

'The Gar <{en of f) leaf ant Flowers. 



247 



in England, fo they haue been tranfplanted into Gardens, to be there nouri- 

 Ihed tor the delight of their loucrs, where they all abide, and grow fairer 

 then in their natural! places, except the fmall Birds eyes, which will (as I 

 faid) hardly abide any culture, but groweth plentifully in all the North 

 Countries in their fqually or wet grounds. 



The Time. 



Thefe doe all flower in the Spring of the yeare, fome earlier and fome 

 later, and fome in the midft of Winter, as they are defended from the colds 

 and frolts, and the mildnefle of the time will permit : yet the Cowflips doe 

 alwayes flower later then the Primrofes, and both the fingle and double 

 greene Cowflips latelt, as I faid in their defcriptions, and abide much after 

 ill the reft. 



The Names. 



All thefe plants are called molt vfually in Latine, Primula verts, Primula 

 pratcnfcs, and Primula Jiluarum, becaufe they fhew by their flowring the new 

 Spring to bee comming on, they being as it were the firfl Embafladours 

 thereof. They haue alfo diuers other names, as Herba Paralyjis, Arthritica, 

 Hcrba Sanfli Pefri, C/aues Sanfti Petri, Verbafculum odoratum, Lunaria arthri- 

 tica, Phlomis, Alifma Jiluarum, and Alifmatis alterum genus, as Fabius Co- 

 lumna calleth them. The Birds eyes are called of Lobel in Latine, Paraly- 

 tica Alpina, Sanicula angujlifolia, making a greater and a lefler. Others call 

 them Sanicula angujtifolia, but generally they are called Primula veris minor. 

 I haue (as you fee) placed them with the Cowflips, putting a difference be- 

 tweene Primrofes and Cowflips. And fome haue diftinguifhed them, by 

 calling the Cowflips, Primula veris E/atior, that is, the Taller Primrofe, and 

 the other Humilis, Lowe or Dwarfe Primrofes. In Englifh they haue in like 

 manner diuers names, according to feuerall Countries, as Primrofes, Cow- 

 flips, Oxelips, Palfieworts, and Petty Mulleins. The firft kindes, which are 

 lower then the reft, are generally called by the name of Primrofes (as I 

 thinke) throughout England. The others are diuerfly named ; for in fome 

 Countries they call them Paigles, or Palfieworts, or Petty Mulleins, which 

 are called Cowflips in others. Thofe are vfually called Oxelips, whofe 

 flowers are naked, or bare without huskes to containe them, being not fo 

 fweete as the Cowflip, yet haue they fome little fent, although the Latine 

 name doth make them to haue none. The Franticke, Fantafticke, or Foolifh 

 Cowflip, in fome places is called by Country people, lacke an Apes on 

 horle-backe, which is an vfuall name with them, giuen to many other 

 plants, as Daifies, Marigolds, &c. if they be llrange or fantalticall, diffe- 

 ring in the forme from the ordinary kinde of the fingle ones. The fmallelt 

 are vfually called through all the North Country, Birds eyen, becaufe of 

 the fmall yellow circle in the bottomes of the flowers, refembling the eye 

 of a bird. 



The Vertues. 



Primrofes and Cowflips are in a manner wholly vied in Cephalicall dif- 

 eafes, either among other herbes or flowers, or of themfelues alone, to eafe 

 paines in the head, and is accounted next vnto Betony, the beft tor that pur- 

 pofe. Experience likewife hath fhewed, that they are profitable both for 

 the Palfie, and paines of the ioynts, euen as the Beares eares are, which 

 hath caufed the names of Arthitica, Paralyjis, and Paralytica, to bee giuen 

 them. The iuice of the flowers is commended to cleanfe the fpots or marks 

 of the face, whereof fome Gentlewomen haue found good experience. 



CHAP. 



