64 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



short and blackish, with many strings, 

 abiding after seed time many years. This 

 root was longer, until the devil (as the 

 friars say) bit away the rest of it for spite, 

 envying its usefulness to mankind ; for 

 sure he was not troubled with any disease 

 for which it is proper. 



There are two other sorts hereof, in 

 nothing unlike the former, save that the 

 one bears white, and the other bluish-co- 

 loured flowers. 



Place.'] The first grows as well in dry 

 meadows and fields as moist, in many 

 places of this land : But the other two are 

 more rare, and hard to be met with, yet 

 they are both found growing wild about 

 Appledore, near Rye in Kent. 



Time.'] They flower not usually until 

 August. 



Government and virtues^] The plant is 

 venereal, pleasing, and harmless. The herb 

 or the root (all that the devil hath left of 

 it) being boiled in wine, and drank, is very 

 powerful against the plague, and all pes- 

 tilential diseases or fevers, poisons also, 

 and the bitings of venemous beasts : It 

 helps also those that are inwardly brui?ed 

 by any casuality, or outwardly by falls or 

 blows, dissolving the clotted blood ; and 

 the herb or root beaten and outwardly 

 applied, takes away the black and blue 

 marks that remain in the skin. The de- 

 coction of the herb, with honey of roses 

 put therein, is very effectual to help the 

 inveterate tumours and swellings of the 

 almonds and throat, by often gargling the 

 mouth therewith. It helps also to procure 

 women's courses, and eases all pains of the 

 mother and to break and discuss wind 

 therein, and in the bowels. The powder of 

 the root taken in drink, drives forth the 

 worms in the body. The juice or distilled 

 water of the herb, is effectual for green 

 wounds, or old sores, and cleanses the 

 body inwardly, and the seed outwardly, 

 from sores, scurf, itch, pimples, freckles, 



morphew, or other deformities thereof, 

 especially if a little vitriol be dissolved 

 therein, 



DOCK. 



MANY kinds of these are so \vell known, 

 that I shall not trouble you with a desc.ip- 

 tion of them : My book grows big too fast. 



Government and virtues.'] All Docks are 

 under Jupiter, of which the Red Dock, 

 which is commonly called Bloodwort, 

 cleanses the blood, and strengthens the 

 liver ; but the yellow Dock-root is best to 

 be taken when either the blood or liver is 

 affected by choler. All of them have a 

 kind of cooling (but not all alike) drying 

 quality, the sorrel being most cold, and the 

 Blood-worts most drying. Of the Burdock, 

 I have spoken already by itself. The seed 

 of most of the other kinds, whether the gar- 

 dens or fields, do stay lasks and fluxes of 

 all sorts, the loathing of the stomach 

 through choler, and is helpful for those that 

 spit bloodj The roots boiled in vinegar 

 help the itch, scabs, and breaking out of the 

 skin, if it be bathed therewith. The dis- 

 tilled water of the herb and roots have the 

 same virtue, and cleanses the skin from 

 freekles, morphews, and all other spots and 

 discolourings therein. 



All Docks being boiled with meat, make 

 it boil the sooner : Besides Blood-wort is 

 exceeding strengthening to the liver, and 

 procures good blood, being as wholesome 

 a pot herb as any growing in a garden ; yet 

 such is the nicety of our times, forsooth, 

 that women will not put it into a pot, be- 

 cause it makes the pottage black ; pride 

 and ignorance (a couple of monsters in the 

 creation) preferring nicety before health. 



DODDER OF THYME, EPITHYMUM. AND 

 OTHER DODDERS. 



Descript.~\ THIS first from seed gives 

 roots in the ground, which shoot forth 

 threads or strings, grosser or finer as the 



