AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED 93 



curious. Two or three sorts are found com- 1 Bears-foot, Christmas-herb, and Chnstmas- 



monly growing wild here, the description | flowers. 



of two of which I shall give you. Descript.] It hath sundry fair green 



Descript.'] The first is a smooth, low \ leaves rising from the root, each of them 

 plant, not a foot high, very bitter in taste, \ standing about an handful high from the 

 with many square stalks, diversly branched \ earth; each leaf is divided into seven, eight, 

 from the bottom to the top, with divers * or nine parts, dented from the middle of 

 joints, and two small leaves at each joint, j the leaf to the point on both sides, abiding 

 broader at the bottom than they are at the I green all the Winter; about Christmas- 

 end, a little dented about the edges, of a; time, if the weather be any thing temperate, 

 sad green colour, and full of veins. The I the flowers appear upon foot stalks, also 

 flowers stand at the joints, being of a fair : consisting of five large, round, white leaves 

 purple colour, with some white spots in |a-piece, which sometimes are purple towards 

 them, in fashion like those of dead nettles, i the edges, with many pale yellow thumbs 

 The seed is small and yellow, and the roots! in the middle; the seeds are divided into 

 spread much under ground. \ several cells, like those of Columbines. 



The second seldom grows half a foot* save only that they are greater; the seeds 

 high, sending up many small branches, are in colour black, and in form long and 

 whereon grow many small leaves, set one | round. The root consists of numberless 

 against the other, somewhat broad, but \ blackish strings all united into one head. 

 very short. The flowers are like the flowers I There is another Black Hellebore, which 

 of the other fashion, but of a pale reddish I grows up and down in the woods very like 

 colour. The seeds are small and yellowish. ? this, but only that the leaves are smaller 

 The root spreads like the other, neither will \ and narrower, and perish in the Winter, 

 it yield to its fellow one ace of bitterness. \ which this doth not. 



Place.~\ They grow- in wet low grounds, | Place.'] The first is maintained in gar- 

 and by the water-sides; the last may be j dens. The second is commonly found in 

 found among the bogs on Hampstead Heath. \ the woods in Northamptonshire. 



Time.'] They flower in June or July, i Time.'] The first flowers in December 

 and the seed is ripe presently after. \ or January ; the second in February or 



Government and virtues.'] They are herbs 1 March. 



of Mars, and as choleric and churlish as \ Government and virtues.'] It is an herb ot 

 he is, being most violent purges, especially j Saturn, and therefore no marvel if it has 

 of choler and phlegm. It is not safe taking | some sullen conditions with it, and would 

 them inwardly, unless they -be well rectified | be far safer, being purified by the art of the 

 by the art of the alchymist, and only the j alchymist than given raw. If any have 

 purity of them given; so used they may be {taken any harm by taking it, the common 

 very helpful both for the dropsy, gout, I cure is to take goat's milk : If you cannot 

 and sciatica ; outwardly used in ointments > get goat's milk, you must make a shift with 



they kill worms, the belly anointed with it, 

 and are excellently good to cleanse old and 

 filthy ulcers 



such as you can get. The roots are very 

 effectual against all melancholy diseases, 

 especially such as are of long standing, as 

 ! quartan agues and madness; it helps the 



BLACK HELLEBORE. \ falling sickness, the leprosy, both the. yel- 



i low and black jaundice, the gout, sciatica, 

 IT is also called Setter-wort, Setter-grass, ( and convulsions ; and this was found out 



