AND COMPLETE HERBAL: aes 
the breaft, lungs, liver, and reins; provokes urine and the terms; kills worms, 
helps pains of the joints, and caufeth a good colour. 
It is not good to be taken alone, without corrigents; therefore the fyrup of rofes, 
‘folutive with agaric, is good to be taken; it cures the yellow jaundice, and is ex- 
ceeding good for agues coming of thick humours, for which they take pills of hiera 
with agaric ; it may be given with oxymel for agues of all forts, and gripings of the 
belly ; itis good againft fhortnefs of breath, the phthific, and confumption ; half a 
dram thereof, in wine, is an excellent antidote againft poifons. 
Oe ef a, DS ed tee AAA 
Kinps anD Names. THEY are called Jens, and Jenticula, in Latin. In fome 
counties of England, where they fow them for meat for their cattle, they call 
them tills. 3 
There are three forts. 1. Lens major, the greater lentil. 2. Lens minor, the {mal- 
fer lentil. And, 3. Lews maculata, the fpotted lentil. 
Description. 1. The greater lentil groweth about two feet long, with many 
hard, yet flender and weil: branches, from whence, at feveral places, fhoot forth 
long ftalks of {mall winged leaves ; many on each fide of a middle rib, which middle 
rib endeth in a {mall clafper; between the leaves and the ftalks come the flowers, 
- which are {mall, of a fad reddifh colour, inclined to purple, almoft like the flowers 
of vetches; they ftand, for the moft part, two at the end of a long foot-flalk, 
after the flowers are gone, there fucceed fmall, fhort, flat, pods, wherein is flat, 
round, {mooth, fend, of a pale yellowifh afh-colour ; the root is fibrous, and dieth : 
~ every winter. 
2. The fmaller lentil differeth from the former only in this, that the ftalks, leaves, 
and feed, ate lefs; the flowers more pale, and the feeds whiter. 
The third differs not much from the laft ; but the feed is {potted with black. 
-. Government anp Virtues. They are under the dominion of Saturn; of a 
mean temperature between heat and cold, and dry in the fecond degree. According 
to Galen, they are fomewhat aftringent, and bind the body, efpecially the outward 
skin, It is of contrary qualities, for the decoction thereof doth not bind but loofen 
the body ; ‘therefore, thofe who would have it bind muft throw away the firft 
water, and ufe the fecond, which ftops the lask, and ftrengtheneth the merc: : ae : | 
and inward parts, 
