8 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
moist woods, and watery places; flowering 
in April or May, and yielding ripe seed in 
September. 
Government and virtues.| It is a tree 
under the dominion of Venus, and of some 
watery sign or other, I suppose Pisces; and 
therefore the decoction, or distilled water 
of the leaves, is excellent against burnings 
and inflammations, either with wounds or 
without, to bathe the place grieved with, 
and especially for that inflammation in the 
breast, which the vulgar call an ague. 
If you cannot get the leaves (as in Win- 
ter ’tis impossible) make use of the bark in 
the same manner, 
The leaves and bark of the Alder-tree 
are cooling, drying, and binding. The fresh 
leaves laid upon swellings dissolve them, 
and stay the inflammations. The leaves put 
under the bare feet galled with travelling, 
are a great refreshing to them. The said 
leaves gathered while the morning dew is on 
them, and brought into a chamber troubled 
with fleas, will gather them thereunto, 
which being suddenly cast out, will rid the 
chamber of those troublesome bed-fellows. 
ANGELICA. 
To write a description of that which is 
so well known to be growing almost in every 
garden, I suppose is altogether needless; 
yet for its virtue it is of admirable use. 
In time of Heathenism, when men had 
found out any excellent herb, they dedi- 
cated it to their gods; as the Bay-tree to 
Apollo, the Oak to Jupiter, the Vine to 
_ Bacchus, the Poplar to Hercules. These 
the Papists following as the Patriarchs they 
dedicate to their Saints; as our Lady’s This- 
tle to the Blessed Virgin, St. John’s Wort 
to St. John, and another Wort to St. Peter, 
&c. Our physicians must imitate like apes 
(though they cannot come off half so clever- 
ly) for they blasphemously call Phansies 
_ or Heartsease, an herb of the Trinity, be- 
cause it is of three colours. And a certain 
ointment, an ointment of the Apostles, be- 
cause it consists of twelve ingredients: Alas, — 
I am sorry for their folly, and grieved at 
their blasphemy. God send them wisdom — 
the rest of their age, for they have their 
share of ignorance already. Oh! Why must 
ours be blasphemous, because the Heathens ~ 
and Papists were idolatrous? Certainly 
they have read so much in old rusty authors, — 
that they have lost all their divinity; for 
unless it were amongst the Ranters, I never — 
read or heard of such blasphemy. The — 
Heathens and Papists were bad, and ours 
worse; the Papists giving idolatrous names — 
to herbs for their virtues sake, not for their — 
fair looks; and therefore some called this — 
an herb of the Holy Ghost; others more — 
moderate called it Angelica, because of its 
angelical virtues; and that name it retains — 
still, and all nations follow it so near as 
their dialect will permit. | 
Government and virtues.] It is an herb — 
of the Sun in Leo; let it be gathered when _ 
he is there, the Moon applying to his good — 
aspect; let it be gathered either in his hour, — 
or in the hour of Jupiter, let Sol be angu- ; 
lar; observe the like in gathering the herbs, — 
of other planets, and you may happen to — 
do wonders. In all epidemical diseases — 
caused by Saturn, that is as good a preser- _ 
vative as grows: It resists poison, by de- — 
fending and comforting the heart, blood, — 
and spirits; it doth the like against the — 
plague and all epidemical diseases, if the — 
root be taken in powder to the weight of — 
half a dram at a time, with some good trea- _ 
cle in Carduus water, and the party there- _ 
upon laid to sweat in his bed; if treacle be — 
not to be had, take it alone in Carduus or | 
Angelica-water. The stalks or roots can-— 
died and eaten fasting, are good preserva- 
tives in time of infection; and at other 
times to warm and comfort a cold stomach. — 
The root also steeped in vinegar, and a little 
of that vinegar taken sometimes fasting, 
and the root smelled unto, is good for the 
