18 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
of Venus in one kind, so it spoils all her ac- 
tions in another. I dare write no more of it. 
THE BAY TREE. 
Tuis is so well known that it needs no 
description: I shall therefore only write 
the virtues thereof, which are many. 
Government and virtues.] I shall but 
only add a word or two to what my friend 
has written, viz. that it is a tree of the sun, 
and under the celestial sign Leo, and re- 
sists witchcraft very potently, as also all 
the evils old Saturn can do to the body of 
man, and they are not a few; for it is the 
speech of one, and I am mistaken if it were 
not Mizaldus, that neither witch nor devil, 
thunder nor lightning, will hurt a man in 
the place where a Bay-tree is. Galen said, 
that the leaves or bark do dry and heal 
very much, and the berries more than the 
leaves; the bark of the root is less sharp 
and hot, but more bitter, and hath some 
astriction withal, whereby it is effectual to 
break the stone, and good to open obstruc- 
tions of the liver, spleen, and other inward 
parts, which bring the jaundice, dropsy, 
_ &c. The berries are very effectual against 
all poison of venomous creatures, and the 
sting of wasps and bees; as also against the 
pestilence, or other infectious diseases, and 
therefore put into sundry treacles for that 
purpose; They likewise procure women’s 
courses. and seven of them given to a 
woman in sore travail of child-birth, do 
cause a speedy delivery, and expel the after 
birth, and therefore not to be taken by such 
as have not gone out their time, lest they 
procure abortion, or cause labour too soon. 
They wonderfully help all cold and rheu- 
matic distillations from the brain to the 
eyes, lungs or other parts; and being made 
into an electuary with honey, do help the 
consumption, old coughs, shortness of 
__ breath, and thin rheums; as also the meg- 
rim. They mightily expel the wind, and 
provoke urine; help the mother, and kill 
the worms. The leaves also work the like 
effects. A bath of the decoction of the 
leaves and berries, is singularly good for 
women to sit in, that are troubled with the 
mother, or the diseases thereof, or the stop- 
pings of their courses, or for the diseases 
of the bladder, pains in the bowels by wind 
and stopping of the urine. A decoction like- 
wise of equal parts of Bay-berries, cum- 
min seed, hyssop, origanum, and euphor- | 
bium, with some honey, and the head bathed 
therewith, wonderfully helps distillations 
and rheums, and settles the palate of 
the mouth into its place. The oil made of 
the berries is very comfortable in all cold 
griefs of the joints, nerves, arteries, stom-— 
ach, belly, or womb, and helpeth palsies, 
convulsions, cramp, aches, tremblings, and 
numbness in any part, weariness also, and 
pains that come by sore travelling. All 
griefs and pains proceeding from wind, 
either in the head, stomach, back, belly, or ' 
womb, by anointing the parts affected there-_ 
with: And pains in the ears are also cured 
by dropping in some of the oil, or by re 
ceiving into the ears the fume of the decoc- 
tion of the berries through a funnel. The 
oil takes away the marks of the skin and 
flesh by bruises, falls, &c. and dissolves the - 
congealed blood in them. It helps also the 
itch, scabs, and weals in the skin. = | 
BEANS. 
Boru the garden and field beans are s0_ 
well known, that it saveth me the labour of 
writing any description of them. The vit 
tues follow. | 
Government and virtues. ] They are 
plants of Venus, and the distilled water of ; 
the flower of garden beans is good to clead_ 
the face and skin from spots and wrinkles, | 
and the meal or flour of them, or the small 
beans doth the same. The water distilled — 
from the green husks, is held to be very 
effectual against the stone, and to provoke 4q 
urine. Bean flour is used in poultices to 
