180 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
Government and virtues.| Surely Mars 
rules it, it is such a prickly business. All 
these thistles are good to provoke urine, 
and to mend the stinking smell thereof; as 
also the rank smell of the arm-pits, or the 
whole body; being boiled in wine and 
drank, and are said to help a stinking 
breath, and to strengthen the stomach. 
Pliny saith, That the juice bathed on the 
place that wants hair, it being fallen off, 
will cause it to grow speedily. 
THE MELANCHOLY THISTLE. 
Descript.] Ir rises up with tender single 
hoary green stalks, bearing thereon four or 
five green leaves, dented about the edges; 
the points thereof are little or nothing 
prickly, and at the top usually but one 
head, yet sometimes from the bosom of the 
uppermost leaves there shoots forth an- 
other small head, scaly and prickly, with 
many reddish thrumbs or threads in the 
middle, which being gathered fresh, will 
keep the colour a long time, and fades not 
from the stalk a long time, while it perfects 
the seed, which is of a mean bigness, lying 
in the down. The root hath many strings 
fastened to the head, or upper part, which 
is blackish, and perishes not. 
_ There is another sort little differing from 
the former, but that the leaves are more 
green above, and more hoary underneath, 
and the stalk being about two feet high, 
bears but one scaly head, with threads and 
seeds as the former. 
Place.| They grow in many moist 
meadows of this land, as well in the south- 
ern, a$ in the northern parts. 
Time.] They flower about July or 
August, and their seed ripens quickly after. 
Government and virtues.] It is under 
Capricorn, and therefore under both Saturn 
and Mars, one rids melancholy by sympa- 
_ thy, the other by antipathy. Their virtues 
_ are but few, but those not to be despised; 
_ for the decoction of the thistle in wine 
being drank, expels superfluous melancholy 
out of the body, and makes a man as merry 
as a cricket; superfluous melancholy causes 
care, fear, sadness, despair, envy, and 
many evils more besides; but religion 
teaches to wait upon God’s providence, and 
cast our care upon him who cares for us. 
What a fine thing were it if men and women 
could live so? And yet seven years’ care 
and fear makes a man never the wiser, nor 
a farthing richer. Dioscorides saith, the 
root borne about one doth the like, and re- 
moves all diseases of melancholy. Modern 
writers laugh at him; Let them laugh that 
win,my opinion is, that it is the best remedy 
against all melancholy diseases that grows; 
they that please may use it. 
OUR LADY’S THISTLE. 
Descript.| Our Lady’s Thistle hath 
divers very large and broad leaves lying on 
the ground cut in, and as it were crumpled, 
but somewhat hairy on the edges, of a white 
green shining colour, wherein are many 
lines and streaks of a milk white colour, 
running all over, and set with many sharp 
and stiff prickles all about, among which 
rises up one or more strong, round, and 
prickly stalks, set full of the like leaves up 
to the top, where at the end of every branch, 
comes forth a great prickly Thistle-like 
head, strongly armed with prickles, and 
with bright purple thumbs rising out of the 
middle; After they are past the seed grows 
in the said heads, lying in soft white down, 
which is somewhat flattish in the ground, 
and many strings and fibres fastened there- 
unto. All the whole plant is bitter in taste. 
Place.] It is frequent on the banks of 
almost every ditch. 
Time.| It flowers and seeds in June; 
July, and August. 
Government and virtues.| Our Lady's 
Thistle is under Jupiter, and thought to be 
as effectual as Carduus Benedictus for 
agues, and to prevent and cure the infection — 
