44 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
THE LESSER CELANDINE, USUALLY 
KNOWN BY THE NAME OF PILEWORT 
‘AND FOGWORT. 
I wonper what ailed the ancients to 
give this the name Celandine, which re- 
sembles it neither in nature nor form; it 
acquired the name of Pilewort from its 
virtues, and it being no great matter where 
I set it down, so I set it down at all, I 
humoured Dr. Tradition so much, as to set 
him down here. 
Descript.| This Celandine or Pilewort 
(which youplease) doth spread many round 
pale green leaves, set on weak and trailing 
branches, which lie upon the ground, and 
are flat, smooth, and somewhat shining, 
and in some places (though seldom) marked 
with black spots, each standing on a long 
_ foot-stalk, among which rise small yellow 
flowers, consisting of nine or ten small nar- 
row leaves, upon slender foot-stalks, very 
like unto Crowsfoot, whereunto the seed 
also is not unlike being many small kernels 
like a grain of corn sometimes twice as 
long as others, of a whitish colour, with 
fibres at the end of them. 
Place.| It grows for the most part in 
moist corners of fields and places that are 
near water sides, yet will abide in drier 
ground if they be but a little shady. 
Time.] It flowers betimes about March 
or April, is quite gone by May; so it can- 
not be found till it spring again. 
Government and virtues.] It is under the 
dominion of Mars, and behold here another 
verification of the learning of the ancients, 
viz. that the virtue of an herb may be 
known by its signature, as plainly appears 
in this; for if you dig up the root of it, 
you shall perceive the perfect image of the 
disease which they commonly call the piles. 
It is certain by good experience, that the 
_ decoction of the leaves and roots wonder- 
king’s evil, or any other hard wens or 
tumours. 
Here’s another secret for my countrymen 
and women, a couple of them together; 
Pilewort made into an oil, ointment, or 
plaister, readily cures both the piles, or 
hemorthoids, and the king’s evil: The 
very herb borne about one’s body next the 
skin helps in such diseases, though it never 
touch the place grieved; let poor people 
make much of it for those uses; with this 
I cured my own daughter of the king’s 
evil, broke the sore, drew out a quarter of 
a pint of corruption, cured without any 
scar at all in one week’s time. 
THE ORDINARY SMALL CENTAURY. 
Descript.] Tis grows up most usually 
but with one round and somewhat crusted 
stalk, about a foot high or better, branching 
forth at the top into many sprigs, and some 
also from the joints of the stalks below; the 
flowers thus stand at the tops as it were in 
one umble or tuft, are of a pale red, tending 
to carnation colour, consisting of five, 
sometimes six small leaves, very like those 
of St. John’s Wort, opening themselves in 
the day time and closing at night, after 
which come seeds in little short husks, in 
form like unto wheat corn. The leaves are 
small and somewhat round; the root small 
and hard, perishing every year. The whole 
plant is of an exceeding bitter taste. 
There is another sort in all things like the 
former, save only it bears white flowers. 
Place.| They grow ordinarily in fields, 
pastures, and woods, but that with the 
white flowers not so frequently as the other. 
Time.| They flower in July or there- 
abouts, and seed within a month after. 
Government and virtues.| They are under 
the dominion of the Sun, as appears in that 
their flowers open and shut as the Sun either 
shews or hides his face. This herb, boiled 
| and drank, purges 2s choleric and gross 
