THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 165 



seeds are small and yellowish. The root spreadeth like 

 the other, neither Avill it yield to its fellow one ace of 

 bitterness. 



Place.] They grow in wet lo\v grounds, and by the 

 -vvater-sides ; the last may be found among the bogs on 

 Hampstead Heath. 



Titiic.'] they flower in June and July, and the seed is 

 ripe presently after. 



Government and Virtues.1 They are herbs of Mars, 

 and as choleric and churlish as he is, being most violent 

 purges, especially of clioler and phlegm. It is not safe 

 taking them inwardly, unless they be Avell re(!'lified by 

 the art of the alchymist, and only the purity of them 

 given : so used they may be very helpful both for tho 

 dropsy, gout, and sciatica ; outwardly used in ointments 

 they kill worms, the belly anointed with it, and are ex- 

 cellent good to cleanse old and filthy ulcers. 



Black-Hellebore. T: . (c. 4. d. 2.) 



It is also called Setter-wort, Setter-grass, Bear's-foot, 

 Christmas-herb, and Christmas-flower. 



DescripL^ It hath sundry fair green leaves rising from 

 the root, each of them standing about an handful high 

 from the earth : each leaf is divided into seven, eight, 

 or nine parts, dented from the middle of the leaf to tho 

 point on both sides, abiding green all the winter ; 

 about Christmas-time, if the weather be any thing tem- 

 perate, the flowers appear upon foot-stalks, also con- 

 sisting of five large, round, white leaves a-piece, which 

 sometimes are purple towards the edges, with many pale 

 yellow thumbs in the middle; the seeds are divided 

 into several cells, like those of Columbines, save only 

 that they are greater ; the seeds are in colour black, and 

 iu form, long and round. The root consisteth of num- 

 berless blackish strings all united into one head. There 

 is aoother Black Hellebore, which grows up and down 

 in the woods very like this, but only that the leaves are 

 smaller and aarrower, and perish in the Winter, which 

 this doth not. 



Flace.l Tlie first is maintained ia gardens. The 



