20 ANCIENT PLANT-BED. 



"This herbe resembleth in figure fashion, and qualities, 

 the great comfrey in such sort as that a man woulde deeme 

 it to be a kinde of great comfrey, rather than a yellow hen- 

 bane, as some have thought. 



" It hath an upright stalke, not bending any way, thicke, 

 bearded or hairy, and slimy : the leaves are broad and long, 

 greerie, drawing somewhat towards a yellow, bearded or 

 hoarrie, but smooth and slimie, having as it were talons, but 

 not either notched or cut in the edges, a great deale bigger 

 downward toward the root than above : while it is young it 

 is leaved, as it were lying upon the ground, but rising to a 

 Btalke and growing further, it ceaseth to have such a number 

 of leaves below, and putteth forth branches from half foot to 

 half, and storeth itselfe, by that meanes with leaves, and still 

 riseth higher from the height of four or five foote, unto three 

 or four or five cubits according as is sown in a hot and fat 

 ground, and carefully tilled. The boughs and branches 

 thereof put out at joints, and divide the stalk by distance of 

 halfe a foote : the highest of which branches are bigger than 

 an arme. 



"At the tops and ends of his branches and boughs, it put- 

 teth foorth flowers almost like those of Nigella, of a whitish 

 and incarnate color, having the fashion of a little bell com- 

 ming out of a swad or husk, being of the fashion of a small 

 goblet, which husk becometh round, having the fashion of a 

 little apple, or sword's pummell : as soon as the flower is 

 gone and vanished away, it is filled with very small seedes 

 like unto those of yellow henbane, and they are black when 

 they be ripe, or greene, while they are not yet ripe. 



" In a hot countree it beareth leaves, flowers, and seeds at 

 the same time, in the ninth or tenth month of the year it 

 putteth foorth young cions at the roote, and reneweth itself 

 by this store and number of cions, and great quantity of 

 sprouts, and yet notwithstanding the roots are little, small, 

 fine thready strings, or if otherwise they grow a little thick, 

 yet remaine they still very short, in respect of the height of 

 the plant. The roots and leaves do yield a glewish and 

 rosinith kind of juice, somewhat yellow, of a rosinlike smell, 

 not unpleasant, and of a sharpe, eager and biting taste, which 

 sheweth that it is by nature hot, whereupon we must gather 

 that it is no kind of yellow henbane as some have thought. 

 Nicotiana craveth a fat ground well stird, and well manured 

 also in this cold countrie (England) that is to say an earth, 

 wherein the manure is so well mingled and incorporated, as 



