AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 67 



\ to the lower end of the stalks, and see how 



DOWN, OR COTTON-THISTLE. | like a snake they look. 



Government and virtues. J I he plant is 



Descript.~] THIS has large leaves lying \ un der the dominion of Mars, and therefore 

 on the ground, somewhat cut in, and as it > Jt would be a wonder if it should want 

 were crumpled on the edges, of a green ; SO me obnoxious quality or other : In all 

 colour on the upper side, but covered with \ herbs of that quality, the safest way is 

 long hairy wool, or Cotton Down, set with ; either to distil the herb in an alembick, in 

 most sharp and cruel pricks, from the mid- w ]iat vehicle) you please, or else to press 

 die of whose head of flowers, thrust forth j ou t the juice, and distil that in a glass still, 

 many purplish crimson threads, and some- \ f n sand. It scours and cleanses the in- 

 times (although very seldom) white ones. \ ternal parts of the body mightily, and it 

 The seed that follows in the heads, lying ) clears the external parts also, being exter- 

 in a great deal of white down, is some- { na lly applied, from freckles, morphew, and 

 what large, long, and round, like the seed | sun-burning : Your best way to use it ex- 

 of ladies thistle, but paler. The root is great j ternally, is to mix it with vinegar ; an oint- 

 and thick, spreading much, yet it usually j me nt of it is held to be good in wounds 

 dies after seed-time. | and ulcers ; it consumes cankers, and that 



Place.'] It grows in divers ditches, j fl esn growing in the nostrils, which they call 

 banks, and in corn-fields, and highways, j Polypus : Also the distilled water being 

 generally every where throughout the land. | dropped into the eyes, takes away spots 



TimeJ] It flowers and bears seed about i there, or the pin and web, and mends the 

 the end of Summer, when other thistles do \ dimness of sight; it is excellently good againsf 

 flower and seed. \ pestilence and poison. Pliny and Dios- 



Government and virtues. ,] Mars owns the j corides affirm, that no serpent will meddle- 

 plant, and manifests to the world, that | w jth him that carries this herb about him. 

 though it may hurt your finger, it will help j 



your body ; for I fancy it much for the ! THE ELDER TREE. 



ensuing virtues. Pliny and Dioscorides j j HOLD j t nee( }less to write any descrip- 

 write, That the leaves and roots thereof j tion o f th j S) smce every k y t h at pi a y g w j t h 

 taken in drink, help those that have a crick j a pO p.g un w in no t mistake another tree 

 in their neck; whereby they cannot turn j i nstea d o f Elder: I shall therefore in this 

 their neck but their whole body must turn j place omy describe the Dwarf-Elder, 

 also (sure they do not mean those that have j called a j so D ea d-wort, and Wall-wort, 

 got a crick in their neck by being under 



the hangman's hand.) Galen saith, that j THE DWARF-ELDER. 



* 



the root and leaves hereof are of a healing 

 quality, and good for such persons as have 

 their bodies drawn together by some spasm 



i i'ii .1 



Descript.~] THIS is but an herb every 

 year, dying with his stalks to the ground, 

 and rising afresh every Spring, and is like 



. <-> . - " , .,, - , t dllU llQlllg 0.11^011 V^YV^IJT >^.iJ.^, 



or convulsion, as it is with children that j unto the Elder both in form an( i qua lity, 

 have the rickets. | rising up with a square, rough, hairy stalk, 



I four feet high, or more sometimes. The 

 j winged leaves are somewhat narrower than 



THEY are so well known to every one | the Elder, but else like them. The flowers 

 that plants them in their gardens, they need j are white with a dash of purple, standing in 

 no description ; if not, let them look down } umbels, very like the Elder also, but more 



