or somthinge longe / as both the translations of Mesue witnes / for Siluius redeth thus / Floribus est subluteis oblongis The olde translator hath / Eleuantur super eum flores qui sunt sicut subcitrini longitudinis paruae Wherfore I meruell oute of whose translation Matthiolus describing Eupatorium Mesue / set out these wordes / Floribus aureis in vmbellam cohaeren tibus helychrysi modo Furthermore he proueth not that his Guilia purgeth / and I take that it is the herbe that we call Mandleyne Wherfore his herbe can not be Eupatorium Mesues / though it coulde purge as he hath not proued yet As for Gratiola which Cordus and Fuchsius take for Eupatorio Mesues / the extremite of purginge which Matthiolus noted well will not suffer it to be Eupatorium Mesue / for two scruples of the pouder of Gratiola as I haue oft proued purgeth strongly / when as Eupatorium Mesues purgeth very gently / and nothing stronglye Therefore nether Cordus nor Matthiolus / nether anye of vs all hath found out Eupatorium Mesues And it appereth by Mesue that his was not so verye plentuous in his tyme. For in the defaut of it he teacheth to take halfe as muche of Asarabacca / and so muche wormwode Romaine But if good Asarabacca were not at hand / I had leuer take wormwode Romane alone / or grene Cassidonia called stichados / then ether it that Matthiolus or Cordus setteth furth for Eupatorio Mesues The vertues of water hempe WAter hempe is verye bitter in taste / and it openeth all stoppinges / and cutteth in sunder all tough and clammye humores / is good for the grene sicknes / the dropsye iaundes / and for the goute that commeth of grosse fleme Of Eyebrighte EYebrighte is named in Duche Augen troost / in Latin Eufragia and of some in Greke Ophthalmica The herbe is verye shorte / and commeth not that I haue sene to the height of a span / the leaues are for the quantite of the herbe somthinge broad and indented / and in taste bitter / and in smell not pleasant / the floure is of diuerse coloures / but the whyte beareth the chefe rule Euphragia The vertues of Eyebright out of Arnoldus de noua villa THE wine of Eyebright is made for the eyes by puttinge the herbe into the must vntill it be at lenght perfit wyne / whose vse maketh the eyes of old men waxe yonge again and taketh awaye the hinderance of them / and the lacke of sight in anye man of what age soeuer he be of / chefely if there excede fat and fleme There was a man that continued blinde a long tyme / and within a yere he was restored to his sight againe / for the herbe is hote and drye / and it hath of a propertie / that if the pouder
of it be eaten with the yolke of an egge / it worketh the same effect / and the pouder doth the same thinge wounderfullye receyued in wyne And there are credit worthy witnesses aliue / as yet that haue tryed this in them selues / which could not rede without spectacles and afterward red a small text without spectacles If the wine be to stronge / tempre it with fenel water or with sugar / Thus Arnoldus in his boke of wines Tragus writeth that he hath proued that it is good for the iaundes / and I gather by the bitternes and heat that it hath measurable / that it is good against all diseases that come of the stopping of the milt or liuer / or any other parte / and that it is good to cut in peces tough fleme and other grosse humores Of Filipendula Oenanthe FIlipendula is named in Englishe also Filipendula / that is hanging by a threde / for the knobbye rootes hange by small thinges lyke thredes It is called in Duche Rotten steinbrech It is somthinge lyke vnto Burnet / but the leaues are lesse / and it resembleth also the greater kinde of Yarrow / but the leaues are greater / the rootes are manye litle knobbes like longe nuttes / hanginge vpon small thinges like thredes The stalke is longe and smalle / the floures are whyte and of a pleasant smell / not vnlyke vnto the floures of Medowurt The vertues of Filipendula FIlipendula dryueth furth water / and is good for the strangurion / and for the stone in the kidneis / and the ache therein The same as the later writers hold / driueth awaye the windines of the stomach / and that it is good for them that are shortwinded / and for al diseases that rise of cold Some hold also that the pouder of the rotes is good for the falling sicknes Of the herbe called Galega GAlega is named in Italian about Ferraria also Regalicum / in other places Ruta capraria It groweth in great plentye aboute Ferraria about the banke