J68 THE i:nglisii physician enlarged. 



aljout with ciglit small yellow mealy (lircads mI(1i tlirce 

 colours, making it the more conspicuous, and lovely to 

 behold. This button or head in the middle, when the 

 other leaves arc withered, become a hiackish purple 

 berry, full of juice, of the bigness of a reasonable grape, 

 having -within it many white seeds. Tiie whole plant is 

 without any manifest taste. 



Place.'] It groweth in Avoods and copses, and some- 

 times iu the corners or borders of lields, and waste 

 grounds in very many places of this land, and abundantly 

 in the woods, copses, and other places about Chislchurst, 

 and Maidstone in Kent. 



Thne.^ They spring up in the middle of April or ^lay, 

 and are in flower soon after. Tlie berries are ripe in tliv 

 end of May, and in some places in June. 



Guver/unent and Virtues.'] Venus owns it ; the leaves or 

 })erries hereof are eliedtual to expel poison of all sort.*-, 

 especially that of the aconites : as also, the plague, and 

 other i)estilential disorders : Matthiolus saith, that some 

 that have lain long in a lingering sickness, and others 

 that by witchcraft (as it was thought) were beconje half 

 foolish, by taking a dram of the seeds or berries hereof 

 in powder every day for 20 days together, were restored 

 to their former health. The roots in powder taken in 

 wine easeth the pains of the cholick speedily. The leaves 

 are very eftecfual, as well for green wounds, as to cleanse 

 and heal up iilthy old sores and ulcers ; and is very 

 powerful to discuss old tumours and swellings in the pri- 

 vate parts, the groin, or in any part of the body, and 

 speedily to allay all inflammations. The juice of the 

 leaves applied to felons, or those nails of the hands or 

 toes that have imposthumes or sores gathered together at 

 the roots of them, healeth them in a short space. The 

 herb is not to be described for the premises, but is fit to 

 be nourished in crery good woman's garden. Children 

 should be cautioned against eating the berries. 



Hyssop. %. (temp* d. 2.) 



IIvssop is so well knowH to be an inhabitant in every 

 garden, that it will save me the labour in writing a de- 

 scription thereof. The virtues are as follow: 



