in a right line she is opposed to ☉ at 14 dayes or full Moone Although she finish her couse in the foresaid time in the circle of the Zodiack yet is allowed to euery Moone 29 and a halfe day because she is to passe forward 2 dayes 4 howers before shee can ouertake the ☉ which maketh 29 dayes 12 houres And in 9 yeare she endeth all her diuersity of coniunctions and aspectes and a new begineth her former reuolution c. A Commet is a wandering star of diuers motions shining in the region of the Plannets this appeareth seldome sometime aboue and some times below the the Plannets It foretelleth greeuous accidentes Others say that a Commet is a fat substance drawne by the heate of the sun from the earth and the heate of the highest region of the Ayre is set on fire appearing like a starre and is sometime moued in the ayre It foreshewth war Pestilence drought and barrennes of the earth The light of some Plannets sometime fayle especially of ☉ and ☽ The defects happen in the Zodiack if these 2. starres be in the knotts of their circles or neare to them which knotts are cuttings made by the course of the ☉ and ☽ and is called the dragon The higher is called Dragons head the lower the Dragons tayle The Ascendant or higher is where ☽ departing from the middle Zodiack doth come nearest vnto vs. The descendant when the ☽ is remouing from vs. The Eclipse of those starres is in whole or part In whole all being obscured as in the midst of them In part it happenth neare one of the knotts The Eclipse of ☉ is by comming of ☽ betweene our eyes and the ☉ in the coniunction of both Plannets A great Eclipse of ☉ is when the centure of these starres proceed in a direct line to our eye The Eclipse of ☽ is the depriuing her of the light of ☉ in the opposition the earth shadowing her comming in a straight line betweene them her Eclipse is sooner seene in the East then in the West Elements are simple essences lesse durable then the heauens and are the wombs of mixed things c. Of the Elements 2. are cleare ayre and water Ayre which is cold and moyst and of these there are described 3. regions the first is hot dry this is termed the fiery which causeth it to be called an Element Ayre the flame being but inflamed ayre the midle region colder and darker the third region in which we liue is hott or cold by the more or lesse reflection of the sunne beames Ayre is so needefull to creatures that none can liue without it the thinner the better and more healthfull Water is an element lesse thin and cleare moyst and most cold Water warmed in channells in the earth causeth hot springs this is heated by running by some hott mineralls and helpeth moyst cold bodies Water is greater or lesse The greatest is the Sea which is salt because of the starres drawe forth the thin substance leauing the earth behinde The Ocean ebbeth and floweth after the ☽ motion and from the new moone to the full humors increase after decrease and the tides are knowne by the Moone Particular Seas take their name of some country or of some accident as the red Sea c. Water are in flouds or fountaines fountaines are best which come of Mountaines or Rocks c. Waters is of diuers cullours and tastes Milky Greene Red Salt sharpe bitter and like wine The earth is a thick element cold and dry and is vnmoueable about which all things moue it is round and althings tend as neare the centure as they can It is in compasse with the water 21600. miles and is but as a point to the whole world Concreat and mixte bodyes or natures are essences mixed of parts seuerally disposed For from sundry things of diuers formes one forme may be formed and things of one mixture according to the diuers affection of their elements are diuersly affected As some are Ayery some Fiery and some Earthly But the proportion maketh temperature which is a proportion of qualities cleauing togeather in mixture it is equall or vneuen is either simple or compound simple is in act or power compound as heate with drinesse c. Mixed natures are either liuelesse or liuing Liuelesse as meteors which are a hot smoake lifted vp by the attractiue force of starres some 15. German miles into the ayre and no higher this smoake is a vapour or exhalation A vapour is a moist smoake drawn from water and is easily resolued into water Exhalation is a dry smoake drawne from the earth easie to fire from exhalatiō arise fiery impressions which burne like fire as pillers dartes candles goates shooting starres fiery Dragons darke streames fooles fire and such like fiery meteors Mixed fiery meteors whose exhalation is somewhat vnpure thicker and long her mixture is thunder which is a fiery exhalation breaking forth of the cloudes with a sound Lightening small and great is a flaming light of a burning exhalation shining before thunder Though we heare not the thunder it is at the present breaking out of the flash the eye being quicker then the eare The great lightening is thicker and burneth more if it be hardened with heate of the suune and it selfe it maketh a stone which is cast out at the cracke this doth much harme Lightening is thick or thin this boreth through without leauing any signe of it The thicker scorcheth and burneth it hath much earthy matter setting on fier steeples and such like and in great flashes is but some small deale of this earthy matter else all things would be fired Watery meteors are vapors more fully compact together and appeare in the lowest part or midst of the Ayre as cloudes and such like A cloude is a vapour ioyned together by the extreame cold of the midle region Cloudes hang in the Ayre by the sunnes heat which draweth them vp and by the mouing of the windes are tossed vp and downe In these Cloudes by ☉ and ☽ are framed diuers shapes hauing no proper matter but onely appeare in the cloudes either about ☉ and ☽ or opposite to them as A false Sunne which is imprinted in the cloud by the reflection of his beames in a cloud being watrish so that sometime the shape of 2. or 3 sunnes are seene so of the moone Bright circles in the cloudes being black are from the reflecting beames seeming to compasse the ☉ or ☽ yet they are far lower These circles appeare more often about the moone shee being not able with her beames to consume these vapours The shape in the cloudes opposed to the Sunne is the raine-bow of diuers cullours in a hollow thin and in an vnequall cloud fashioned by reflection of the sunnes beames and the raine-bow is greater the nearer it commeth to the Horizon If many raine-bowes be seene the latter is made by the shining of the other and are more obscure then the
