278 WILD FLOWERS. 



Betonye & plantain to gedere yn take 



And wt. hoot water to gedere yn make, 



As seyth Macer opynlyke [openly] 



Yt covereth ye cotidyan [? quartan ague] mythilycke. 



If yn of vomites wylt have bote, 



Make a powdyr of betonye rote, 



And drink it wyth water clene. 



It distroith ye fe all be dene. 



iiij lewes of betonye drounken wt. hoth wyn 



Purgyth ye rewme weell et fyn ; 



Ye seede of betonye in tyme 



Is mythy drynke ageyn all venyme. 



* * * * 



Whoso take abene weyte [a bean's weight] 



Of powdyr of betonye wt. hony weell dyth, 



And ete it sone after hys sopere ryf, 



It counfortyth ye stomack et mythys [mightily] digestif. 



* * * * 



Yorow [through] all yis woorld here on gronde 

 Beter erbys may non be fonde 

 Yane betonye, et myte [mighty] for ye stomack 

 And eke for peyne et werke in ye bak ; 



* * # * 



And zif it befalle to old or zing [young] 



Newly to lesyn [lose] here hering, 



Tows of betonye in hys ere de leyen [left (delayed) ] 



And it bringyth ye herynge ageyn ; 



Zif on have ye toth ake, 



Betoyn sothy et wy he take [betony seethed and wine] 



And kepe it in hys mowth at ewyn et morise [evening and 



morning, morn rise] 

 And it schall drywy [drive] awaye ye sorrowe. 



* * * * 



For alle sekenesse in every stoude 

 Betonye is good wyhl is may fonde [found] 

 "What manner hurt yt neddrys [adders] have 

 And he mowe [must ?] betonye crawe [crave] 

 He schall hy striky yer on anon [thereon anon] 

 And all his wo schall fro hy gon, 



