14 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
white and green scaly heads, very brittle or 
easy to break while they are young, which 
afterwards rise up in very long and slender 
green stalks of the bigness of an ordinary 
riding wand, at the bottom of most, or big- 
ger, or lesser, as the roots are of growth; 
on which are set divers branches of green 
leaves shorter and smaller than fennel to 
the top; at the joints whereof come forth 
small yellowish flowers, which turn into 
round berries, green at first, and of an ex- 
cellent red colour when they are ripe, shew- 
ing like bead or coral, wherein are con- 
tained exceeding hard black seeds, the roots 
are dispersed from a spongeous head into 
many long, thick, and round strings, where- 
in is sucked much nourishment out of the 
ground, and increaseth plentifully thereby. 
PRICKLY ASPARAGUS, OR SPERAGE. 
Descript.| Tis grows usually in gar- 
dens, and some of it grows wild in Apple- 
ton meadows in Gloucestershire, where the 
poor people gather the buds of young 
shoots, and sell them cheaper than our gar- 
den Asparagus is sold in London. 
Time.] For the most part they flower, 
and bear their berries late in the year, or 
not at all, although they are housed in 
Winter. 
Government and virtues.] They are both 
under the dominion of Jupiter. The young 
buds or branches boiled in ordinary broth, 
make the belly soluble and open, and boiled 
in white wine, provoke urine, being stopped, 
and is good against the strangury or diffi- 
culty of making water; it expelleth the 
gravel and stone out of the kidneys, and 
helpeth pains in the reins. And boiled in 
white wine or vinegar, it is prevalent for 
them that have their arteries loosened, or 
are troubled with the hip-gout or sciatica. 
The decoction of the roots boiled in wine 
and taken, is good to clear the sight, and 
being held in the mouth easeth the tooth- 
_ ache. The garden asparagus nourisheth 
more than the wild, yet hath it the same — 
effects in all the afore-mentioned diseases: — 
The decoction of the roots in white wine, 
and the back and belly bathed therewith, 
or kneeling or lying down in the same, or 
sitting therein as a bath, has been found 
effectual against pains and reins of the 
bladder, pains of the mother and cholic, 
and generally against all pains that happen 
to the lower parts of the body, and no less 
effectual against stiff and benumbed sinews, 
or those that are shrunk by cramps and 
convulsions, and helps the sciatica. 
ASH TREE. 
Tus is so well known, that time would — 
be mispent in writing a description of it; 
therefore I shall only insist upon the virtues 
of it. 
Government and virtues.] It is governed 
by the Sun: and the young tender tops, 
with the leaves taken inwardly, and some 
of them outwardly applied, are singularly — 
good against the bitings of viper, adder, or 
any other venomous beast; and the water — 
distilled therefrom being taken a small — 
quantity every morning fasting, is a singu- — 
lar medicine for those that are subject to — 
dropsy, or to abate the greatness of those — 
that are too gross or fat. The decoction of — 
the leaves in white wine helps to break the — 
stone, and expel it, and cures the jaundice. _ 
The ashes of the bark of the Ash made into — 
lye, and those heads bathed therewith © 
which are leprous, scabby, or scald, they _ 
are thereby cured. The kernels within the — 
husks, commonly called Ashen Keys, pre- _ 
vail against stitches and pains in the sides, _ 
proceeding of wind, and voideth away the — 
stone by provoking urine. 
I can justly except against none of all — 
this, save only the first, viz. That Ash-tree _ 
tops and leaves are good against the bitings _ 
of serpents and vipers. I suppose this had 
its rise from Gerard or Pliny, both which — 
hold, That there is such an antipathy be-_ 
he 