NATVRALL PHILOSOPHY OR A DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD NAMEly Of Angels of Man of the Heauens of the Ayre of the Earth of the Water and of the Creatures in the whole World 2. KING 4.34 He spake of Trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen to the Rosemary that springeth out of the wall He spake also of Beasts and of Fowle and of creeping things and of Fishes These little leaues the Worlds huge load sustaine And what besides the great World can containe LONDON Printed by I. D. for Iohn Bellamie and are to be sould at the South Entrance of the Royal Exchange 1621 TO THE HONORABLE Sir WILLIAM PARSONS Knight Barronet his Ma ties Survayor Generall Commissioner in the Court of Wards and one of his Ma ties most Honorable Priuie Counsell of Ireland c. HONORABLE Sir I doe present to your view a small frame of the world and of the Creatures therein contained drawne with the Pensilles of iudicious Scribon and of D. W. A worke in nature not vnlike to our Survayes in Ireland that represent most liuely vast Countries within a small Map I offer this to you hauing heretofore giuen you an account of those seruices that I haue lately done in the survay of Ireland you being Survayor Generall of that Kingdome wherein I haue spent the most part of thirtie yeares in the seruice of my Prince and Countrie Tam Marte quam Mercurio both with Pike and Pen with great toyle much hazard and many hurts but little profite Notwithstanding your demerits and worth be such as Gratitude hath chosen your Patronage and Deuotion wisheth all honor health and happinesse to you to my good Lady and to yours At your HONORS Command I WYDOVVES alias WOODHOVSE PHILOSOPHIE is a knowledge of Naturall thinges Things her subiect either are he who alone is from by and for whom all things are or els such they be as are numbred by time and measured by place and subiect vnto motion God is a Spirit infinitely good and great God is but one diuine Essence consisting of three distinct Persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The actions of God are either the Creating or Gouerning of the world The World consisteth either of things inuisible as of Spirits or Visible as the heauens the elements and the bodies composed of elemēts The heauen of the blessed vide Gen. 1.1 is counted the third heauen the Orbes are the second the Ayre is counted the first The third Heauen visible is of al substances most perfect The inuisible Spirits viz. Angels were created heere Angell signifieth a messenger by nature he is a spirit Angels appeare sometime in dreames visions sometime in bodies apparant and sometime in true and reall bodies their number is great their office is to celebrate Gods glory to watch ouer the world to preserue vs to declare and do Gods will to put good motions into our minds to resist ill spirits The Deuils were Angels cast from heauen for sin into the lower parts of the World and heere they continue seeking to deface the Image of God in man and all creatures THings visible contained in the world are Substances or Accidents Accidents are either generall to all things as motion time and place for these belong to all or proper to some things as Qualities There be two kind of Mouers 1. God 2. Thinges created by him Things created moue from God and are of finite power in mouing in a prefixed matter and in time they be of two kindes without or within the thing moued the one called violent the other naturall Motion is an vnperfect act mouing to that it was not from that it was Fiue things are in naturall motion the mouer the thing moued the terme from which the terme to which it is moued and time There be sixe kindes of motion generation corruption increase decrease alteration of quality and change of place Qualities are either manifest or secret Manifest are either principall or such as proceede from them the chiefe of the principall are heate and colde Heate gathereth together things of one kinde and seperateth things of contrary nature as Gold from Siluer or drosse Colde ioyneth together things as the frost in winter The weaker qualities are moysture and drinesse Moysture is hardly contained in his owne bounds Drines keepeth his owne bounds as for example Earth c. Qualities comming from the first are either seconds or wrought from them Second qualities from one or more are deriued From Heate commeth Rarity and Leuity For Heate openeth and enlargeth the poores Raritas or Thinnes is that which hath hollow parts or spongie as a sponge cloudes c. Lightnes proceedeth from heate drawing easily vpward Thicknes and heauines are of colde For cold gathereth together and stoppeth bodyes by which bodyes become heauie Thicknes hath his partes shut vp together as stones Heauines moueth downewards thus is Mercurie heauier then gold and gold then Lead Tactile or qualities that may bee touched comming from moisture are softnes and tenuitie from the Ayre smoothnes and sliperines from the water From drynesse proceede hardnes and roughnes easines in breaking and drought From the first qualities diuersly disposed arise others called sensible qualities Their Originall is obscure or more manifested Qualities of obscure original are such as doe not alwayes plainely clearely declare the ground whence they arise Of this nature are collors which is the splendor of the body illustrated by light with which all bodies are dyed according to their moystnes decocted more or lesse apt to receiue greater or smaller light Cullour is either simple or mixed A Simple cullour consists of none other as black and white White consisteth of much light in a thin body of an Ayery moisture well concocted Blacke is in a thicke body contayning but small light of moysture either a dust or raw watrish mixed with the earth as appeareth in the iner parts of the earth Mixt cullours are from these two mingled either in a meane or vnequall portion of equall mixture is red Other are made of this meane and one of the extreames Yeallow is of much white and a little red viz. two parts of white and one of red Saffron cullour or Orang-tawny is of greater rednesse and of lesser whitenesse Purple is of much red and lesse blacke Greene is of much black and lesse red This being a cleare moysture is most pleasant to the eye Qualities of a more manifest originall are perceiued in smels and tastes Tast is made from the straining of drinesse through moisture is either hott or cold in a high or meanest degree Very hot tastes are biting bitter or salt Tastes meanely hot are sweet Cold tasts are either thicker or thinner thicke as soure and sharpe or thin as tartnes where also we place freshnesse Smell is a qualitie comming from a dry earthly heate made thin by mixture of vapors If it be well mingled it is good if not it is stincking These qualities come
