MANUSCRIPT AND PRINTED HERBALS 73 



" Southernwood. The fume of it expelleth all serpents out 

 of the house and what so ever there abydeth dyeth." 



There are two delicious violet recipes for " Syrope of Vyo- 

 lettes " and " oyle of vyolettes." 



" Syrope of vyolettes i made in this maner — Sethe vyolettes 

 in water and lete it lye all nyght in ye same water. Than poure 

 and streyne out the water, and in the same put sugre and make 

 your syrope. 



" Oyle of vyolettes is made thus. Sethe vyolettes in oyle 

 and streyne it. It will be oyle of vyolettes." 



It is in this herbal that we find the first avowal of disbelief 

 in the supposed powers of the mandrake. 



" There be two maners the male and the female, the female 

 hath sharpe leves. Some say that it is better for medycyne 

 than the male but we use of bothe. Some say that the male 

 hath figure of shape of a man. And the female of a woman 

 but that is fals. For Nature never gaue forme or shape of 

 makynde to an herbe. But it is of troughe that some hath 

 shaped suche fygures by craft as we have fortyme herde say of 

 labourers in the feldes." 



The Crete Herball ends thus — 



" O ye worthy reders or practicyens to whome this noble 

 volume is preset. I beseche you take inteUygence and beholde 

 ye workes and operacyos of almighty god which hath endewed 

 his symple creature mankynde with the graces of ye holy goost 

 to have parfyte knowlege and understandynge of the vertue 

 of all manner of herbes and trees in this booke comprehendyed 

 and everyche of them chaptred by hymselfe and in every chaptre 

 dyuers clauses where is shewed dyuers maner of medycunes in 

 one herbe comprehended whiche ought to be notyf yed and marked 

 for the helth of man in whom is repended ye hevenly gyftes by 

 the eternall Kynge to whom be laude and prayse everlastynge. 

 Amen." 



