198 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
herb shall fortify their apprer hensions; 
and yet among astrologers all this does not 
deserve a good word: Oh the patience of 
Mars! 
Feliz qui potuit rerum cognoscere caucas, 
Inque domus superum scandere cura facit. 
_O happy he that can the knowledge gain, 
To know the eternal God made nought in 
vain. 
To this I add, 
I know the reason causeth such a dearth 
Of knowledge; ’tis because men love the 
earth. 
The other day Mars told me he met with 
Venus, and he asked her, What was the 
reason that she accused him for abusing 
women? He never gave them the pox. In 
the dispute they fell out, and in anger 
parted, and Mars told me that his brother 
Saturn told him, that an antivenerean 
medicine was the best against the pox. Once 
a month he meets with the Moon. Mars is 
quick enough of speech, and the Moon not 
much behind hand, (neither are most 
women.) The Moon looks much after chil- 
dren, and children are much troubled with 
the worms; she desired a medicine of him, 
he bid her take his own herb, Wormwood. 
He had no sooner parted with the Moon, 
but he met with Venus, and she was as 
drunk as a hog; Alas! poor Venus, quoth 
he; What! thou a fortune, and be drunk? 
I'll give thee antipathetical cure; Take my 
herb Wormwood, and thou shalt never get 
a surfeit by drinking. A poor silly country- 
man hath got an ague, and cannot go about 
his business: he wishes he had it not, and 
so do I; but I will tell him a remedy, 
_ whereby he shall prevent it; Take the herb 
_ of Mars, Wormwood, and if infortunes will 
do good, what will fortunes do? Some think 
_ the lungs are under Jupiter; and if the 
_ lungs, then the breath; and though some- 
times a man gets a stinking breath, and yet 
Mars to him; Come brother Jupiter, thou 
knowest I sent thee a couple of trines to thy 
house last night, the one from Aries, and 
the other from Scorpio; give me thy leave 
by sympathy to cure this poor man with 
drinking a draught of Wormwood beer 
every morning. The Moon was weak the 
other day, and she gave a man two terrible 
mischiefs, a dull brain and a weak sight; 
Mars laid by his sword, and comes to her; 
Sister Moon, said he, this man hath angered 
thee, but I beseech thee take notice he is but 
a fool; prithee be patient, I will with my 
herb wormwood cure him of both infirmities 
by antipathy, for thou knowest thou and I 
cannot agree; with that the Moon began to 
quarrel; Mars (not delighting much in 
women’s tongues) went away, and did it 
whether she would or no. 
He that reads this, and understands what 
he reads, hath a jewel of more worth than 
a diamond; he that understands it not, is 
as little fit to give physick. There lies a key 
in these words which will unlock, (if it be 
turned by a wise hand) the cabinet of 
physick: I have delivered it as plain as I 
durst ; it is not only upon Wormwood as I 
wrote, but upon all plants, trees, and 
herbs; he that understands it not, is unfit 
(in my opinion) to give physic. This shall 
live when I am dead. And thus I leave it 
to the world, not caring a farthing whether 
they like it or dislike it. The grave equals 
all men, and therefore shall equal me with 
all princes; until which time the eternal 
Providence is over me: Then the ill tongue 
of a prating fellow, or one that hath more 
tongue than wit, or more proud that 
honest, shall never trouble me. Wisdom 
justified by her children. And so much for 
Wormwood. 
YARROW, CALLED NOSE-BLEED, MILFOI 
AND THOUSAND-LEAL. 
Descript.] Iv hath many long ee 