former The cullours of the Raine-bow be light read green sky cullour and yeallow the raine-bow is a foreteller of raine it sheweth that many vapours are dissolued which will shortly be raine The hayle is like this but it is alwayes vnder the sunne Meteors of dissolued cloudes are either hardened or moist as raine which is as it were a cloude melted and turned vnto water if the cloude be neare the earth the drops are great if hie the drops are smaller The rayning of frogges fish milke flesh and such like come of such matter being carried vp which doth againe fall with the raine as wormes c. are begotten of dead carkases in summer time Meteors made harde after the cloud hath beene melted are snow and Haile Snow is a cloude prepared for raine before it fall being congealed by cold is by the motion of the windes dispersed into fleakes and falleth onely in winter Hayle is rayne made hard in the fall the higher the fall the rounder and lesser because in the fall it melteth It hayleth most in Autume and in the spring For then the sharpe ayre hath most power ouer the drops and in winter the extreame cold maketh it snow being yet in the cloudes In the lowest region of the Ayre are dew and frost Dew is a vapour thickned with some earthly matter which in falling is presently turned vnto water Dew falleth onely in summer for then the vapour is dissolued with the Sunne A fat kind of dew like melting hony especially at the shining of Syrius being gathered from leaues of trees is Manna called also wilde honey or meldewes This Manna hardened by the heate of ☉ into lumpes is called Tereniabin Frost is a dewish vapour made very hard by cold in winter before it be dissolued Meteors made of both kindes of smoake ioyned togeather are windes and such like Winde is a subtil smoake beaten downeward by the cold in the middle of the ayre and is moued sideling on the earth Auncients noted out 12. principall windes all which in regard of matter are hote and dry but differ for their situation of their quarter The winde being great carried with force darkens the Ayre and is called a storme If it doe roll about it is a Whirle winde if it be but small it is called Ayre An Earthquake is a fume contained in the earth when it findeth no vent it shaketh it is made according to the breadth or depth of the earth In breadth it causeth sometime such trembling that it shaketh downe whole citties that in depth causeth a gaping or swelling A Gaping is when the Earth openeth as it were her mouth and doth swallow downe trees walles c. A Swelling is when the earth being lifted vp like a mountaine either remaineth so or else falleth downe againe NAtures mixed perfectly are liuing and corporal essences indeued with a Vegetatiue soule A Vegetatiue soule is a facultie giuing life to bodyes Therfore so long as any part of this shall exercise her power in any body so long is that aliue and remaineth safe But her cheife operation so life it selfe consisteth either in preseruing seueral bodies or whole kindes Nourishment is the preseruing of seuerall bodies and is the making of foode receiued like to the body norished Vnder that name is euery thing which is receiued to sustaine our bodyes of which sort is the ayre it selfe Some other faculties are required to perfection of nourishment as concoction his companions Concoction is a working or framing of nourishment and it is made either of temperate or increased heate of the parts to be nourished By temperate heate is made ripening which is a concoction of nourishment with moisture by how much therefore the moisture shal be better tempered with heate by so much is the ripening sooner and more perfect as in a summer too moist the increase of the earth is later made ripe Concoction arising from greater store of heate is either elixation or assation Elixation is a concoction more perfectly working the thicke or watrish moysture with a strong moyst heate As flesh is sod in water whose moist heate altereth and consumeth the fomy moystnes of meate if this elixation remaine vnperfect it is called rawnes and the norishment is not refined for want of moist heate For it was not of power to finish concoction Assation is concoction by meanes of dryer heate fully strengthening the moisture of nourishment If this strength of bodyes be somewhat weake it is called thickning if concoction be vicious it is turned vnto putrifaction Moyst and hote things doe most easily corrupt if the bodyes be not open to the Ayre In stopped bodyes heate hauing no vente is increased Whence commeth inflamation which putrifaction doth follow causing greater heate This of concoction The Companions of concoction are faculties fitly seruing for the perfection of it Of these one goeth before the other followeth The former is Attraction and Retention Attraction is a facultie supplying matter of conuenient nourishment as is seene in things drawing out of the flesh Arrow-heads or thornes deepely fastned So wheat draweth water out of an earthen pot it beeing set vppon the heape Retention which retayneth norishment vntill it be concocted and doth norish the body Nourishment is first put to and afterwarde vnited The companion following concoction is expulsion Expulsion is a driuing backe of vnprofitable matter when concoction is once made it is within or without the body Within when the stronger thrust superfluities to the weaker vntill they come to the weakest of all Encrease which is ioyned to the nourishment is continued but to a certaine age then the nourishing growing weake it ceaseth Now followeth conseruation of the whole stocke Generation is a facultie of the body procreating any thing like to it selfe This faculty preserueth all kindes of thinges in their estate though continually they perish The obiect of generation is the procreating seede of euery thing The changing faculty altereth the seede into parts of the body to be begotten The Ministeriall vertues of this facultie of generation doe change or forme The forming facultie fashioneth the thing into distincte forme THe Vegetatiue soule being explained now followe the kindes of such natures as haue persit or vnperfect growth Those of vnperfect growth are Mettalles which are decocted in the vaynes of the earth Mettalls are to be melted easily or hardly Those that are easie to be dissolued are either first or such as spring from them Principall or first are of themselues from the original as brimstone and Quicksiluer Brimstone is the fatt of the earth with fiery heat decocted vnto his hardenesse which is the cause that it so speedily is enflamed and burneth euen in water yea sooner then the fat of the Beasts which though it be fatter then Brimstone yet is it far colder So that for his fat drines it helpeth scabbes of all kinds the leprie That Brimstone is counted the best which is greene and cleare Quicksiluer is
