158 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



with strong thred at the head and hung up untill it is drye, 

 which is dissolved in water or wine, but sacke is the best to 

 preserve the colour from ' starving/ as they call it, that is 

 from decaying, and to make it hold fresh the longer " ; and that 

 the purple dye is made by leaving the berries on the bushes 

 until the end of November, when they are ready to drop off. 

 That the best mushrooms grow under oaks or fir trees. That 

 spurry leaves bruised and laid to a cut finger will speedily heal 

 it, " whereof the Country people in divers places say they have 

 had good experience," and that it is also good for causing 

 " the Kine to give more store of milke than ordinary otherwise, 

 so it causeth Pullaine likewise to lay more store of egges." 

 That the fruit of the bead tree " being drilled and drawne on 

 stringes serves people beyond sea to number their prayers 

 thereon least they forget themselves and give God too many." 

 That in Warwickshire the female fern was always used " in 

 steed of Sope to wash their clothes," and that it was gathered 

 about Midsummer, " unto good big balls which when they will 

 use them they burne them in the fire until it becomes blewish, 

 which being then layd by will dissolve into powder of itselfe, 

 like unto Lime : foure of these balles being dissolved in warme 

 water is sufficient to wash a whole bucke full of clothes." That 

 the burning of lupin seeds drives away gnats, and that half- 

 sodden barley " given to Hennes that hardly or seldome lay 

 egges will cause them to lay both greater and more often." 

 That country housewives use that common weed horsetail to 

 scour their wooden, pewter and brass vessels, and sometimes boil 

 the young tops of the same weed and eat them like asparagus. 

 That bramble leaves do not fall until all the sharp frosts are 

 over, " whereby the country men do observe that the extremity 

 of Winter is past when they fall off." That every year sacks 

 full of violets are sent from Marseilles to Alexandria and other 

 parts of Egypt, " where they use them boyled in water which 

 only by their religion they are enjoined to drinke." That if 

 you suspect your wine is watered " you shall put some thereof 



