134 THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



fig-trce, as well as the bay-trce, is n€?er hurt by light- 

 ning; as also if you tie a bull, be he ever so mad, to a 

 fig-tree, he will quickly become tame and gentle. As 

 tor such figs as come from beyond sea, I have little to say, 

 because I write not of exoticks ; yet some authors say, 

 the eating of them makes people lousy. 



The yellow Water-Flag, or Flower de-lucc. 3>, 

 ih, d. 4.) 



This plant should be extirpated from all meadows 

 where cattle arc kept. 



Descript.] This groweth like the flower-de-luce; but 

 it hath much longer and narrower sad green leaves joint- 

 ed together in that fashion ; the stalk also growing often- 

 times as high, bearing small yellow flowerSj shaped like 

 the Flower-de-luce, with three failing leaves, and other 

 three arched, that cover their bottoms ; but instead of the 

 three upright leaves, as the FloAver-dc-Iuce hath, this 

 hath only three short pieces standing in their places, after 

 which succeed thick and long three-square heads, con- 

 taining in each part somewhat big and flat seed, like those 

 of the Flower-dc-lnce. The root is long and slender, of 

 a pale brownish colour on the outside, and of a horse- 

 flesh colour on the inside, with many fibres thereat, and 

 very harsh in taste. 



Flace.^ It usually grows in watery ditches, poods, 

 lakes, and moor-sides, which are always overflowed with 

 waters. 



Time.'] It flowereth la July, and the seed is ripe in 

 August. 



Government and Virtues.'] It is under the dominion of 

 the Moon. The root of this Water Flag is very, astrin- 

 gent, cooling, and drying, and thereby helps ah laxes 

 and fluxes whether of blood or humours, as bleeding at 

 the mouth, nose, or other parts, bloody flux, and the 

 immoderate flux of women's courses. The distilled water 

 of the whole herb, flowers and roots, is a sovereign good 

 remedy for watering eyes, both to be dropped into them, 

 and so have cloths or sponges wetted therein, and applied 

 to the forehead; it also hclpeth the spots and blemishes 

 that happea ia and about the eyes, or any other jparts. 