a slimy water mixt with a pure white earth which mettall for the matter whereof it doth consist is thin cold and heauie It is in continuall motion and his thinnesse causeth that it peirceth mettalls Mettalls deriued from the first are more or lesse pure purer are Gold and Siluer Gold is a mettall made of most subtill and pure red Brimstone and of the like quicksiluer Gold hath the most perfect mixture as it is most thin so it is most solide whose substance is not corrupted with either earth water or ayre nor consumed with fire but is more purged in it And for his thin solidnes it is most soft and easie to be melted So that is most worth which is most red and glistering and soft that easily it may be wrought Experience teacheth that the 3 part of one graine of gold can gild a wyre of 134. foote long vpon plaites of siluer one ounce of gold will suffice to gilde eight pound weight of siluer His nature is to be meruelled at It waxeth cold towards day light so that those that weare rings of it may perceiue it when it waxeth day It is found in the mountaines of Arabia and else where and the best in the mountaine Terrat neare the Citty Corbachiam Siluer is a mettall begotten of pure white Mercury and the like cleare white Brimston It differeth from gold almost onely in cullour it being gold not perfectly refined yet in purenesse firme solidenesse and thinnesse it is next to gold and one ounce of it may be drawne 3200. foote long so that it can scarce be discerned from gold Yet it is thicker an hundreth fould When it is found it hath the shape of haires twigs fishes serpents and such like Mettalls lesse pure consist of greater store of Brimston or quick-siluer of greater store of Brimston come Brasse and Iron Brasse is a mettall begotten of thicke red Brimston and Mercury somewhat impure that comming from Cyprus is called Copper the matter of Brasse is more burnt then that of other mettalls and indureth long and is fit in any worke For it is without all moisture whether it be kept in earth or water Mineralls neare brasse are copperas c. Copperas is a minerall mixed of humors strained by droppes into small holes and it shineth like glasse It is hot and dry in the 4 degree vehemently binding being of great force to season and preserue raw flesh It also begetteth found flesh in festered sores and stancheth blood It is of a greene yealow and a skye cullour the best hath in it white spots his kind are Romaine victriall and red vitriall or the some of Copperas Iron is of store of mercury and of thick sulphur impure and aduft It may bee softened by quenching in ioyse of beane shulls or mallowes It being red hot and cooling of himselfe becommeth plyable But if it be often quenched in cold water it becommeth thereby very hard and brittle Mettalls of greater stoore of Mercury are Leade and Tynne Leade is an vnpure mettall begot of much vnpure thicke and drossie Mercury and likewise of vnpure Brimstone his impurity causeth blacknes which by refining is made whiter It increaseth in waight if it lie in moyst ground Yea it is thought to increase with rayne It is of a cold and binding nature and therefore scarce wholsome for mans vse Tynne is a mettall mixed of Mercury white without and red within and of Brimstone not well mixed as it were Leade whited with siluer Thus far of mettalls pliable Mettalls lesse plyable are those which are not easily wrought or melted and are hard or Brittle Those that be altogeather hard are stones These are ingendred of a watry moysture and fat earth mixed hard togeather Of stones some be rare some common Of the rare and strange some are of more estimation then others The more esteemed are precious stones which are more beautifull and fine in regard of their pure and subtill matter Of Gemmes some are of one cullour some of sundry cullours More or lesse transparent be either white or of other cullours White are Chrystall or Adamant Chrystall is a gem bright through begot of a most pure stony moysture and is found in mines of Marble c. His qualitie is binding therefore his oyle or powder is helpefull in Laxes and increaseth milke in womens brests The Adamant or Diamant is a gem cleare and most hard it can scarce be broken and thence it is named vnlesse steeped in the warme bloud of a Goat that hath drunke Wine or eaten Parsly Transparent Gemmes not white as the Saphir Sardonix and Smaragde haue the same coullour in all their kindes The Saphir is a gem cleare through of a skie coullour growing in the East and specially in India Being drunke it helpeth against the stinging of Serpents poyson and pestilence The Smaragde is of a greene coullour making greene the ayre neare about it the stone of Brytaine is the best It preserueth the wearer from the falling sicknesse eyght graines of his shauing drunke expelleth poyson c as some affirme The Sardonyx is a cleare gem representing in coullour the nayle of a mans hand it preserueth chastnes and healeth vlcers about the nayles The Selenites is a transparent gem like glasse it seemeth to increase and decrease with the moone Whose shape in the night it beareth and is called therefore the Moone-stone c. It is of a white blacke and yellow coullour His scrapings heale the falling sicknesse Bright shining Gems doe follow The Carbuncle is a gem shining in the light like fire it is the noblest and hath most vertues of any precious stone The Calcedonian is of a purple coullour shining like a starre it expels sadnes and feare by purging and chearing the spirits It hindreth ill visions The Astarites is a Christaline stone hauing in the midst like a full moone Bright stones not shining doe follow or the lesse shining The Rubie is a red gem shining in darke like a sparke of fire it cleareth the sight it expelleth sad and fearefull dreames The Topaz is of the cullor of gold casting beames in the Sunne being layd to a wound it stancheth bloud or cast into hot water keepeth the hand from scalding The Hiacinth is of watrish coullour it is exceeding hard and cloudie in the darke but pure and cleare by day It is colde moderating the spirits of the heart and of the other parts and causing mirth which being worne obtaineth fauour Precious stones of lesse shining be Corrall Asbestos Magnes and Galacte Corrall is a stone growing in the Sea like a slimie shrub which by the ayre presently is made hard It is taken vp full of mosse but being vnbarked it appeareth cleare in his proper coullour The spongie Corrall is white and colde The solid is more stonie and is red and blacke Red and full of branches is the best which worne of one shortly to be sicke waxeth pale His tender substance is affected by the bad vapour which yet is
