62 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



no rayne go in, no water, nor earth nor the sune come not to 

 much to it, let it stande so a night and a day, tha after that go 

 to it and thou shalt fynde therein a certayne lycoure. Take 

 out that lycoure with a spone and put it into a clean glas and 

 do so every day as long as thou fyndest ought in the hole, and 

 this must be done in the moneth of April or Maye, than anoynt 

 the sore therwith against the fyre, tha wete a lynnen clothe 

 in the same lycoure and lappe it about the sore and it shal be 

 hole in shorte space on warrantyse by the Grace of God." 



Unlike the later Crete Herball, Askham gives some descrip- 

 tions of the herbs themselves, notably in the case of alleluia 

 (wood-sorrel), water crowfoot, and asterion. 



" This herbe alleluia me call it Wodsour or Stubwort, this 

 herbe hath thre leaves ye which be roud a litel departed aboue 

 and it hath a whyte flour, but it hath no loge stalkes and it 

 is Woodsoure and it is like thre leued grasse. The vertue of 

 this herbe is thus, if it be rested in the ashes in red docke leaves 

 or in red wort leaves it fretteth awai dead flesh of a wounde. 

 This herbe groweth much in woodes." 



Water crowfoot : " This herb that men call water crowfoot 

 hath yelow floures, as hath crowfoot and of the same shap, 

 but the leves are more departed as it were Rammes fete, and it 

 hath a long stalke and out of that one stalke groweth many 

 stalkes smal by ye sides. This herb groweth in watery places." 



" Asterion or Lunary groweth among stoones and in high 

 places, this herb shyneth by night and he bringeth forth purple 

 floures hole and rounde as a knockebell or else lyke to foxgloves, 

 the leves of this herbe be rounde and blew and they have the 

 mark of the Moone in the myddes as it were thre leved grasse, 

 but the leaves therof be more and they be round as a peny. 

 And the stalk of this herb is red and thyse herb semeth as it 

 were musk and the Joyce therof is yelow and this groweth in 

 the new Moone without leve and euery day spryngeth a newe 

 leaue to the ende of fyftene dayes and after fyftene dayes it 



