* 



Of the Hiflorie of PI 



J 



Apothecaries ofour countrey call it Mezereoflfiutwce had rather name it Chmdea Germartica, o 

 Dutcli Mezereonpr it may be called Germane Olive Spurge. We haue heard that diuers Italian, 

 do name the fruit thereof Piper momanum y ot Mountain Pepper. Some fay thac LaureoU or Spurge 

 Laurell is this plant -but there is another Z^rw/^of which we will hereafter treat: but by what 

 name itis called of the antient writers, & whether they knew it or no,it is hard to reMt is thought 

 to be Cneoron album Tbcepbrajlijzut by reafon of his breuitie we can affirme no certaintie. 



There is.faith he,two kindes of Cneoronjho white and the blacke,the white hath a long leaf like 

 in forme to Spurge Olive, the blacke is full of fubftance like Myrtle 5 the low one is more white, 

 the fame is with fmell,and the blacke without fmell. The root of both, which groweth deepens 

 great :the branches be many,thicke 5 wooddy,immediatly growing out of the eartb,or little aboue 



fi 



\jli 



The Germane Spurge Olive is not much vnlike to the Olive tree in leafe : the floure is fweet of 

 fmelljthe buds whereof as we haue written, come forth after Autumne : the branches arc wooddy 

 and pliable ; the root long,growing deep : all which fhew that it hath great likenefle and affirtitie 

 with Cncor$n,ifit be not the very fame. J 



if[ The Temperature. 



This plantislikewifc in all parts extreme hot:the fruit, Ieaues>and rindc are very (harpe and bi- 

 ting ; they bite the tongue,and fet the throat on fire. 



* H «ff The Vertues. r 



The leaucsof Mezereon do purge downeward,flegrne,choler 3 and waterifh humours, with great A 



* % 



violence.. 

 Alio if a drunkard doe eat one graine or b(ffryofthispIant,hee cannot be allured todrinkeafcy B 



drinke at that time,fuch will be the heate in his mouth alnd choking in the throat. 



This plant is very dangerous to be taken into the bod y> and in nature like to the fea Tithvmale, C 

 leauing (if it be chewed) fuch an heate and burning in the throat a that it is hard to be quenched . 



The {hops of Germany and the Low-countries do when need requires vie the leaues hereof in D 

 Head of Spurge Olive 5 which may be done without error, for this Germane Spurge O live is like 

 in vertue and operation to the other:therefore it may be vfed in ftead tberof,and prepared after the 

 felfe fame manner. 



H 



Thymdea. 



6a 



Of Spurge FL 



w 



Deft 



S Purge Flax bringeth forth many {lender 

 branched fprigs aDouc a cubit high, coue- 

 red round with long and narrow leaues like 

 thofe of Flax , narrower and leflfer than the 

 leaues of Spurge Olive. The flours are white, 

 fmal,ftanding on the vpper parts of the fprigs: 

 the fruit is round 3 greenc at the firft, but red 

 when it is ripe , like almoft to the round ber- 

 ries of the Hawthorne^ in which is a white 

 kernell couered with a blacke skin , very hot, 

 and burning the mouth like Mezereon. The 

 foot is hard and wooddy, 



ifi The Place. 



It growes in rough mountaines andvntoi- 

 led places in hot regions. It groweth in ray 

 garden. _ 



be Time. 



It is green at any time of the yeare, but the 

 fruit is perfeSed in Autumne. 



^[ The Names. 



The Grecians cai it afe*** . the Syrians, as 



vfi 



$fc 



leafe is properly called Cneoron^ and the fruit 

 CoccosCnidtos : notwithftanding tbote which 



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