20 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



Pettimugget, and Maiden-hair; and by some j oil, by being set in the sun, and changed 

 Wild Rosemary. J after it has stood ten or twelve days ; or 



Descript.] This rises up with divers into an ointment being boiled in Axunga, 

 small brown, and square upright stalks, a \ or sallad oil, with some wax melted therein, 

 yard high or more ; sometimes branches j after it is strained ; either the oil made 

 forth into divers parts, full of joints, and | thereof, or the ointment, do help burnings 

 with divers very fine small leaves at every : with fire, or scalding with water. The 

 one of them, little or nothing rough at all ; : same also, or the decoction of the herb and 

 at the tops of the branches grow many long | flower, is good to bathe the feet of travellers 

 tufts or branches of yellow flowers very j and lacquies, whose long running causes 

 thick set together, from the several joints ; weariness and stiffness in the sinews and 

 which consist of four leaves a piece, which '.joints. If the decoction be used warm, and 

 smell somewhat strong, but not unpleasant. \ the joints afterwards anointed with oint- 

 The seed is small and black like poppy j ment, it helps the dry scab, and the itch 

 seed, two for the most part joined together : j in children ; and the herb with the white 

 The root is reddish, with many small threads | flower is also very good for the sinews, 

 fastened to it, which take strong hold of j arteries, and joints, to comfort and strengthen 

 the ground, and creep a little: and the : them after travel, cold, and pains, 

 branches leaning a little down to the ground, ; 



O ^^ * 13 T? ~f T 1 Q 



take root at the joints thereof, whereby it i 



is easily encreased. OF Beets there are two sorts, which are 



There is another sort of Ladies Bed- j best known generally, and whereof I shall 

 straw growing frequently in England, which I principally treat at this time, viz. the white 

 bears white flowers as the other doth yel- j and red Beets, and their virtues, 

 low ; but the branches of this are so weak, Descript.] The common white Beet has 

 that unless it be sustained by the hedges, j many great leaves next the ground, some- 

 or other things near which it grows, it will j what large and of a whitish green colour, 

 lie down to the ground ; the leaves a little 5 The stalk is great, strong, and ribbed, bear- 

 bigger than the former, and the flowers not > ing great store of leaves upon it, almost to 

 so plentiful as these; and the root hereof is | the very top of it: The flowers grow in 

 also thready and abiding. i very long tufts, small at the end, and turn- 



Place.~\ They grow in meadows and pas- i ing down their heads, which are small, pale 

 lures both wet and dry, and by the hedges. ; greenish, yellow buds, giving cornered 



Time.'] They flower in May for the most prickly seed. The root is great, long, and 

 part, and the seed is ripe in July and j hard, and when it has given seed is of no 

 August. i use at all. 



Government and virtues.'] They are both j The common red Beet differs not from 

 herbs of Venus, and therefore strengthening j the white, but only it is less, and the leave* 

 the parts both internal and external, which \ and the roots are. somewhat red ; the leaves 

 she rules. The decoction of the former of j are differently red, some only with red stalks 

 those being drank, is good to fret and break \ or veins ; some of a fresh red, and others 

 the stone, provoke urine, stays inward : of a dark red. The root thereof is red, 

 bleeding, and heals inward wounds. The 1 spungy, and not used to be eaten, 

 herb or flower bruised and put into thej Government and virtues.] The government 

 nostrils, stays their bleeding likewise : \ of these two sorts of Beets are far different ; 

 The flowers and herbs being made into an j the red Beet being under Saturn and the 



