214 WILD FLOWERS. 



heads of his catalogue, which includes, "strengthen- 

 inge of the hearte, and refreshinge of the spirits;" 

 and he declares that the rose gives sleep to the fevered, 

 allays inflammation, and strengthens the inside, 

 that it forms an ingredient in " alle manner of coun- 

 terpoysons," that, mixed with honey, it heals wounds 

 and staunches bleeding ; and, in short, that it is 

 generally "profitable for other griefes/' including 

 the ague, and " availing the surgeon greatlie to 

 carry store thereof;" besides the possibility of 

 perfectly maintaining the health by a morning diet 

 of a salad of rose-leaves. Pliny mentions briar-rose 

 root as a cure for hydrophobia, and affirms that 

 men derived their knowledge of it from a dream 

 of which he tells the story.* The following is 

 the account given of its virtues by the " Stock- 

 holm MS." : 



* * "Ye rose, yt spryngyth on spray 



Schewyth hys flowris ill someres day 

 It needeth not hy to discrie [describe] 

 Eueri man knowith at eye [at sight] 

 Of his virtues et of his kende 

 I schall ye seyn as in bok fynde 



***** 



Playster of rose mad well 



All hot leyde to distroith ill dell 



And afterward adrawt [a draught] of good wyn 



Schall clere yi bowalys weel yt fyn 



Also ye bok tellyth i latyn 



Take a greyn of rose fyn 



And wt. a greyn of mustard seed 



Lete sethy et zrynd it wt. awesl fet [a fat weasel] 



And yane [then] hangejt in ai tre, 



* Plin. "Nat. Hist." viii. 41 -xxv. 2. 



