8 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



moist woods, and watery places ; flowering 

 in April or May, and yielding ripe seed in 

 September. 



Government and virtues, .] Itis a tree under 

 the dominion of Venus, and of some watery 

 sign or others, I suppose Pisces ; and there- 

 fore the decoction, or distilled water of the 

 leaves, is excellent against burnings and in- 

 flammations, either with wounds or without, 

 to bathe the place grieved with, and espe- 

 cially for that inflammation in the breast, 

 which the vulgar call an ague. 



If you cannot get the leaves (as in Winter 

 it is impossible) make use of the bark in the 

 same manner. 



The leaves and bark of the Alder-tree are 

 cooling, drying, and binding. The fresh 

 leaves, laid upon swellings, dissolve them, 

 and stay the inflammation. The leaves 

 put under the bare feet galled with travel- 

 ling, are a great refreshing to them. The 

 said leaves, gathered while the morning dew 

 is on them, and brought into a chamber 

 troubled with fleas, will gather them there- 

 unto, which being suddenly cast out, will 

 rid the chamber of those troublesome bed- 

 fellows. 



ANGELICA. 



To write a discription of that which is 

 so well known to be growing almost in every 

 garden, I suppose is altogether needless ; 

 yet for its virtue it is of admirable use. 



In time of Heathenism, when men had 

 found out any excellent herb, they dedicated 

 it to their gods ; as the bay-tree to Apollo, 

 the Oak to Jupiter, the Vine to Bacchus, the 

 Poplar to Hercules, These the idolaters 

 following as the Patriarchs they dedicate to 

 their Saints ; as our Lady's Thistle to the 

 Blessed Virgin, St. John's Wort to St. John 

 and another Wort to St. Peter, &c. Our 

 physicians must imitate like apes (though 

 they cannot come off half so cleverly) for 

 they blasphemously call Phansies or Hearts- 

 ease, an herb of the Trinity, because it is of 



three colours ; and a certain ointment, an 

 ointment of the Apostles, because it consists 

 of twelve ingredients. Alas I am sorry for 

 their folly, and grieved at their blasphemy, 

 God send them wisdom the rest of their 

 age, for they have their share of igno- 

 rance already. Oh ! Why must ours be 

 blasphemous, because the Heathens and 

 intidels were idolatrous ? Certainly they 

 have read so much in qld rusty authors, that 

 they have lost all their divinity; for unless 

 it were amongst the Ranters, I never read 

 or heard of such blasphemy. The Heathens 

 and infidels were bad, and ours worse ; the 

 idolaters give idolatrous names to herbs for 

 their virtues sake, not for their fair looks ; 

 and therefore some called this an herb of 

 the Holy Ghost; others, more moderate, call- 

 ed it Angelica, because of its angelical 

 virtues, and that name it retains still, and all 

 nations follow it so near as their dialect will 

 permit. 



Government and virtues.'] It is an herb of 

 the Sun in Leo ; let it be gathered when he 

 is there, the Moon applying to his good as- 

 pect ; let it be gathered either in his hour, 

 or in the hour of Jupiter, let Sol be angu- 

 lar ; observe the like in gathering the herbs, 

 of other planets, and you may happen to 

 do wonders. In all epidemical diseases 

 caused by Saturn, that is as good a preser- 

 vative as grows : It resists poison, by de- 

 fending and comforting the heart, blood, 

 and spirits ; it doth the like against the 

 plague and all epidemical diseases, if the 

 root be taken in powder to the weight of 

 half a dram at a time, with some good trea- 

 cle in Carduus water, and the party there- 

 upon laid to sweat in his bed ; if treacle be 

 not to be had take it alone in Carduus or 

 Angelica-water. The stalks or roots can- 

 died and eaten fasting, are good preserva- 

 tives in time of infection ; and at other 

 times to warm and comfort a cold stomach. 

 The root also steeped in vinegar, and a little 

 of that vinegar taken sometimes fasting, and 



