14 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



: 



white and green scaly heads, very brittle or { more than the wild, yet hath it the same 

 easy to break while they are young, which I effects in all the afore-mentioned diseases : 

 afterwards rise up in very long and slender j The decoction of the roet in white wine, 

 green stalks of the bigness of an ordinary | and the back and belly bathed therewith, 

 riding wand, at the bottom of most, or j or kneeling or lying down in the same, or 

 bigger, or lesser, as the roots are of growth; | sitting therein as a bath, has been found 

 on which are set divers branches of green I effectual against pains of the reins and 

 leaves shorter and smaller than fennel to the ! bladder, pains of the mother and cholic, 

 top ; at the joints whereof come forth small | and generally against all pains that happen 

 yellowish flowers, which turn into round f to the lower parts of the body, and no less 

 berries, green at first, and of an excellent \ effectual against stiff and benumbed sinews, 

 red colour when they are ripe, shewing like i or those that are shrunk by cramps and 

 bead or coral, wherein are contained ex- j convulsions, and helps the sciatica, 

 ceeding hard black seeds, the roots are dis- i 



* A ^i TT T T? "P* "P 



persed from a spongeous head into many | 



long, thick, and round strings, wherein is j THIS is so well known, that time would 

 sucked much nourishment out of the ground, [be mispent in writing a description of it ; 

 and increaseth plentifully thereby. \ therefore I shall only insist upon the virtues 



PRICKLY ASPARAGUS, OR SPERAGE. , . , 



i Government and virtues.] It is governed 



Descript.~\ THIS grows usually in gar- j by the Sun: and the young tender tops, 

 dens, and some of it grows wild in Apple-! with the leaves taken inwardly, and some 

 ton meadows in Gloucestershire, where the \ of them outwardly applied, are singularly 

 poor people gather the buds of young ! good against the bitings of viper, adder, or 

 shoots, and sell them cheaper than our gar- ! any other venomous beast ; and the water 

 den Asparagus is sold in London. j distilled therefrom being taken, a small 



Time.'] For the most part they flower, J quantity every morning fasting, is a singular 

 and bear their berries late in the year, or i medicine for those that are subject to dropsy, 

 not at all, although they are housed in I or to abate the greatness of those that are 

 Winter. j too gross or fat. The decoction of the leaves 



Government and virtues^ They arc both ; in white wine helps to break the stone, 

 under the dominion of Jupiter. The young 5 and expel it, and cures the jaundice. The 

 buds or branches boiled in ordinary broth, \ ashes of the bark of the Ash made into 

 make the belly soluble and open, and boiled \ lye, and those heads bathed therewith 

 in white wine, provoke urine, being stopped, \ which are leprous, scabby, or scald, they 

 and is good against the stranguary or diffi- \ are thereby cured. The kernels within the 

 culty of making water; it expelleth the j husks, commonly called Ashen Keys, pre- 

 gravel and stone out of the kidneys, and j vail against stitches and pains in the sides, 

 helpeth pains in the reins. And boiled in j proceeding of wind, and voideth away the 

 white wine or vinegar, it is prevalent for \ stone by provoking urine, 

 them that have their arteries loosened, or! I can justly except against none of all 

 are troubled with the hip-gout or sciatica, i: this, save only the first, viz. That Ash-tree 



The decoction of the roots boiled in wine ! 



tops and leaves are good against the bitings 



and taken, is good to clear the sight, and i of serpents and vipers. I suppose this had hs 

 being held in the mouth easeth the tooth- |,rise from Gerrard or Pliny, both which hold, 

 ache. The garden asparagus nourishethiiThat there is such an antipathy between an 



