

L 



ib. 3 



Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 



H*$ 



chiefc of all the reft)although moft common and beft knowne) and it groweth like a little fhrub or 

 hedge bu(h,very like vntothe former,but much fraallenthe leaues are fmalland narrow, very much 

 in ftiape refembling the leaues of Mafticke Time called Marum, but pf a freflier greene colour : the 

 floures be white, nothing differing from the former fauing in greatneffe^ and chat fomctimes they 

 are (tore double. 



X 6 This growes not very high,neither is it fo fhrubbv as the former : the branches are fmall 

 and brittle : the leaues are of a middle bignefle, fliarpe pointed, (landing by couples in two rowcs > 

 feldome in foure as the former,they arc blackifh alfo and well fmelling,the floure is like that of the 

 reft s the fruit is round 5 growing vpon long ftalk.es out of the bofomes of the leaues, firft greene,then 

 whitifh, laft!ybIacke,of a winy and pleafant tafte with fomeaftri&ion. This growes wilde in di- 



_. .— « «\lA^AJ* *"V *■ I/\ltr 1 ^ r-y- * 1 f l«f Kama *"> I . /? £*-* . - ^_ J ?*» 0.-^«*fr-4»-t/-% tf •-& /^\ ^IaU ^ M .V»«-*^1l^r*. *m * - M. TX - ? _ *- t 



eft 



* 



t fiats found it flouring in O &obcr : he calls it CMyrtus Btticafyl 



^J The Place 



\ 



Thefekindes of Myrtles grow naturally vpon the wooddy hills and fertill fields of Italy and 

 Spaine. % The two laft are nourifhed in the garden of Miftr ifle Tuggie in Wcftminfter,and in fbmc 



other gardens, £ 



«|[ The Time. 



Where they joy to grow of themfelues they floure when the Rofes doe r the fruit is ripe in Au- 

 tumne : in England they neuer beare any fruit. 



«[f The Names. 

 It is called in Greeke^y»>»: in La.tme y CWyrtta: in the Arabicke tongue,^/*** : in Italian, CMyrto: 



in Spznifa^rrayhan : in the Portugale language, ^Murta^wd Murtella : other Nations doe almofl 

 kcepe the Latine name,as in Englifh it is called Myrtle,or Myrtle tree. 



Among the Myrtles that which hath the fine little leafe is furnamed of Pliny, Tarentinapnd that 

 which is fo thicke and full of leaues is Exatica,1!kxange or forreine. Nigra Mjrtu* is that which hath 

 the blacke berries -.Candida, which hath the white berries, and the leaues of this alfo are of a lighter 

 greene iSatiua, or the tame planted one is cherifoed in gardens and orchards : Syluejirispr the wilde 

 Myrtle is that which groweth of it fel fe • the berries of this are oftentimes lefler, and of the other, 

 greater, Pliny doth alfo fet downe other kindes • as Patritia, Plebeia^nd Conjugate ; but what manner 

 of ones they are he doth not declare : he alfo placeth among the Myrtles, Oxymer fine fix Kneeholm, 

 which notwithftanding is none of Myrtles,buta thorny fiuub, 



tliny in his i4.booke,i£xhap.faith,that the wine which is made of the wild Myrtle tree is cal- 

 led Ulijrtidamm, if 'the copy be true. For Diefcorides and likewife Sotion in his Geoponikes report, 

 that wine is made of Myrtle berries when they be thorow ripe, but this is called rimm Mnrtenmpt 

 Myrtites, Myrtle wine. 



Moreouer, there is alfo a wine made of the berries and leaues of Myrtle (lamped and ftccped in 

 Muft,or wine new pre fled from the grape, which is called, as Diofcorides faith, Myr finite vinnm^ or 

 ^ine of Myrtles. 



The Myrtle tree was in times paft confecrated to Vtnus. Pliny in his i5.booke,2^.chapter, faith 

 tluiSjThcre wasanold Alter belonging to rw«f,vvhich they now call Murtia. 



V 



fi fteth 



. * 



A 



hath alfo a certaine fubcill hcare,thcrefore,as Galen faith,it drieth notably. 



The leaues,fruf t,buds,and juyce do binde^both outwardly applied and inwardly takenrthey (lay £ 

 the fpi t ting ofbloud, and all other ifliies thereof: they flop both the whites and ieds in women, if 

 jjtey fit in a bath made therewith : after which manner and by fomenting alfo they ftay the fupei^ 

 Wuous courfe of the hemorrhoides. 



They are a remedy for laskes, and for the bloudy flix, they quench the fiery heateof the eies, if C 



alfo 



*tay be laid on with parched Barly meale. 

 ^heybealfo with good fucceflfe outwardly applied to all inflammations newly I 

 to new paine vpon fome fal),ftroke or ftraine. 



bey are wholefome for a moift and watery ftomacke : the fruit and leaues dried i 

 he greene leaues containe in them a certaine fuperfluous and hnrtfull moifture. 

 is good 



E 



ft 



s — - 



Gccccc j 



helpeth fpreading t 

 blacke, and keepeth 



tettcvs % 

 them 



from 



<? 



