312 THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



and hcalctli ulcers in the mouth or secret parls, find is 

 very good for inward wounds, and to close (he lips of 

 green wounds, and to heal old, moist and corrupt running 

 sores in the legs or elsewhere. Being bruised and applied 

 to the soles of the feet and hand-wrists, it wonderfully 

 cooletli the hot fits of the agues, be they never so violent. 

 The distilled water cleanseth the skin of all discolourings 

 therein, as morphew, sun-burnings, Sec. as also pimples, 

 freckles, and the like ; and dropped into the eyes, or 

 cloths wet therein and applied, taketh away the heat and 

 inflammations in them. 



The Melancholy Thistle. ^. c?, Vf. (h. d. 2.) 



This differeth Jrom other Thistles in its appearance. 



Descript-I It riseth up with tender single hoary green 

 s.talks, bearing thereon four or five green leaves, dented 

 above the edges ; the points (hereof are little or nothing 

 prickly, and at the top usually but one head, yet some- 

 times from the bosom of the uppermost leaves there 

 shooteth forth another small head scaly and prickly, wiih 

 many reddish thrumbs or threads in the middk-, which 

 being gathered fresh, will keep (he colour, and fade not 

 from the stalk a long time, while it perfefts the seed, 

 which is of a mean bigness, lying in the down. The root 

 hath many strings fastened to the head, or ujjper part, 

 ■which is blackish, and perisheth not. 



Flace."] They grow in many moist meadows of this 

 land, as well in the southern, as in the northern parts. 



7V/7/e.7 They (lower about July or August, and their 

 seed ripeneth quickly after. 



Government and yirtues.l It is under Capricorn, and 

 therefore under both Saturn 'and Alars ; one rids melan-, 

 choly by sympathy, the other by antipathy. Their vir- 

 tues are but few, but those not to be despised ; for thfi 

 dcco6iion of the thistle in wine being drank, expels su- 

 perfluous melancholy out of the body, and makes a man 

 as merry as a cricket; superfluous melancholy canseth 

 care, fear, sadness, despair, envy, and many evils more 

 besides; but religion teacheth to wait upon God's pro- 

 vidence, and cast our care upon him who careth for us. 

 What a line thing were it if men and women could live j»o ? 



