452 The Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



CHAP. CXXXI. 

 Maiorana. Sweete Marierome. 



WEe haue many forts of Marierome; fome that are fweete, and but Sum- 

 mer plants; others that are greater and not fo fweet; and fome alfo that 

 are wilde. Of all thefe I will onely feleft fome of the choifeft that are 

 fit for this place, and leaue the other for the next garden, and the garden of fimples, or 

 a generall worke : yet hereunto I will adioyne another fweete plant called Mafticke, 

 as participating neerer with them then with Time, whereunto many doe referre it. 



. 

 i. Maiorana maior cejtiua. Common fweet Marierome. 



The fweet Marierome that is moft frequently fowen in our Country, is a low herbe 

 little aboue a foote high when it is at the higheft, full of branches, and fmall whitifh 

 foft roundifh leaues, fmelling very fweet : at the toppes of the branches ftand diuers 

 fmall fcaly heads, like vnto knots, (and therefore of fome called knotted Marierome) 

 of a whitifh greene colour, out of which come here and there fmall white flowers, and 

 afterwards fmall reddifh feede : the roote is compofed of many fmall threds or firings, 

 which perifh with the whole plant euery yeare. 



2. Maiorana tenui folia. Marierome gentle. 



This Marierome hath likewife diuers fmall branches, growing low, and not higher 

 then the former, but hauing finer and fmaller leaues, hoary and foft, but much fweeter : 

 the heads are like vnto the former, and fo are the flowers and feede, and the whole 

 plant abiding but a Summer in the like manner. 



3. Marum. Herbe Mafticke. 



The neerer refemblance that this herbe hath with Marierome then with Tyme (as 

 I faid before) hath made me place it next vnto the fmall fweet Marierome. It rifeth vp 

 with a greater, and a more woody ftalke then Marierome, two foote high or better in 

 fome places, where it liketh the ground and ayre, branching out on all fides towards 

 the vpper part, leauing the ftemme bare below, if it bee old, otherwife being young, 

 thinly furnifhing the branches from the bottome with fmall greene leaues, bigger then 

 the leaues of any Tyme, and comming neere vnto the bignefle and forme of the laft 

 recited finer Marierome, but of a greener colour : at the toppes of the branches ftand 

 fmall white flowers on a head, which afterwards turne into a loofe tuft of a long white 

 hoary matter, like vnto foft doune, with fome leaues vnderneath and about it, which 

 abide not long on the ftalkes, but are blowne away with the winde : the feede is fo 

 fmall if it haue any, that I haue not obferued it : the roote is threddy : the whole plant 

 is of a fweete refinous fent, ftronger then the Marierome, and abideth our winters, if 

 it be carefully planted and regarded. 



The Place. 



The fweete Marieromes grow naturally in hot Countreyes : the firft in 

 Spaine &c. the fecond is thought to come out of Syria, or Perfia firft into 

 Italic, where they much efteeme it, and plant it curioufly and carefully in 

 pots, and fet them in their windowes, beeing much delighted therewith for 

 the fweet fent it hath. The firft is vfually fowen euery yeare in moft gardens 

 with vs : but the fecond is very rare and daintie, and muft as daintely be pre- 

 ferued, being more tender then the former. The herbe Mafticke is thought 

 to be firft brought out of Candie, Clufius faith he found it in Spaine : It is 

 planted by flippes, (and not fowen) in many gardens, and is much replanted 



for 



