AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 89 
dominion over this herb, therefore it is a 
singular remedy for the liver, both to 
strengthen it when weak, and ease it when 
afflicted, you shall do well to keep it in a 
syrup all the year. For though authors say 
it is green all the year, I scarcely believe it. 
Hart’s Tongue is much commended against 
the hardness and stoppings of the spleen 
and liver, and against the heat of the liver 
and stomach, and against lasks, and the 
bloody-flux. The distilled water thereof is 
also very good against the passions of the 
heart, and to stay the hiccough, to help the 
falling of the palate, and to stay the bleed- 
ing of the gums, being gargled in the mouth. 
Dioscorides saith, it is good against the 
stinging or biting of serpents. As for the 
use of it, my direction at the latter end will 
be sufficient, and enough for those that are 
studious in physic, to whet their brains 
upon for one year or two. 
HAZEL-NUT. 
Hazev Nuts are so well known to every 
body, that they need no description. 
Government and virtues.| They are un- 
der the dominion of Mercury. The parted 
kernels made into an electuary, or the milk 
drawn from the kernels with mead or 
honeyed water, is very good to help an old 
cough ; and being parched, and a little pep- 
per put to them and drank, digests the dis- 
tillations of rheums from the head. The 
dried husks and shells, to the weight of two 
drams, taken in red wine, stays lasks and 
women’s courses, and so doth the red skin 
that covers the kernels, which is more ef- 
fectual to stay women’s courses. 
And if this be true, as it is, then why 
should the vulgar so familiarly affirm, that 
eating nuts causes shortness of breath, than 
which nothing is falser? For, how can that 
which strengthens the lungs, cause short- 
ness of breath? I confess, the opinion is 
far older than I am; I knew tradition was 
a friend to error before, but never that he } 
was the father of slander: Or are men’s 
tongues so given to slandering one another, 
that they must slander Nuts too, to keep 
their tongues in use? If any thing of the 
Hazel Nut be stopping, it is the husks and 
shells, and no body is so mad to eat them, 
unless physically; and the red skin which 
covers the kernel, you may easily pull off. 
And so thus have I made an apology for 
Nuts, which cannot speak for themselves. 
HAWK-WEED. 
THERE are several sorts of Hawk-weed, 
but they are similar in virtues. 
Descript.| It has many large leaves 
lying upon the ground, much rent or torn 
on the sides into gashes like Dandelion, but 
with greater parts, more like the smooth 
Sow Thistle, from among which rises a 
hollow, rough stalk, two or three feet high, 
branched from the middle upward, where- 
on are set at every joint longer leaves, 
little or nothing rent or cut, bearing on 
their sundry pale, yellow flowers, consist- 
ing of many small, narrow leaves, broad 
pointed, and nicked in at the ends, set in a 
double row or more, the outermost being 
larger than the inner, which from most of 
the Hawk-weeds (for there are many kinds 
of them) do hold, which turn into down, 
and with the small brownish seed is blown 
away with the wind. The root is long, and 
somewhat greater, with many small fibres 
thereat. The whole plant is full of bitter- 
milk. 
Place.] It grows in divers places about 
the field sides, and the path-ways in dry 
grounds. 
Time.| It flowers and flies away in Sum- 
mer months. 
Government and virtues.]| Saturn owns 
it. Hawk-weed (saith Dioscorides) is 
cooling, somewhat drying and binding, and _ 
therefore good for the heat of the stomach, 
and gnawings therein; for inflammations, 