vnable in the bodie to afflict it It is good for sore eyes for the stone and falling sicknesse Asbestos is of an Iron coullour being once fired it cannot be quenched It is found in Arabia Magnes or Loadstone is of a skie coullour or an Iron coullour It draweth Iron It hath like vertue with the Adamant It purgeth the dropsie helpeth the flux respecteth the North and South poole Galactites is of an Ash coullour it seemeth to sweat as it were milke it increaseth milke and helpeth running of the eyes and vlcers Now follow stones of diuers coullours Achates is a stone of diuers coullours resembling a Lyons skin sometime it is blacke with white veynes and yellow sometime it is as it were sprinkled with bloud it is very variable in coullour Eagles lay it in their nests to preserue their young from poyson Turcois is darke of a skie coullour and greenish It helpeth weake eyes and spirits Corneolus is like water of washed flesh It helpeth against the Pyles in the fundament and to stop fluxes In a ring it restraineth anger Chrysoprasus is of a greene coullour with golden spots It shineth a little in the darke it is rare and deare It comforteth the heart helpeth dim sight c. Hematite is of an Iron coullour with bloudie vaynes It is cold and dry cooleth hot waters stancheth bloud and helpeth against the scorching of the Sunne as Authors write Also the qualities of other stones depend rather vpon authoritie then vpon proofe Stones be found in Beasts Birds and Fishes Stones found in Beasts bee 1. Chelidonius is a small stone in the belly of yong Swallowes It is found in those of the first hatching in the new moone if two be found the one is red the other blacke The best is of a sprinkled red The red in a linnen cloth carried vnder the left arme expelleth madnesse the falling sicknesse and getteth fauour say some 2. Alectorius is of a christall or watrish coullour It is found in the Maw of an olde Capon as big as a beane in one of nine yeere old small in one of fiue yeer olde This stone quencheth thirst being held in the mouth It maketh warlike and couragious 3. The Rubet or Toadstone groweth in the head of a Toad It is of a white browne coullour sometime it hath a skie coulloured eye in the middle It is to be taken before the Toad touch any Water It is a remedie against all poyson If it come neare poyson it changeth coullour and sweateth as it were drops In fishes are found stones which are made of the cold hardening their matter 4. The Crabs eye of the female is like an eye it dissolveth bloud congealed and expelleth stones 4. The Perch stone found in his head is white and as big as Hemp-seed 6. The Carpe stone found in his chap is trianguler white without yellow within It helpeth against aboundance of choller Thus far of precious stones These following are of price because of their beautie but not so rare Porphirite is a Marble shining like purple Alabaster is a marble like in coullour to spotted Honny At this day it is cleare and smooth like Plaster The Ophite is a most hard marble of a sad greene spotted and Serpent-like coullour Common stones are of vnpure slimie earth thicke and darke some be solid as the Flint Boulder the Whet-stone c. Some be full of poores as the Pumise Gravil-stones and Free-stone SAlt is a fryable mettall begotten of a watrish and earthie moysture mixt and decocted together It bindeth scowreth purgeth disperseth represseth maketh thin and hard It is gotten in pits or waters The sorts of digged salts be Salt Amoniack is found in plates vnder the hotte sands of Cyreniae It is hot and dry in the fourth degree and serueth to purge slimie humors That which Apothecaries sell in blacke clods is made of Camels stale and because store of Camels be in Armenia it is called Armeniack Salt Peter is found in dry places vnder the ground and in hollow Rockes It is sometime called Nitre of a Region in Egypt Of this kinde is the salt called Borax Salt Gem is a white kinde of Euen-salt shining like Christall It is also called Stonie marbly salt Sarmaticke or Dacian Salt of Indie is a blackish Salt or ruddy It is in clods cut out of mount Oremen Salt of Water is taken on the Sea coast or from some lakes and springs and it is sod and congealed of the Sunne or by fire Allome is a salt sweat of the earth it is either liquid or hard Liquid Allome is called Roch or Rock-Allome with it is paper washed c. Hard Allome or Allome Sciffile is thicke and cleaueth It is as it were gray Bitume is a fat and tough moysture like pitch and is called Earthy pitch Liquid is like an oylely moysture flowing and is of diuers coullours after the varietie of the place of which Naphtha is a white fat of Bitumen which enflamed by water doth easily draw to it fire through store of oyle that is in it Naphtha Petreolum is found in rockes It is for his fatnesse of some called Oyle Ambar of Arabia is Bitume of an Ash coullour Hard Bitume is tough like foame swimming on the water but being taken forth it waxeth hard of this kinde is Asphaltus which is blacke Bitume hard like stone pitch The best is gotten in the dead Sea of Iudea c. Pissaphaltus is Asphaltus smelling of Pitch mingled with Bitume It is called Mummie Where this wants they sell vs counterfeit of Syria for poore men that die there be stuffed with Bitume but the rich are dressed with Mirrh Alloes c. It also is found in clods roling from mount Cerauine into the Sea Succinum is Bitume like a stone exceeding hard named Ex succo the Iuyce of the earth It is white or yellow which is called Ambar or blacke as Iet His fatnesse is so great that it burneth like a Candle and smelleth like the Pine tree It draweth to it chaffe and such other light stuffe by a certaine hid nature Metallar Earths which are digged forth of mines be Terra Lemnia an exceeding red Earth of Lemnos I le digged in a red hill It is sometime vsed for Armenian· In old time this had Dianaes seale vpon it printed by her Priests who were onely wont to wash this earth It is of force to expell poyson it healeth wounds festred and olde and poysoned Bole Armenian is earth of Armenia it is of a pale red coullour smooth and easie to breake as chalke It is a dryer and profitteth against all fluxes Terra Samia is white stiffe and tough comming from the I le Samos Ampelite is a pitchie Earth cleauing and blacke it is named of anoynting vines to kill the Wormes This earth is like that we call Stone or Sea coale Chalke is white earth of Creet and there is found of it in many other places There is also some sound that is blacke which is called Pignitis
