AND ENGLISH PU\SICIAN ENLARGED. 



71 



tinned use of the decoction for fifteen clays, 

 taken fasting, and next to bedward, doth 

 help the stranguary, the difficulty and stop- 

 page of urine, and the stone, as well as all 

 defects of the reins and kidneys ; and if 

 the said drink be continued longer, it is said 

 that it cures the stone; it is found good 

 against the French pox. The roots bruised 

 and applied outwardly, help the kernels of 

 the throat, commonly called the king's evil; 

 or taken inwardly, and applied to the place 

 stung or bitten by any serpent, heal it 

 speedily. If the roots be bruised, and 

 boiled in old hog's grease, or salted lard, 

 and broken bones, thorns, &c. remaining 

 in the flesh, they do not only draw them 

 forth, but heal up the place again, gathering 

 new flesh where it was consumed. The 

 iuice of the leaves dropped into the ear, 

 helps imposthurnes therein. The distilled 

 water of the whole herb, when the leaves 

 and stalks are young, is profitably drank 

 for all the purposes aforesaid ; and helps 

 the melancholy of the heart, and is avail- 

 able in quartan and quotidian agues; as 

 also for them that have their necks drawn 

 awry, and cannot turn them without turn- 

 ing their whole body. 



EYEBR1GHT. 



Descript,"] COMMON Eyebright is a 

 small low herb, rising up usually but with 

 one blackish green stalk a span high, or 

 not much more, spread from the bottom 

 into sundry branches, whereon are small 

 and almost round yet pointed dark green 

 leaves, finely snipped about the edges, two 

 always set together, and very thick : At the 

 joints with the leaves, from the middle up- 

 ward, come forth small white flowers, 

 marked with purple and yellow spots, or 

 stripes; after which follow small round 

 heads, with very small seed therein. The 

 root is long, small and thready at the end. 



Place.~] It grows in meadows, and grassy 

 places in this land. 



Government and virtues.} It is under tho 

 sign of the Lion, and Sol claims dominion 

 over it. If the herb v/as but as much used 

 as it is neglected, it would half spoil the 

 spectacle maker's trade ; and a man would 

 think, that reason should leach people to 

 prefer the preservation of their natural 

 before artificial spectacles ; which that they 

 may be instructed how to do, take the vir- 

 tues of Eyebright as follows. 



The juice or distilled water of Eyebright, 

 taken inwardly in white wine or broth, or 

 dropped into the eyes for divers days 

 together, helps all infirmities of the eyes 

 that cause dimness of sight. Some make 

 conserve of the flowers to the same effect. 

 Being used any of the ways, it also helps 

 a weak brain, or memory. This tunned up 

 with strong beer, that it may work together, 

 and drank, or the powder of the dried herb 

 mixed with sugar, a little Mace, and Fennel 

 seed, and drank, or eaten in broth ; or the 

 said powder made into an electuary with 

 sugar, and taken, has the same powerful 

 effect to help and restore the sight, decayed 

 through age ; and Arnoldus de Villa Nova 

 saith, it hath restored sight to them that 

 have been blind a long time before. 



FERN. 



DescriptJ] OF this there are two kinds 

 principally to be treated of, viz. the Male 

 and Female. The Female grows higher 

 than the Male, but the leaves thereof are 

 smaller, and more divided and dented, and 

 of as strong a smell as the male ; the vir- 

 tue of them are both alike, and therefore 

 I shall not trouble you with any descrip- 

 tion or distinction of them. 



Placed] They grow both in heaths and 

 in shady places near the hedge-sides in all 

 counties of this land. 



TimeJ] They flower and give their seed 

 at Midsummer. 



The Female Fern is that plant which is 

 * in Sussex, called Brakes, the seed of which 



u 



