i68 JOHN GOODYER 



up againe at the beginning of May, seldome sooner. — MS. f. ii6; 



Ger. eniac. 753 -54« 



[For Goodyer's descriptions of The Place and The Vertues which 

 follow see p. 24, also p. 109.] 



Yew, TaxHs baccata L. 

 Taxus glandifera baccifera. 19 Dec. 1621 



The Yew bearing Acorns & bcrryes. 



The Yew tree that beareth Acornes and berries is a great high 

 tree remaining alwaics greene, and hath usually an huge trunke or 

 body as big as the Oke, covered over with a scabbed or scaly barke, 

 often pilling or falling off, and a yong smooth barke appearing 

 underneath ; the timber hereof is somewhat red, neere as hard as 

 Box, universally covered next the barke with a thicke white sap 

 like that of the Oke, and hath many big limmes divided into many 

 smal spreading branches : the leaves be about an inch long, narrow 

 like the leaves of Rosemary, but smooth, and of a darker greene 

 colour, growing all alongst the little twigs or branches close 

 together, seldome one opposite against another, often having at the 

 ends of the twigs little bunches composed of many leaves like 

 the former, but shorter and broader, closely compact or ioyned 

 together : amongst the leaves are to be scene at all times of the 

 yeare, small slender buds somewhat long, but never any flowers ; 

 which at the very beginning of the Spring grow bigger and bigger, 

 till they are of the fashion of little Acornes, with a white kernell 

 within : after they are of this forme, then groweth up from the 

 bottomes of the Acornes a reddish matter, making beautiful reddish 

 berries more long than round, smooth on the out side, very 

 clammie within, and of a sweet taste, covering all the Acorne, 

 onely leaving a little hole at the top, where the top of the Acorne 

 is to be scene : these fallen, or devoured by birds, leave behinde 

 them a little whitish huske made of a few scales, appearing like 

 a little flower, which pcradventure may deceive some, taking it to 

 be so indeed : it seemes this tree, if it were not hindrcd by cold 

 weather, would alwaics have Acornes and berries on him, for he 

 hath alwaies little buds, which so soone as the Spring ) eelds but 

 a reasonable heate, they grow into the forme of Acornes : about 

 the be;^inning of August, seldome before, you shall finde them 

 turned into ripe berries, and from that time till Christmasse, or 

 a little after, you may see on him both Acornes and red berries. — 

 MS. f. 119; Ger. etnac. 1370. 



