28 The Garden of pleafant Flowers. 



leafe-jthereof hath on the outfide a certaine bunch or eminence, of a darke purplifh co- 

 lour, and on the infide there lyeth in thofe hollow bunched places, certaine cleare 

 drops of water like vnto pearles, of a very fvveete tafte almoft like fugar : in the midft 

 of each flower is a long white ftile or pointell, forked or diuided at the end, and fixe 

 white chiues tipt with yellowifh pendents, ftanding clofe about it : after the flowers 

 are paft, appeare fixe fquare feede veflels ftanding vpright, winged as it were or welted 

 on the edges, yet feeming but three fquare, becaufe each couple of thofe welted edges 

 are ioyned clofer together, wherein are contained broad, flat, and thinne feedes, of a 

 pale brownifh colour, like vnto other Lillies, but much greater and thicker alfo. The 

 ftalke of this plant doth oftentimes grow flat, two, three, or foure fingers broad, and 

 then beareth many more flowers, but for the moft part fmaller then when it beareth 

 round ftalkes. And fometimes it happeneth the ftalke to be diuided at the top, carry- 

 ing two or three tufts of greene leaues, without any flowers on them. And fometimes 

 likewife, to beare two or three rowes or crownes of flowers one aboue another vpon 

 one ftalke, which is feldome and fcarce feene, and befides, is but meere accidentall : 

 the whole plant and euery part thereof, as well rootes, as leaues and flowers, doe fmell 

 fomewhat ftrong as it were the fauour of a Foxe, fo that if any doe but come neare it, 

 he cannot but fmell it, which yet is not vnwholfome. 



I haue not obferued any variety in the colour of this flower, more then that it will 

 be fairer in a cleare open ayre, and paler, or as it were blafted in a muddy or fmoakie 

 ayre. And although fome haue boafted of one with white flowers, yet I could neuer 

 heare that any fuch hath endured in one vniforme colour. 



The Place. 



This plant was firft brought from Conftantinople into thefe Chriftian 

 Countries, and by the relation of fome that fent it, groweth naturally in 

 Perfia. 



The Time. 



It flowereth moft commonly in the end of March, if the weather be milde, 

 and fpringeth not out of the ground vntill the end of February, or begin- 

 ning of March, fo quicke it is in the fpringing : the heads with feed are ripe 

 in the end of May. 



The Names. 



It is of fome called Lilium Perficum, the Perfian Lilly : but becaufe wee 

 haue another, which is more vfually called by that name, as mall be (hewed 

 in the next Chapter, I had rather with Alphonfus Pancius the Duke of Flo- 

 rence his Phyfitian, (who firft fent the figure thereof vnto M fr . lohn de 

 Brancion) call it Corona Imperialis, the Crowne Imperiall, then by any o- 

 ther name, as alfo for that this name is now more generally receiued. It 

 hath been fent alfo by the name 1'ufai, and Tufchai, and Turfani, or Tur- 

 fanda^ being, as it is like, the Turkifh names. 



The Vertues. 



For any Phyficall Vertues that are in it, I know of none, nor haue heard that 

 any hath been found out : notwithftanding the ftrong fent would perfwade 

 it might be applyed to good purpofe. 



CHAP. II. 

 Lilium Perjicum. The Perfian Lilly. 



THe roote of the Perfian Lilly is very like vnto the root of the Crowne Imperi- 

 all, and lofing his fibres in like maner euery yeare, hauing a hole therin likewife 

 where the old ftalke grew, but whiter, rounder, and a little longer, fmaller, and 

 not (linking at all like it, from whence fpringeth vp a round whitifh greene ftalke, not 



much 