of the noble flood Padus It groweth high vp with leaues like Licores Galega siue Ruta capraria The vertues THE newe writers do hold that Galega is good against the pestilence and against all venome and poyson / and bitinge or prickinge of venemous beastes The iuyce of the herbe hath the same vertue / and it is good to be layde emplasterwyse vpon the same wounded and hurt places Some write that an vnce and a halfe of it is good to be geuen for them that haue the falling sicknes I neuer sawe this herbe growinge in anye place but in gardines / sauinge onlye in Italye Of Gratiola Gratiola I Haue not sene Gratiolam growing in England / sauing two rootes or thre that I set out of Brabant / gaue vnto maister Riche and maister Morgan Apotecaries of London Wherefore I knowe no Englishe name for it But it maye be called herbe Gratius / or horse werye / or werye horse / because when it is eaten of horses / it fainteth them and maketh them wery / for the which cause it is called in Italiā Stanka cauallo The herbe groweth in moyst grondes / as about Wormes in the close that is hard by the water side beyond the bridge / where as my seruantes gathered an hole wallat ful at one tyme. The herbe is somtyme two spannes longe in Germanye when it groweth by water sydes The leaues are not lyke the leaues of hisope as Matthiolus writeth / but much bigger and longer / and of an other coloure that is more whytish grene / and not so blackishe grene as hisope is About the edges of the leaues stand out litle certaine thinges like teth / namely about the endes of the leaues / the floures grow out of a long fote stalke / in figure long / in colour whitish / with some pece purplish / within a litle yelowish The leaues growe wing-wise by coples one against an other The rotes of it that groweth in Germany / are not like it that Matthiolus setteth furth / for they are more creping in the ground along / and out of these creping rootes springe out many litle stalkes / ye maye cut the crepinge roote into manye peces / and euery one of them wil growe and bring furth stalkes / leaues and floures The hole herbe is verye bitter The vertues and complexion of the Diet woode THis herbe is good for a dropsey / for it purgeth water fleme and choler strongly / for two scruples will purge a metely strong body The herbe brused and layd to a wound as Matthiolus writeth / healeth it verye quickely and spedely Of the wodde called Guiacum GViacum is otherwise called Lignum sanctum that is holy wode Some call it the Diet woode / because they that kepe a Diet for the Frenche poxe / or anye other disease hardly curable / most commonlye drinke the broth of this woode It groweth not in Europa but in Inde and in Taprobana and Iaua / and in diuerse Ilandes of Inde The lerned men as Manardus and other of oure tyme / make thre sortes of the Diet woode The first kinde is verye bigge / and in the middes / in the in most parte it appereth blacke / and wtoute it is pale or reddishe The seconde kinde is muche lesse / and the blacke within muche lesse The thirde kinde whiche is properlye called the holye woode / is lesse then all the other / and it is white both within and withoute / and this is more smellinge and bitinge then the other These thre sortes are not thre diuerse trees in kinde / but all one kinde of tree / but they differ in partes and age The great massy part with so much blacke / is the bole or bodye of the tre The seconde kinde are the bigger braunches the third kind is ether a yong tre / or the small bonghes of the old tre The best is it that is al whyte / so that it be freshe and not iuyceles and wythered The seconde beneth that in goodnes is it that is lesse / and hath lesse black then the greatest The vilest of all thre is that / which is greatest of al the other / and hath most black in it The best barcke is that which is taken of the best wode Guiacum is set oute of diuerse places / as oute of Callecute / Iaua the learned sorte holde that it is beste that commeth out of East Inde / because it is hote of subtile partes / and hath muche rosin in it The vertues of Gratiola or herbe Gratius GViacum dryeth vp / maketh fyne and subtil / melteth or resolueth / scoureth away / and prouoketh sweat / and by the reason of his rosin / withstandeth putrefaction or rottennes of humores in the bodye It is knowen that the broth of Guiacum is good for the French poxe / for the gout that is not depely rooted / for the diseases of the milt and liuer It is good for