116 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



and in Essex, as also in Huntingdonshire, ; male Mercury two small, round green 

 and in other places, but most usually in j heads, standing together upon a short 

 corn fields, in corners of meadows. j foot stalk, which growing ripe, are seeds 



Time^] It flowers in June and July, and i not having flowers. The female stalk is 



is lipe quickly after. 



longer, spike-fashion, set round about with 



Government and virtues.'] Melilot, boiled : small green husks, which are the flowers 

 in wine, and applied, mollifies all hard 5 made small like bunches of grapes, which 

 tumours and inflammations that happen in j give no seed, but abiding long upon the 

 the eyes, or other parts of the body, and j stalks without shedding. The root is corn- 

 sometimes the yolk of a roasted egg, or fine; posed of many small fibres, which perishes 

 flour, or poppy seed, or endive, is added [every year at the first approach of Winter, 

 unto it. It helps the spreading ulcers inland rises again of its own sowing; and if 

 the head, it being washed with a lye made I once it is suffered to sow itself, the ground 

 thereof. It helps the pains of the stomach, ; will never want afterwards, even both sorts 

 being applied fresh , or boiled with any of* of it. 

 the aforenamed things; also, the pains of' 

 the ears, being dropped into them ; and j 



steeped in vinegar, or rose water, it miti-j HAVING described unto you that which 

 gates the head-ache. The flowers of Melli- 1 is called French Mercury, I come now to 

 lot or Camomile are much used to be put \ shew you a description of this kind also, 

 together in clysters to expel wind, and ease j Descript.~\ This is likewise of two kinds, 

 pains; and also in poultices for the same |maleand Female, having many stalks slender 

 purpose, and to assuage swelling tumours j and lower than Mercury, without any 

 in the spleen or other parts, and helps in- j branches at all upon them, the root is set 

 flammations in any part of the body. The \ with two leaves at every joint, somewhat 

 juice dropped into the eyes, is a singularly j greater th-a-n the female, but more pointed 

 good medicine to take away the film or ! and full of veins, and somewhat harder in 

 skin that clouds or dimns the eye-sight, j handling: of a dark green colour, and less 

 The head often washed with the distilled | denied or snipped about the edges. At 

 water of the herb and flower, or a lye made : the joints with the leaves come forth longei 

 therewith, is effectual for those that sud- 1 stalks than the former, with two hairy 

 denly lose their senses; as also to strengthen | round seeds upon them, twice as big as 

 the memory, to comfort the head and brain, * those of the former Mercury. The taste 

 and to preserve them from pain, and the $ hereof is herby, and the smell somewhat 

 apoplexy. j strong and virulent. The female has much 



I harder leaves standing upon longer foot- 



FRENCH AND DOG MERCURY. , ,, f 



\ stalks, and the stalks are also longer ; from 



Descript.~] THIS rises up with a square | the joints come forth spikes of flowers like 

 green stalk full of joints, two feet high, or | the French Female Mercury. The roots of 

 thereabouts, with two leaves at every joint, j them both are many, and full of small 

 and the branches likewise from both sides of $ fibres which run under ground, and mat 

 the stalk, set with fresh green leaves, some- ! themselves very much, not perishing as the 

 what broad and long, about the bigness of | former Mercuries do, but abide the Win- 

 the leaves of Bazil, finely dented about the | ter, and shoot forth new branches every 

 edges; towards the tops of the stalk and ; year, for the old lie down to the ground, 

 branches, come forth at every joint in the | Place."] The male and female French 



