'Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 55 
) ftamped and pur under aftone,it will breed to a Setpenesifsivbe chewed.in ones mouthand laid 
abroadin the Sunne,it will engenderwoorines and maggots; ‘The peopleof A fiticke are verely 
peifuadedjanid fothey give our, That if one be {tung with:a Scorpion,the fame day that he hath 
eaten Bafill itis unpofitble forto efcape with life, Lskewife, fome hold opinion andwould beare _ 
us in hand; Phat ifa man ftampe abunch or handfull of Bafill;cogether with ten fea-crabs,or,as 
many craififhes of the fief water all the Scorpions therabout will meet and gather together a- 
boucthatbait.Finally; Diodorw in his Empirickes orbooke of approvedreceits and medicines, 
faith, Fhat the eating of Bafill engendretbiice. Contrariwife,the later writers and modern Phyfi- 
cians défehd and maintain the ufe of Bafill as ftoutly:asthe other blamed it:for firft they avouch 
_ conftantlyT hat Goatéufe to feed therupom. Secondly:thatoo man waseverknownetogoe be- 
i fides hitifelfe, who did eatthereof. ‘Thirdly, that Bafilltaken in winejwitha litle vinegre put 
theretd,cureth aswell the fting of land Scorpions,as the vendme of thofe:in the fea.Moreover 
they affirme upon their knowledge by-experience, Thata perfume made of Bafiiland Vinegre; 
is fingular good to recover‘and fetch thenvagaine that‘bee! gonein a fwound. Alfo, that in the 
fame manner prepared,itrouferh and wakeneth thofewho be in a Lethargieand fleepe continu- 
ally; yea,and mightily cooleth.and refrefheth them thatbe-enflamed.andinaburninghean. A 
liniiment made with Bafill poile. Rofate,or oile of Myrtlésim ftead thereof, with vinegre, affua- 
geth the/paine of thehead. Moreover, being laidtothé cies with wine, :it {taieth the waterifh 
rheume that runneth thither. Furthermore,comfortableitistothe Stomacke (asthey fay). for 
being rakenwith vinegre,it diffolveth:ventofities,and breaketh wind by rifting upward, Being ap- 
plied outwardly, it bingeth-andftaieth the naming onvor flux of thebellic,and yer it caufeth free 
paflage of urine'in abundance, Afterthe fame maner ir doth good incafe of launife & Dropfie. 
It repreffeththe rage of choler that movethboth upward and downward; yea,and {taieth all de- 
fluxions from the ttomacke, ‘And therefore P4iliftzo knewwhat heedidwelbynough, when hee 
gave it torhofe that were troubled withthe Stomachicall Flux.As alfo P/:fenicws was welladvi- 
fed in miniftringit fodden,for the bloudie Flix, theexulceration of the Gurs,andthe Collicke. 
Some'there he who give it in wine tothem who tun ever and.anone to the clofe ftoole,fit downe 
and doe nothing: to thiofe that reach and caftup bloud:yeajand to mollifie the hardnefle of the 
precordial] parts. Being laidasaliniment to the nources paps, it reftraineth the abundance of 
milke,yea,and drieth itup. There ishota better thing in the world for to bee dropped into the 
-eares of little babes andfuckingchildren,and namely,with Goofe greafe. lf the feedbe brufed, 
and fo fautfed or drawne up at the nofthrils,it provoketh {neefing. Lhe juice moreover laid as a 
Jiniment to the forehead, openeth the paflages that therheumes or. cold which lay inthe head, 
may breake away.Being taken at meat,and dipped in vinegte, it mundifieth the Matrice and na- 
turall parts-of women,sMixed with Copperofe or Vitrioll ic taketh away werts. Finally,irfeeceth 
folke forward to venerious pleafure :which is the reafon that men ufetolay Bafill upon the fhap 
oi Matesor thee Affes;at the time of theircovering. 
Cuap, x11. torr: y 
Oy OF *wild Bafill, Rocket ,Cre(fes,and Rue. * Olymocides, 
1o{cor, 
| 9° Pld Bafillisendued with vertues andqualities ferving toallthe purpofes abovelaid: 
V ~ but the fame is of better operation and more effe@tuall.. And thefe properties over 
and befides it hath by itfelfe,naniely, Toccure the weakneffe of the tomack,and thofe 
accidents which come by often caftifig or immoderat vomits . The root thereof taken inwine, 
__ isfingular good for the Apoftumes of the Matrice, and againft the biting of venomous beafts. 
Ass touching Rocket, the feed cureth as well the venomous fting of Scorpions, asthe biting 
of the hardie fhrew. The fame chafeth all vermine that be apt to engenderin mans bodie. A hi-’ 
wiment made therewith,and Honnie together, taketh away all the {pots that blemi(h theskin of 
the face: and with vinevre,tepreffeth the red pimples whatfoever, The blacke or {wert skars re- 
maining after wound or fore, it reduiceth tothe former faire white, if icbee applied with a beafts 
gall.Icisfaid moreover,that a potion thereof made with wine,and given tothofe who are to re- 
ceive punifhment by the whip, will harden them in fuch fort, that they thall feele little or no 
{martat all byanyfcourging. And for feafoning of all kind of viands, it hath fuch a pleafane 
grace in any fauce, that the Greeks thereupon have given it the name of Euzomos, leis thought 
c MOLé- 
