104 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



Suckles are cleansing, consuming and di- 1 describe, and the third be critical at; and 

 gesting, and therefore fit for inflammations ; ! I care not greatly if I begin with the last 

 thus Dr. Reason. Again if you please, we \ first, 

 will leave Dr. Reason a while, and come to ! Sea Wormwood hath gotten as many names 



Dr. Experience, a learned gentleman, and 

 his brother. Take a leaf and chew it in 

 your mouth, and you will quickly find it 



as virtues, (and perhaps one more) Seriphian, 

 Santomeon, Bcichion, Narbinense, Han- 

 tonicon, Misneule, and a matter of twenty 



likelier to cause a sore mouth and throat; more which I shall not blot paper withal, 

 than to cure it. Well then, if it be not good 1 A papist got the toy by the end, and he 

 for this, What is it good for? It is good for \ called it Holy Wormwood ; and in truth 

 something, for God and nature made j 1 am opinion, their giving so much holi- 

 nothing in vain. It is an herb of Mercury, ; ness to herbs, is the reason there remains so 

 and appropriated to the lungs; neither is it j little in themselves. The seed of this 

 Crab claims dominion over it; neither is it j Wormwood is that which women usually 

 a foe to the Lion ; if the lungs be afflicted $ give their children for the worms. Of all 

 by Jupiter, this is your cure : 1 1 is fitting a i Wormwoods that grow here, this is the 

 conserve made of the flowers of it were kept j weakest, but Doctors commend it, and 



in every gentlewoman's house ; I know no i 

 better cure for an asthma than this : besides, 

 it takes away the evil of the spleen, provokes 

 urine, procures speedy delivery of women 



apothecaries sell it; the one must keep his 

 credit, and the other get money, and that is 

 the key of the work. The herb is good for 

 something, because God made nothing in 



in travail, helps cramps, convulsions, and \ vain : Will you give me leave to weigh 

 palsies, and whatsoever griefs come of cold \ things in the balance of reason ; Then thus ; 

 or stopping; if you please to make use of {The seeds of the common Wormwood are 

 it as an ointment, it will clear your skin of; far more prevalent than the seed of this, to 

 morphew, freckles, and sun-burnings, or! expel worms in children, or people of ripe 

 whatsoever else discolours it, and then the \ age ; of both some are weak, some are 

 maids will love it. Authors say, The! strong. The Seriphian Wormwood is the 



flowers are of more effect than the leaves, ' 

 and that is true ; but they say the seeds are i 

 least effectual of all. But Dr. Reason told 

 me, That there was a vital spirit in every 



weakest, and haply may prove to be fittest 

 for the weak bodies, (for it is weak enough 

 of all conscience.) Let such as are strong 

 take the common Wormwood, for the others 



seed to beget its like ; and Dr. Experience! will do but little good. Again, near the sea 

 told me, That there was a greater heat in the 1 many people live, and Seriphian grows 

 seed than there was in any other part of the j near them, and therefore is more fitting for 

 plant : and withal, That heat was the mother Hheir bodies, because nourished by the 

 of action, and then judge if old Dr. Tradi- j same air ; and this I had from Dr. Reason, 

 tion (who may well be honoured for his age, j In whose body Dr. Reason dwells not, dwells 

 but not for his goodness) hath not so poi- j Dr. Madness, and he brings in his brethren, 

 soned the world with errors before I was j Dr. Ignorance, Dr. Folly, and Dr. Sick- 

 born, that it was never well in its wits; ness, and these together make way for 

 since, and thereis a great fear it will die mad. \ Death, and the latter end of that man is 



| worse than the beginning. Pride was the 

 | cause of Adam's fall ; pride begat a daugh- 



THREE Wormwoods are familiar with jter, I do not know the father of it, unless 

 us ; one I shall not describe, another I shall ; the devil, but she christened it, and calle 1 



