The Garden of pleajant Flowers. 377 



The Time. 



They flower not with vs vntill the end, or middle of Augurt, at the foo- 

 neft. 



The Names. 



They are called of fome Canna Indica, and Arundo Indica, of others Canna- 

 corus, and of fome Flos Cancri, becaufe the colour of the flowers, as well as 

 the forme of the buds, are fo like vnto a Sea-Crabs cle, or claw. 



The Vertucs. 

 There is not any vfe of thefe in Phyficke that I know. 



CHAP. XCV. 



Mandragoras. Mandrake. 



THe Mandrake is diftinguifhed into two kindes, the male and the female ; the 

 male hath two forts, the one differing from the other, as fhall be (hewed ; but of 

 the female I know but one : Tfye male is frequent in many gardens, but the fe- 

 male, in that it is more tender and rare, is nourfed vp but in a few. 



Mandragoras mas. The male Mandrake. 



The male Mandrake thrufleth vp many leaues together out of the ground, which 

 being full growne, are faire, large and greene, lying round about the roote, and are lar- 

 ger and longer then the greateft leaues of any Lettice, whereunto it is likened by Dio- 

 fcorides and others : from the middle, among thefe leaues, rife vp many flowers, euery 

 one vpon a long flender ftalke, (landing in a whitifh greene huske, confiding of fiue 

 pretty large round pointed leaues, of a greenifh white colour, which turne into fmall 

 round apples, greene at the firft, and of a pale red colour when they are ripe, very 

 fmooth and (hining on the outfide, and of a heady or flrong (luffing fmell, wherein is 

 contained round whitifh flat feede : the roote is long and thicke, blackifh on the out- 

 fide, and white within, confifting many times but of one long roote, and fometimes 

 diuided into two branches a little below the head, and fometimes into three or more, 

 as nature lifteth to beftow vpon it, as my felfe haue often feene, by the tranfplanting of 

 many, as alfo by breaking and cutting off of many parts of the rootes, but neuer found 

 harme by fo doing, as many idle tales haue beene fet downe in writing, and deliuered 

 alfo by report, of much danger to happen to fuch, as fhould digge them vp or breake 

 them ; neyther haue I euer feene any forme of man like or woman-like parts, in the 

 rootes of any : but as I faid, it hath oftentimes two maine rootes running down right 

 into the ground, and fometimes three, and fometimes but one, as it likewife often hap- 

 peneth to Parfneps, Carrots, or the like. But many cunning counterfeit rootes haue bin 

 lhaped to fuch formes, and publickly expofed to the view of all that would fee them, 

 and haue been tolerated by the chiefe Magiftrates of the Citie, notwithftanding that 

 they haue beene informed that fuch practices were meere deceit, and vnfufferable ; 

 whether this happened through their ouer-credulitie of the thing, or of the perfons, 

 or through an opinion that the intormation of the truth rofe vpon enuy, I know not, 

 I leaue that to the fearcher of all hearts : But this you may bee bold to reft vpon, and 

 allure your felues, that fuch formes as haue bin publickly expofed to be feene, were ne- 

 uer fo formed by nature, but only by the art and cunning of knaues and deceiuers, and 

 let this be your Galeatum againft all fuch vaine, idle and ridiculous toyes of mens in- 

 uentions. 



B 3 There 



