336 THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



if you ploaso to make use of it as an ointment, it will 

 clear your skin of niorphew, freckles, and siin-burniugs, 

 or \vhatevcr else discolours it, and then the maids wiil 

 love it. Authors say, the llowcrs are of more ellect than 

 the leaves, and that is true ; but they say the seeds arc 

 least cliectual of all. But Dr. Reason lold me, that there 

 was a vital spirit in every seed to beget its like; and 

 Dr. Experience told me, that there yvas a greater hurt in 

 the seed than there was in any other part of the plant ; 

 and withal, that heat was the mother of action, and 

 then jndge if old Dr. Tradition (who may well be ho- 

 noured for his age, but not for his goodness) hath not 

 fo i)oisoned the world with errors before I was born, 

 that it was never well in its wits since, and there is great 

 fear it will die mad. 



Wormwood, c?. (It. d. I.) 



Three Wormwoods are familiar with us ; one I shall not 

 describe, another I shall describe, and the third be critical 

 at; and I care not greatly if 1 begin with the last lirst. 



Sea fVormzcood hath ^ottvn as many names as virtues, 

 (and perhaps one more) Seriphian, Sanloiiicon, Bel- 

 chion, Narbinense, ilantonicon, JNIisnculc, and a mat- 

 ter of twenty more which 1 shall not blot paper witrial. 

 A Papist got the toy by the end, and he called it Huly 

 Wormwood ; and in truth, 1 am of opinion, their giv- 

 ing so much holiness to herbs, is the reason there re- 

 mains so little in themselves. The seed of this worm- 

 wood is that vshich usually women give their children 

 for the worms. Of ail wormwoods that grow itere, this 

 is the weakest, but doctors commend it, and apotheca- 

 ries sell it; the one must keep his credit, and the other 

 get money, and that is the key of the work. The herb 

 is good for something, because Goo made nothing in 

 vain. Will yon give me leave to weigh things in the 

 balance of reason ; then thus : The seeds of the common 

 Wormwood are far more prevalent than the seed of this 

 to expel worms in children, or people of i ipe age ; of 

 both some are weak, some are strong. The Serijjhian 

 Wormwood is the weakest, and haply may prove to be 

 fittest for the weak bodies, Cfor it is weak enough of all 

 conscience.) Let such as are strong take the coniniuu 