So farre of Mineralls Now follow Natures perfectly liuing Natures perfectly liuing are Planets or bodies endowed with a soule In all these bodies are sundry vertues according to the temperature of the principall qualities For the forme vseth their qualities as Instruments Whence come diuers distinct degrees of those qualities as some are hot cold dry moyst in the first second third and fourth degree These qualities in the first are obscure and scarce to be perceiued in the second they are apparant and manifest in the third they be vehement and in the fourth immoderate and not to be indured And againe each of these hath a beginning middle and end Plants grow from a stalke or a trunke Those from a stalke haue but one stalke or many Trees are Plants hauing but one stalke full of Boughes and rising on high from the earth Some grow onely in hot Countries others grow indifferently in all places those that prosper best in hot Regions are Frankincense Mace Pepper Palme Balsame Pomegranet Lemmon Ceder The Frankincense tree groweth chiefly in Arabia it is tall and hath leaues like the Mastike tree his gum is soft white fat and round and is apt to perfume and the stiffer and liker Rosen it is so much the better This perfume was vsed for sacrifice Myrrhe is a tree in India of hard wood wrythen towardes the earth with a smooth barke the leaues sharpe poynted towardes the end his gum is fat like Rosen thicke and shining red The distilled liquor of fresh Myrrh was once called Stact but now it is named Storax It is hot and dry in the second degree It dryeth closeth wounds it expelleth the wormes it is of force against an old cough and short winde It is bitter It is good to heale wounds of the head Mace is an Indian tree growing in the I le of Banda It is almost like the Peach tree it hath narrow and short leaues whose fruit is the Nut-meg couered with Mase The Nut-meg hath an huske like a Filberd the fruit is couered with a rinde like our Wal-nut which with ripenesse openeth and sheweth the Mase which doth couer the Nut-meg c. The new and best Nut-meg is full of iuyce or oyle smelling sweete It dryeth and heateth in the ende of the second degree with a kindly binding Pepper groweth in India Of it be two sorts of trees and two sorts of fruits one long the other round The round groweth on branches like vines which imbraceth trees that stand by it and his fruit is in clusters first greene then being dryed it turneth blacke and rough it is gathered in October Long Pepper groweth like the long bud on Nut-trees It is hot and dry Palme tree groweth most in Egypt and Arabia alwayes greene with a long round bodie his barke is like scales of a Fish the more it is pressed the better it groweth therefore was it vsed as a reward for the Conquerour The wild Palme in India is called Thamarind the Date is his fruit it being ripe is blacke and sweete Of these be three kindes Our Dates come from Egypt they are hot temperately Balsame is a low tree his trunke is not much vnlike the Turpentine tree it hath leaues like Rew but whiter neuer falling It groweth in the valley of Hierico and Egypt being cut it sendeth out a milkish liquor it is to be cut in the vpper part of the barke with glasse or bone and not with Iron least it die His iuyce is gathered with wooll into small hornes of it is scarce got each yeare six Congies a Congie is about three Pints Natiue Balme mixed with milke doth easily separate and easily dissolue in water neither doth it staine cloth It is hot and dry in the second degree it is of thin parts and hard to come by In his stead most commonly is vsed the Oyle of Nut-megges The Pomegranet doe follow The Orange doe follow The Ceder tree doe follow 1. Pomegranet is a low tree that hath narrow shining leaues red flowers and his fruit filled with graynes It came from the Country in which Carthage stoode the iuyce of this Apple helpeth the stomacke It is very good in a burning Feuer 2. Pomecytron Lemmon and Orange trees are alwayes greene the leafe of the Cytron is like the Lawreil endented The fruit is rough and alwayes fruitfull his iuyce cureth inflamations and other diseases in the skin the barke comforteth the heart c. The Orange hath a smoother skin and leafe 3. The Ceder is like to Iuniper his leaues being sharper the tree is exceeding tall chiefly of that of Cyprus It neuer rotteth his nature destroying sound things preserueth corrupt things The trees lesse hot are either fruitfull or barren The fruitfull haue fruit that hath a rinde thicke or thin The thinner rinde is of Apples or Berries Apples are round as the Fig Oliue Plum Cherry The Fig tree is not high it hath a smooth barke like the Walnut tree It yeeldeth a long fruit like a Peare full of graines It is so fruitfull that it bringeth forth three or foure times in a yeare so that one Fig thrusteth off another They are of two kindes great and little The Oliue the Apple tree and Peach be common The Quince tree is lower then an Apple tree his fruit hath downie hayre it is called Cidonia of a citie in Crete where first it grew The fruit is colde and binding and doth much profit hot stomackes The Peare the Plum the Medler and the Cherry be common Now follow those trees that beare Berries The Lawrell is a tree growing in hotter countryes which in colde doth hardly prosper it hath sharpe and thicke leaues euer greene with a thin smooth barke his leaues be hot and dry his oyle for hot and softning nature helpeth diseases of the brest and other springing of colde The powder in wine causeth vrine breaketh the stone of the bladder and reynes Iuniper beareth a small fruit the space of two yeares and before the first be ripe it bringeth forth other This tree hath short and sharpe leaues and a straight backe and slit almost in euery place the gum sweating out of it is Vernix called so because it congealeth in the spring It is hot and dry in the third degree It healeth and gleweth and also heateth a colde stomacke His berries are hot and dry in the first degree comforting the spirits and healing putrifactions It consumeth rotten and moyst humors The oyle helpeth the Gout if you anoynt the backe-bone therewith it cureth deafenesse and eaten helpeth melancholy and stayeth the Rhume and the Flux Now follow trees whose fruit hath a shell 1. The Almond tree 2. The Wal-nut tree 3. The Chesnut tree taketh his name of a towne in Magnesia the tree is much like the Wall-nut yet the leafe hath more veines and is edged like a Saw His fruit is couered with a sharpe huske and within it hath a red huske It is of two kindes both hot and dry in the first degree
