70 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



initials. Ames supposes that Treveris was a native of Treves 

 and took his name from that city, but it is more hkely that he 

 was a member of the Cornish family of Treffry, which is sometimes 

 spelt Treveris. A Sir John Treffry, who fought at Poitiers, took 

 as supporters to his arms a wild man and woman, and one likes 

 to find that one of his descendants perpetuated the memory 

 of his gallant ancestor by adopting the same sign for his trade 

 device. 



The Grete Herhall is alphabetically arranged, for the idea 

 of the natural relationship of plants was unknown at that 

 time. But we find a " classification " of fungi. " Fungi ben 

 musherons. There be two maners of them, one maner is deadly 

 and sleeth them that eateth of them and the other dooth not " ! 

 As in most sixteenth- and seventeenth-century herbals, there 

 are quaint descriptions of a good many things besides herbs. 

 The most gruesome of these is a substance briefly described as 

 " mummy,'' and the accompanying illustration is of a man 

 digging beside a tomb. " Mummy," one reads, " is a maner of 

 spyces or confectyons that is founde in the sepulchres or tombes 

 of dead bodyes that haue be confyct with spyces. And it is 

 to wyte that in olde tyme men were wont to confyct the deed 

 corpses and anoynte them with bawme and myre smellynge 

 swete. And yet ye paynims about babylon kepe that custome 

 for there is grete quantity of bawme. And this mummye is 

 specially founde about the brayne and about the maronge in 

 the rydge bone. For the blode by reason of the bawme draweth 

 to the brayne and thereabout is chauffed. And lykewise is the 

 brayne brent and parched and is the quantyte of mommye and 

 so the blode is mroeued in the rydge of the backe. That mommye 

 is to be chosen that is bryght blacke stynkynge and styffe. 

 And that y* is whyt and draweth to a dymme colour and that 

 is not stynkynge nor styffe, and that powdreth Hghtly is naught. 

 It hath vertue to restrayne or staunche." ^ 



^ The use of " mummy " is not only mentioned by all the later herbalists 

 up to the end of the seventeenth century, but is even to be found in MS. still- 



