THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 141 



what the bees have have taken pains for ; just so do the 

 collrge of p}»y?icians lie at home and domineer, and suck 

 out the sweetness of other men's labour and studies, 

 themselves being as ignorant in the knowledge of herbs 

 as a child of lour years oid, as I can make appear to anjr 

 rational man by their last dispensatory. Now then to 

 hide their ignoiance, their is no readier way in the world 

 than <o hide knowledge from their countrymen, that 

 so nobody might be able so much as to smell out their 

 ignorance. When simples were in use, men's bodies 

 ■were better in health by far than now they are, or shall 

 be, if the college can help it. The truth is, this herb is 

 of a fine cooling, drying quality, and an ointment or 

 plaster of it might do a man a courtesy that hath any hot 

 virulent sores ; 'tis admirable for ulcers of the French 

 pox ; if taken inwardly may cure the disease. It was 

 first called Female Speedwell, but a shentleraan of Wales, 

 ■whose nose was almost eaten off with tlie pox, and so 

 near the matter, that the dodlors commanded it to be cut 

 off, being cured only by the use of this herb ; and to 

 honour the herb, for saving hur nose whole, gave it one of 

 hur country names Fluellin. 



Fox- Gloves. 5 . (temp.) 



As every part of this beautiful plant hath an acrid taste, 

 children should be guarded against it. 



Deicnpt.'\ It hath many long and broad leaves lying 

 upon the ground dented upon the edges, a little soft or 

 ■woolly, and of a hoary green colour, among which riseth 

 up sometimes sundry stalks, but one verj often, bearing 

 such leaves thereon from the bottom to the middle, from 

 •whence to the top it is stored with large and long hollo^w 

 reddish purple flowers, a little more long and imminent 

 at the lower edge, with some white spots with them, one 

 above another, with small green leaves at every one, but 

 all of them turning their heads one Avay, and hanging 

 downwards, having some threads also in the middle, 

 from whence rise round heads, pointed sharp at the ends, 

 ■wherein small brown seed lieth. The roots are so many 

 small fibres, and some greater strings among them ; 

 the flowers have no scent, but the leares have a bitter hot 

 taste. 