and for their earthie matter binding They are hard to disgest and beget lice but good if rosted and eaten with Salt Pepper and Sugar The powder of dry Chesnuts voydeth Vrine The Beech is tall with a thicke white barke or a sad red It hath leaues like Lawrell nicked on the edge His fruit is a thre'angle Nut closed in a little pricking huske His fruit is hot sweete and binding His leaues are coole which being eaten doe helpe much the griefe of the gums and lippes If they bee stamped they much strengthen dead members being anoynted with it Swine and Mise delight much in this fruit Trees whose fruit is but halfe couered The Oke is a tall tree hauing a thicke rough barke his leaues are deepe gashed and his boughes are knotted his proper fruit is the Acorne the gall and his glew are but accidentall It is moderately hot and dry it bindeth and especially the little skin which couereth the Acorne Distilled water of Oke leaues cureth Fluxes and rottennesse of the Liuer and expelleth all congealed bloud His leaues stamped and applyed to greene wounds heale them Likewise they draw heate from swellings and pimples arising by heate Galls grow especially in olde Okes and in the night in the Summer the Sunne then leauing Gemini they be of two sorts small and rough and great and smooth Galls haue in them sometime Spiders Flies and Ants Some thinke Spiders doe presage pestilence Flies warre and Ants dearth The powder of Galls doth heale wounds without any scarre Robur is very hard and during It hath lesse fruit The Ilex is very tall with leaues Lawrell-like euer greene but lesser and sharpe a thicke wood and of a blacke red coullour and is very rare Another kinde is the Corke tree hauing like leafe fruit and greennesse yet is it lesser and hath a most thicke barke which though it be taken of yet doth not the tree wither it is called the female Ilex his wood is full of poores and holes and most light and not to be sunke Now follow trees that beare gum whose Nut hath scales The Pineapple is a tree full of boughes with hayrie leaues like Combe teeth of whose sharpe top it takes his name His fruit is Pine-nuts these are hot and dry and binde They are good against coughs and consumptions strengthening and heating The wilde Pine is a great high tree with hairy leaues The Pitch tree is tall with a blacke barke tough and stiffe and running along his boughes like a crosse from both sides of the trunke his leaues are broader softer and smoother then Rosemary From betweene the barke and wood of this tree floweth a gumme like Rozen The Firre tree is a kinde of Pitch tree but somewhat whiter his leaues on one side are of an Ash coullour from this floweth also a Rozen which sod with honie profitteth against the destillations of the head and throat against the Quinsey and other maladies it asswageth the inflamation of woundes and ioyneth them it soden with Barley bran and wine cureth hard kernells The Larix is a high tree with a thicke barke clifted on each side his boughes grow by degrees about the trunke his leaues are thicke long soft and hairie his fruit is almost like the Cypres and hath a pleasant smell The wood of this for that it is dry and full of Rozen burneth vehemently and soone melteth mettall His Rozen is in smell taste and working better then common Turpentine In coullour it is like honey tough but not hard In the bodie of the tree groweth Fungus Agaricus a swamp or mush-rome The best is white thin full of pores light and easie to breake it purgeth fleame Now follow trees that bring forth no fruit of note called Barren trees The Elme is tall with rough leaues and sharpe his wood is yellow hard deformed the barke boughes and leaues have a healing facultie in scabbes It also closeth woundes The Alder hath a long straight trunke his wood is soft his leaues like Peare-tree but greater thicker and rounder it groweth in moyst places and by ryuers His wood is hot and dry and indureth long vnder the earth or in water His thin and fat leaues layd vpon tumors with hot water cure them and helpe all swellings The Teile is a large and broad tree with a thicke stalke his leaues like Ivie but softer and sharper It bindeth his other qualities are like the wilde Oliue The Boxe hath little round leaues alwayes greene his stalke is rough for most part full of knotts and blacke the wood is hard and heauie it sinketh in water and neuer decayeth with age Of this boxes are named because most of them were wont to be made of Boxe It is dry and binding the powder of his leaues with Lauender and water profiteth against madnesse Lye of Boxe maketh yellow heires The Birch is a tender tree his barke is blacke at first but after white his wood is soft and weake aboue other It hath a sweete sap In the rude age his barke was vsed for Paper His sap taken in the spring heldeth the stone I aundies and rottennesse of the mouth also being put in milke preserueth the Cheese made of that milke from Maggotts Willow groweth apace it endureth long for though it be hollow and rotten yet it liueth It is of two sortes solid or brittle the solid is blacke or yellow the blacke is the greater and better and is most apt for binding The yellow groweth chiefly neare water it is somtime white The brittle Willow is most white and vnapt for binding Willowes are dry and thicke his leaues and barke sod in Wine helpeth grypings of the belly The Poplar delighteth in moyst and watrish places It is white or blacke the white hath a long straight trunke and a smooth barke his leafe round and after sharper greene beneath hoarie aboue and doe continually shake it is moderately hot and dry The roote taken in drinke desendeth from gripings in the belly Blacke Poplar is like the white but greater softer and hath narrower leaues and greene below and of an Ash coullour aboue It is hot and dry the boughes held in the hand some say forbid wearinesse of hand and foote his gumme stamped helpeth loosenesse Now follow shrubbs which spring vp with many stalkes and are noble or lesse noble The noble as first Cynamon which is a barke of a shrub of that name growing in India of a blacke coullour with thin boughes which if they be broken cast forth a sweet sent His barke is of two sorts thicke and thin The thin is of the sharpest and best taste The thicke is more slowly disgested it comforteth the heart the best is red and sharpe with some sweetnesse It is of subtill partes hot in the third and dry in the second degree It helpeth a colde stomacke it strengtheneth the sight heart and liuer and begetteth pure bloud Cassia Fistula is a round great and purple Cane hauing a very blacke pith the heauiest and reddest Canes
