THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 3t 



flowers are small and white, and standing at the tops of 

 the branches, with two small leaves at the joints, in some 

 places green, in others brown, after which come black 

 seed. 



Place.'] It groweth in gardens ; but as the rootperishetlt 

 at the approach of Winter, it must be new sown every year.^ 

 I'iuie.'j It must be sowed late, and flowers in the 

 heart of Summer, being a very tender plant. 



Government and Firtues.^ This is the herb which all 

 authors are together by the ears about, and rail at one 

 another (like lawyers.) Galen and Dioscorides hold it 

 not fitting to be taken inwardly ; and Chrysippus rails at 

 it with downright Billingsgate rhetoric; Pliny, and the 

 Arabian physicians defend it. 



For my own part, I presently found that spech true ; 

 Non nostrum inter nos tantas componere lites. 

 And away io Dr. Reason went I, who told me it was an 

 herb of Mars, and under the Scorpion, and perhaps 

 therefore called Basilicon, and it is no marvel if it carry 

 a kind of virulent quality with it. Being applied to the 

 place bitten by venomous beasts, or stung by a wasp or 

 hornet, it speedily draws the poison to it. Every like 

 draws its like. Mizuldus aflirms, that being laid to rot in 

 horse-dung, it will breed venomous beasts. Hilarious, a 

 Fench physician, attirms upon his own knowledge, that 

 an acquaintance of his, by common smelling to it, had a 

 scorpion breed in his brain. Something is the matter, 

 this herb and rue will never 2;row together, no, nor near 

 one another; and we know rue is as great an enemy to 

 poison as any that grows. 



To conclude ; it expclleth both birth and after-birth; 

 and as it helps the deficiency of Venus in one kind, so 

 it spoils all her a6tious in another. I dare write no more 

 of it. 



The Bay Tree. © in a- (h. d. 3.) 



Tins is so well known that it needs no description ; 

 I shall therefore only write the virtues thereof which are 

 many. 



Government and Virtues.'\ I shall but only add a word 

 or two to what my friend hath Mritten, viz, That it is a. 

 c 4 



