AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 
157 
rind and skin being pared away, the root 
appears of so fresh and lively a colour, 
with fresh coloured veins running through 
it, that the choicest of that Rhubarb that is 
brought us from beyond the seas cannot 
excel it, which root, if it be dried carefully, 
and as it ought (which must be in our 
country by the gentle heat of a fire, in re- 
gard the sun is not hot enough here to do 
it, and every piece kept from touching one 
another) will hold its colour almost as well 
as when it is fresh, and has been approved 
of, and commended by those who have 
oftentimes used them. 
Place.| It grows in gardens, and flowers 
about the beginning or middle of June, 
and the seed is ripe in July. 
Time.] The roots that are to be dried 
and kept all the year following, are not to 
be taken up before the stalk and leaves be 
quite with red and gone, and that is not 
until the middle or end of October, and if 
they be taken a little before the leaves do 
spring, or when they are sprung up, the 
Toots will not have half so good a colour in 
them, 
I have given the precedence unto this, 
because in virtues also it hath the pre-emi- 
nence. I come now to describe unto you 
that which is called Patience, or Monk’s 
Rhubarb; and next unto that, the great 
Tound leaved Dock, or Bastard Rhubarb, 
for the one of these may happily supply in 
the absence of the other, being not much 
unlike in their virtues, only one more 
Powerful and efficacious than the other. 
And lastly, shall shew you the virtues of all 
the three sorts. 
GARDEN-PATIENCE, OR MONK’S RHU- 
BARB. © 
Descript.| Tus is a Dock bearing the 
name of Rhubarb for some purging quality | 
therein, and grows up with large tall stalks, 
Set with somewhat broad and long, fair, 
SS neha rs 
of the stalks being divided into many small 
branches, bear reddish or purplish flowers, 
and three-square seed, like unto other 
docks. The root is long, great and yellow, 
like unto the wild docks, but a little redder; 
and if it be a little dried, shews less store of 
discoloured veins than the other does when 
it is dry. 
GREAT ROUND-LEAVED DOCK, OR BAS- 
TARD RHUBARB. 
Descript.| Tus has divers large, round, 
thin, yellowish green leaves rising from the 
root, a little waved about the edges, every 
one standing upon a reasonable thick and 
long brownish foot stalk, from among which 
rises up a pretty big stalk, about two feet 
high, with some such high leaves growing 
thereon, but smaller; at the top whereof 
stand in a long spike many small brownish 
flowers, which turn into a hard three square 
shining brown seed, like the garden Pa- 
tience before described. The root grows 
greater than that, with many branches of 
great fibres thereat, yellow on the outside, 
and somewhat pale; yellow within, with 
some discoloured veins like to the Rhubarb 
which is first described, but much less than 
it, especially when it is dry. 
Place and time.| These also grow in 
gardens, and flower and seed at or near the 
same time that our true Rhubarb doth, viz. 
they flower in June, and the seed is ripe in 
July. 
Government and virtues.] Mars claims 
predominancy over all these wholesome 
herbs: You cry out upon him for an in- 
fortunate, when God created him for your 
good (only he is angry with fools.) What 
dishonour is this, not to Mars, but to God 
himself? A dram of the dried root of 
Monk’s Rhubarb, with a scruple of ginger 
made into powder, and taken fasting ina 
draught or mess of warm broth, purges” 
choler and phlegm downwards very gent, 
and ies sngeanie ee ee 4 