are best Of the blacke pith is made a good and gentle purgation called Cassia extract This helpeth much against fevers and many other diseases if one ounce of it be taken with as much Rose water Shrubs lesse Noble The Hasell is an high shrub with a slender stalke and full of white spots His leaues are broader and haue more gashes then the Alder. The tree beareth the Filberd and the Nut these Nuts are hot and moyst make fat but hurt the stomach and procure a laske If stamped in water and sugar they be applyed they helpe an old cough The Ashes burnt with Swines or Boares grease and applyed to the head causeth the hayre to grow The Elderne hath boughs of an Ash coullour and in it is store of pith and his leaues are much like to those of the Wal-nut tree it beareth purple berries hauing red iuyse Dwarfe Elderne is low and short with a foure-square stalke these plants are hot and dry and haue power to purge and digest Also it healeth and closeth the roote or leaues of Elder sod in wine purge the dropsie and nothing is more effectual to that purpose then the roote of Dwarfe Elderne Water in which the leaues of Elderne are sod helpe to rid the dry cough The Pitch or an electuary of the berries expelleth sweat and all poyson Barberryes are not much vnlike the wilde Peare although they be farre lesse and in the boughes some two or three prickes grow together His leafe is like Quince leaues but narrower Barberries be hot and dry in the second degree The iuyse of the berryes profitteth against the inflamation of the liuer as also against inward impostumes·if it be applied with night shade it quencheth thirst The barke of his roote or fruit stamped plucketh out a thing fast in the flesh his syrrope tempered with sugar comforteth the hart restoreth appetite profiteth against burning Feuers all inward diseases of much bloud The small Raisin hath purple boughes and pampin leaues but lesse and of blackish greene It hath round red berries vpon long stalkes his fruit and leaues are colde and dry in the second degree hauing power to close The iuyse of the fruit taken helpeth against trembling of the heart and inflamations of the bodie but chiefly it helpeth the plague his iuyse with Endiue water profiteth to remoue specks of the face The Rose groweth vp with small twigs of a black greene full of crooked prickes his leaues are dented on the edge his fruit namely Roses be of diuerse coullours All Roses be colde and dry and helpe both inward and outward affections of the bodie The iuyse sod in Wine helpeth griefes of the head eyes and gums Honey and Rose water strengthen all parts and purge melancholy and fleame sodden with Fennell and Salt his oyle healeth burnings and layed on the forehead taketh away heauinesse and hot sicknesses The funge of wilde Rose trees in powder with wine expelleth the stone Water of Roses helpeth sore eyes comforteth and cooleth the braine it being drunke relieueth the heart and stomach it keepeth the spirits and naturall heate The Bramble is full of prickes and crawleth about the leaues of sweete bryer on the one side are white on the other blacke his fruit is the blacke berry full of iuyse the berry is dry colde and close His fruit leaues or sprouts quench inward heate The top of his leaues sod in Wine stay the bloudie flixe helpe vlcers of the mouth and fasten loose teeth Poterion vua crispa Gooseberries is full of boughs hath ash coulloured barke or white full of sharpe thornes his leaues are lesse then ground Ivie and crooked his berries from greene turne to redish it is cold in the first dry in the second degree his greene leaues cure inflamations and apostumes and asswage Ignis sacer Colutea in leafe not vnlike to Fengreke hath a round fruit as big as a Lentle in a puffed shell It is hot in the beginning of the second degree and dry in the first it purgeth the panch scoureth away chiefly melancholy without trouble from the head braine and the Instruments of the senses Thus farre of·Plants growing from a trunke or stalke c. Now follow Herbes which haue but a thin small stalke consisting most vpon leaues These doe nourish more or lesse as Corne and Pot-herbes which nourish more Wheate is a kinde of Corne hauing an eare vpon the blade stuffed with many graynes it is moderately hot and dry and of much nourishment and helpefull for many diseases aswell within as without the body the best is hard to breake heauie and of gold cullour smooth and growing in fat ground Leauen of Wheate doth draw ripen and open vlcers and apostumes Bisket profitteth against rhume Barley is cold and dry in the second degree and purgeth His floure and new milke in plaster cure Biles and such tumors by easing their paine and drawing forth heate Bread made of it begetteth cold and slimie humours and nourisheth lesse then wheat Barley water maketh the skin faire and smooth Spelte or Zea is of a middle temperature betweene Wheate and Barley it is a kinde of Wheate and commonly goeth vnder that name Rye is not so hot as Wheate and hurteth much except it be well disgested Oates are colder then Wheate and of operation almost like Barley Now follow of Pulse Millet is a most fertill Pulse with sharpe leaues broad below and sharpe towardes the toppe his cod hath in it around long fruit It is colde in the first and dry in the third degree it stoppeth the belly and nourisheth but little Rize is smaller then Millet and farre lesse it groweth in moyst and watry places it bindeth Lentells grow like small pease and haue a vertue to binde Pease are either of the field or garden bearing a white or a purple flower Beanes are meanely colde and moyst inflaming windie hard to disgest Now follow Pot-herbes Coleworts haue very broad leaues which enclosing one another round about become Cabbedges These be colde and moyst and in Egypt be very bitter The Romanes for the space of six hundred yeares vsed this onely herbe to cure all diseases His broath expelleth the stone and grauell his leaues applyed by themselues or with the flowers cure inflamations his iuyse healeth festred sores it cureth the falling of the haire Broath made of his leaues with an olde Cocke cureth the Collicke and other gripings Spinagh hath an high stalke and beareth sharpe seedes his leaues being sharpe and triangular it is colde and moyst in the first degree His iuyse expelleth hurtfull rhume It mollifieth the belly and cureth hardnesse of the backe and belly His Iuyse taketh away the paine and heate of the stomacke and liuer it helpeth the byting of Spiders Lettise hath his leaues gathered into a curled roundnesse that which groweth in the field hath a shorter stalke and leafe then Garden Lettise being bitter and full of milke It is moderately moyst and colde like Spring water it is wholesome