64 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



meales ... if the sayde confection be put in the fyre it shall 

 be turned anone unto blue coloure." 



Of the herb which, he tells us, " the men of Chaldea called 

 roybra, he says : "He that holdeth this herbe in hys hade with 

 an herbe called Mylfoyle or yarowe or noseblede is sure from all 

 feare and fantasye or vysion. And yf it be put with the juyce 

 of houselyke and the bearers hands be anoynted with it and the 

 residue be put in water if he entre in ye water where fyshes 

 be they wil gather together to hys handes . . . and if hys hande 

 be drawe forth they will leape agayne to theyre owne places 

 where they were before." 



Of hound's tongue : " If ye shall have the aforenamed herbe 

 under thy formost toe al the dogges shall kepe silence and shall 

 not have power to bark. And if thou shalt put the aforesayde 

 thinge in the necke of any dogge so y* he maye not touche it 

 with his mouthe he shalbe turned always round about lyke a 

 turning whele untill he fall unto the grounde as dead and this 

 hath bene proved in our tyme." 



Of centaury : " If it be joyned with the bloude of a female 

 lapwing or black plover and be put with oyle in a lampe, all 

 they that compasse it aboute shal beleue themselves to be 

 witches so that one shall beleve of an other that his head is 

 in heaven and his fete in the earth. And if the aforesaid thynge 

 be put in the fire whan the starres shine it shall appeare y^ the 

 sterres runne one agaynste another and fyght." 



Of vervain : " This herbe (as witches say) gathered, the 

 sunne beyng in the signe of the Ram, and put with grayne or 

 corne of pyonie of one yeare olde healeth them y* be sicke of 

 ye falling sykenes." 



Of powder of roses : "If the aforesayde poulder be put 

 in a lampe and after be kindled all men shall appeare blacke as 

 the deuell. And if the aforesaid poulder be mixed with oyle 

 of the olyue tree and with quycke brymstone and the house 

 anointed wyth it, the Sunne shyning, it shall appeare all 

 inflamed." 



