| , 
qo T he one and twentieth Booke 
indeed (according to Hefiodus) is the onely way to dreffeit. Moreover, it isfaid, that Afphodels G. 
planted before the gates of any ferme houfe in the countrey, preferve the place fromallcharms 
i and forceries, Homer al{o the Poéthath made mention of the Afphodell. The root refembleth 
a ‘ Diof- * Navews of a meane bigneffe : and there is not another root with more heads , for oftentimes 
ded, ci ge a man {hall fee fourefcore bulbs cluftred in abunch rogither. Thesphraflus, andall Greeke wri- 
acorns. tersalmoft, and namely Pythagoras (the chiefe prince of Philofophers) defcribe this plant to 
havea {tem of one cubitin length, yea and oftenumes of twaine; with leaves like towild Porret: 
and the {aid ftem they called Anthericon ; but-the root, tharis to fay, thofe bulbs refembling 
onions, Afphodelas: bur our countreymen have named in Latine, the ftem Albucus but the 
root,Haftula Regia. This is the name alfo of the flake, full of grains or berries:and thereofthey 
would make two kinds [the male and female. |Well,the ftem of the Afphodell then,iscommon- fy 
Jyacubit long, large and big, cleane and {mooth, Of this hearbe 474go hath written, and ordai- 
ned, that it ihould be cut downe in the going out of March and entrance of Aprill, namely, af- 
ter it hath done flouring, and before that the {eed be {welled and grownetoany bignefle:then _ 
upon the fourth day after,when the faid ttems are flit and cloven, they muft be laid abroadtodry 
in the Sun: when they be dried,they ought to be made up into knitchets or handfuls. Hee faith 
moreover, that the Greeks name that hearbe Piftana, which we callin Latine Sagitta, growing 
* in marifhes and moores among other tennie weeds. This alfo would he have to becut down and 
gathered, betweene the Ides of Mayand the end of the month of OGober: then, to bee pilled, 
and fo to be diied by little and little with the moderat heat of the Sun. Thefameauthor giveth- 
order like wife,that the other kind of Gladiolus which they all Cypiros, whichalfoisanhearb 
growing aboutlakes and meeres, any me within Iuly fhould be cut downe tothe very root 3and 
the third day after, to be dried in the Sun untill it looke white: but every day that it lyeth abroad, 
it muft be brought into the houfe before the Sun goe downe ; becaufe all hearbs growing vpon 
marifh grounds,take harme by dewes in thenight. 
Chap. XVIII. 
ee OF Rufhes, fix kinds ; and of Cyperus : their medicinable vertues. Of Cypirus, 
ated the {meet rufh Scenanth, 
Ago writing of the Rufh, commonly called Marifcon, faith, That for totwiftandweave 
/\ ito mats, it oughtto be gathered out of the marifh ground whereit groweth, in lune 
untill mid-luly, As for the drying ofit, the fame order mutt be obferved inal] points, as 
we have fer downe before in the difcourfe of other marais weeds. He maketh afecond kind of wa- ” 
ter Ruthes,which I find to be called the Sea-rufh,and of the Greeks Oxy{choenon, #. the Sharpe 
rath: which alfo is f{ubdivided into three other forts 5for there is the barraine rnth,called alfo che 
nvale,and in Greeke Oxys: thefemale Ruth bearing a blacke feed, which they call Melancranis, 
This is thicker than the other, fuller alfo of braunchesand tufts. Andthe third more than ir, 
which is named Holofchoenus, Of all thefe,Melancranis commeth up of the own feed,withour 
any orherkinds intermingled with it: but Oxys and Holofchoenus , grow both togither out of 
one turfe. Ofall others, the great Rush Holofchoenus is beft for to be wroughtin mats, & fich ae 
like implements about an houfe,becaufe itis foftand flethie: it beareth a fruit hanging and clu- 
{tering togither in manner of fith {pawne.As for that Ruth,which we called the male,ic groweth 
of itfelfe,by reafUn that his top fafteneth in the ground, and fo taketh root by way of propagas 
tion :but Melancranisfoweth her owne felfe, and commeth up of feed; for otherwife their race 
would perith,confidering the roots of them allevery yeeredoe die. ThefeRuthes are ufedro — 
make leaps and weels for fifhers at fea,and fine and daintie wicker veffels : alfo candle-wick and 
matches; efpecially the marow or pith within, which is fo great (efpecially about the foot of thie 
Alpsreaching to the fea fide) that when aRuthis flit, there isfound in the belly a pith almoftan 
inch broadby therule. Andin Aigypt there be found Ruthes fo big that they will fervetomake — 
fieves, rangers, and vans: in fuch fort, that the Aigyptians can find no matter forthat purpofe, M 
better. Some there be,that would have the triangled orthree{quare ruth Cyperus, tobe a feve- 
rall kind by it felfe, This Cyperus many there be that cannot diftinguith from Cypirus, by rea- 
fon of the great affinitieof theit two names: but I meane to put a difference betweene them 
both: for Cypirus isthe Petie-glader or Swotd-grafle, (as I have before fhewed) with a bulbous - 
w Oe 
