28 FAMILIAR TREES 



his description is so characteristic as to be worth 

 transcription at some length. 



" 1. Rhamnus solutivus vulgaris. The common purging thorne. 



" The purging thorne, that is frequent in our owne Land, is for the 

 most part but a low shrubbe or hedge bush, seldome growing any 

 thing bigge or like a tree, having many stemmes or branches rising 

 from the roote, covered with a smooth blackish red barke on the out- 

 side, and greene on the inside, the innermost being yellow, the wood 

 whereof is of a whitish yellow, toward the outside, and of a reddish 

 yellow inward, and at the heart strong, and not easie to bend or to 

 breake, whereof strong bowes may be made, and hath beene in times 

 past : the smaller branches are furnished with many leaves like unto 

 those of the crab tree, but smaller, with small long straight thornes 

 in many places set with the leaves, the ends of the branches ending 

 in a thorne also ; among the leaves come forth many flowers, every 

 one upon a severall foote stalke, consisting of foure leaves a peece, 

 of a whitish greene colour ; after which come small red round berries,, 

 greene at the first, and blacke when they are ripe, full of pulpe or 

 juyce that is greene, with one or two small graines within them 

 of an unpleasant taste. . . . 



" The Place. 



" The first groweth in many places of this land, but especially in 

 Kent, as at the hither end of Dartford next unto London, Faming- 

 ham upon the Connie burrowes, and in a narrow Lane neere South 

 Fleete, and in many other places. . . . 



" The Verities. 

 " The berries hereof dryed and a drame of the powder, given in 

 wine or the broth of flesh-, doth purge both flegme and grosse thicke 

 humors also, yet Pena saith it rather draweth forth thinne flegme, 

 and that from the joints and Arteries, and therefore is singular good 

 for dropsies ; some doe "make an Electuary and some a Syrupe of the 

 juyce of the berries clarified, and Sugar or Honey put thereto, but 

 because it worketh a little troublesomely, some spices are to be 

 added thereto to aromatise it, as Cinamon, Ginger and Cloves, and 

 some adde Masticke and roses also, which doth correct the evill 

 quality therein, and cause it to worke without paine : an ounce or 

 more of either Electuary or Syrupe may be given at a time, dissolved 

 either in wine or in the broth of flesh, which will draw forth raw 



