20 ANCIENT PLANT-BED. 
“This herbe resembleth in figure fashion, and qualities, 
the great comfrey in such sort as that aman woulde deeme 
it to be a kinde of great comfrey, rather than a yellow hen- 
bane, as some have thought. Siar 
“Jt hath an upright stalke, not bending any way, thicke, 
bearded or hairy, and slimy: the leaves are broad and long, 
greene, drawing somewhat towards a yellow, bearded or 
hoarrie, but smooth and slimie, having as it were talons, but 
not either notched or cut in the edges, a great deale bigger 
downward toward the root than above: while it is young it 
is leaved, as it were lying upon the ground, but rising to a‘ 
stalke and growing further, it ceaseth to have such a number 
of leaves below, and putteth forth branches from half foot to 
half, and storeth itselfe, by that meanes with leaves, and still 
riseth higher from the height of four or five foote, unto three 
or four or five cubits according as is sown in a hot and fat 
ground, and carefully tilled. The boughs and_ branches 
thereof put out at joints, and divide the stalk by distance of 
halfe a foote: the highest of which branches are bigger than 
an arme. 
“At the tops and ends of his branches and boughs, it put- 
teth foorth flowers almost like those of Nigella, of a whitish 
and inearnate color, having the fashion of a little bell com- 
ming out of a swad or husk, being of the fashion of a small 
goblet, which husk becometh round, having the fashion of a 
little apple, or sword’s pummell: as soon as the flower is 
gone and vanished away, it is filled with very small seedes 
like unto those of yellow henbane, and they are black when 
they be ripe, or greene, while they are not yet ripe. 
“Tn a hot countree it heareth leaves, flowers, and seeds at. 
the same time, in the ninth or tenth month of the year it 
putteth foorth young cions at the roote, and reneweth itself 
by this store and number of cions, and great quantity of 
sprouts, and yet notwithstanding: the roots are little, small, 
-fine thready strings, or if otherwise they grow a little thick, 
yet remaine they still very short, in respect of the height of 
the plant. The roots and leaves do yield a glewish and 
rosinith kind of juice, somewhat yellow, of a rosinlike smell, 
not unpleasant, and of a sharpe, eager and biting taste, which 
sheweth that it is by nature hot, whereupon we must gather 
that it is no kind of yellow henbane as some have thought. 
Nicotiana craveth a fat ground well stird, and well manured 
also in this cold countrie (England) that is to say an earth, 
wherein the manure is so well mingled and incorporated, as 
