144 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



strong. The wood is smooth, tough, and) the White and black of the Garden, and 

 white, and easy to be cloven. On both j the Erratic Wild Poppy, or Corn Rose, 

 these trees grows a sweet kind of musk, j Descript.'] The White Poppy hath at 

 which in former times was used to put into j first four or five whitish green leaves lying 

 sweet ointments. j upon the ground, which rise with the stalk, 



Placed] They grow in moist woods, and \ compassing it at the bottom of them, and 

 by water-sides in sundry places of this land ; 5 are very large, much cut or torn on the 

 yet the White is not so frequent as the other. \ edges, and dented also besides : The stalk, 



Time.~] Their time is likewise expressed ! which is usually four or five feet high, hath 

 before : The catkins coming forth before ! sometimes no branches at the top, and 

 the leaves in the end of Summer. ; usually but two or three at most, bearing 



Government and virtues.] Saturn hath \ every one but one head wrapped up in a 

 dominion over both. White Poplar, saith \ thin skin, which bows down before it is 

 Galen, is of a cleansing property: The* ready to blow, and then rrsing, and being 

 weight of an ounce in powder, of the bark j broken, the flowers within it spreading itself 

 thereof, being drank, saith Dioscorides, is ! open, and consisting of four very large, 

 a remedy for those that are troubled with { white, round leaves, with many whitish 

 the sciatica, or the stranguary. The juice \ round threads in the middle, set about a 

 of the leaves dropped warm into the ears, j small, round, green head, having a crown, 

 eases the pains in them. The young ! or star-like cover at the head thereof, which 

 clammy buds or eyes, before they break j growing ripe, becomes as large as a great 

 out into leaves, bruised, and a little honey ; apple, wherein are contained a great num- 

 put to them, is a good medicine for a dull ; ber of small round seeds, in several parti- 

 sight. The Black Poplar is held to be : tions or divisions next unto the shell, the 

 more cooling than the White, and therefore i middle thereof remaining hollow, and 

 the leaves bruised with vinegar and applied, | empty. The whole plant, both leaves, 

 help the gout. The seed drank in vinegar, I stalks, and heads, while they are fresh, 

 js held good against the falling-sickness, i young, and green, yield a milk when they 

 The water that drops from the hollow places : are broken, of an unpleasant bitter taste, 

 of this tree, takes away warts, pushes, j almost ready to provoke casting, and of a 

 wheals, and other the like breakings-out of | strong heady smell, which being condensed, 

 the body. The young Black Poplar buds, j is called Opium. The root is white and 

 saith Matthiolus, are much used by women woody, perishing as soon as it hath given 

 to beautify their hair, bruising them with ! ripe seed. 



fresh butter, straining them after they have! The Black Poppy little differs from the 

 been kept for some time in the sun. The \ former, until it baers its flower, which is 

 ointment called Populneon, which is made | somewhat less, and of a black purplish 

 of this Poplar, is singularly good for all | colour, but without any purple spots in the 

 heat and inflammations in any part of the I bottom of the leaf. The head of the seed 

 body, and tempers the heat of wounds. It i is much less than the former, and opens 

 is much used to dry up the milk of women's j itself a little roundabout the top, under 

 breasts when they have weaned their j the crown, so that the seed, which is very 

 children. i black, will fall out, if one turn the head 



! thereof downward. 

 y* The wild Poppy, or Corn Rose, hath lont 



OF this I shall describe three kinds, viz. \ and narrow leaves, very much cut in on the 



