of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie.- - 107 
AN affeed with orheraccidents, Bath the placewitha decoGion of it,boiled greet in water or cuit, 
and the patient fhall find eafe.) But if there bee an ointmentimade of itand oile of Rofes incor 
porartogetherjinisa foveraigne remedie forall cancerous fores.If itbe boiledfirtt in {weet wine 
or cuit, itisthebetter for the purpofe aforefaid :and fo prepared;a fpcciall andetieCtuall thing it 
isforthe werls called: Melicerides,whereinisengendred wattérrefembling honey. ! 
SaonK eoMIOH Gy HBAS Kits c1oc 28 ni,2lodG 
“PS Of Trefoilend Thyme : of the day Lillie Hemtrocalles : of Elecampane,and 
1 een  Sotherncwood, and Cypres, 
B. PAmnotiguorant,tharfolkeare verely perfuaded, how that Trefoile or threeleaved graffe, is 
[or ereat force againft the ftingsof ferpents and {corpions; if either twentie grains of the feed 
-bee taken ‘inwardly in wine; orwater and vinegretogether; or if the:leaves and the whole 
hearbe be foddenjand thedecoGion drunke: as alfo,that ferpents are never feen to lic under this 
Trefoile. Moreover, ] know full well that diverfe Authors renowmed and of greatcredit,have de- 
livered in theitbookes, That five and twentie grains of that Trefoile, which wee called Menian- 
thes, is futficient fora prefervative and antidote againtt all poyfons whatfoever : befides many o- 
ther medicinable vertues which bee afcribed to this hearbe. Bur for mine owne part,I am indu- 
ced by the authoritie of the moft grave andreverend Poet Sophocles, to ftand againit their opi- 
nion: for he affirmeth plainely; That Trefoile is venomous.Likewife, Siem the Phyfician dooth 
C report, Thatif the decoction of itfodden, or the juice thereof ftamped, bee poured or dropped 
- wpon any partof che bodie whichis found, it will caufe the fame fierie and burning {mattas fol- 
loweth upon a'place bitten or {tung with'aferpent. And therefore I would thinke with themjand 
give counfellalfo,that itis norto beufed ctherwile chan.a countrepoyfon.Forit maybe perad- 
venture,thacin this as in many orher,one poyfon(by a certaine antipathie & contrarieue in na- 
ture)expelleth and mortifieth another.Moreover,this I mark and obferve in their writings, That 
the feed of the Trefoile which hath {mallett leaves, if itbee reduced into aliniment, isfingular 
good to embellifh womens skin,and to prefervetheir beautic, if the face be annointedtherwith.. 
- Thymeoughtto be gathered whiles itis in the flower,and then to be dried in the fhade. Now 
there are of Thyme two kinds, to wit, the white; which hatha woodi¢ root, growing upon little 
D_hils;and this is thoughtto be the better: the fecond,is blacker,& carieth befidesa black flower. 
| Theyarethoughtboth of them, the one as well as the other,very good to cleare the eyefight, 
whether they be eaten with meats or taken as a medicine, In like maner,an eleQuari¢ or lohoch 
made of Thyme,isfuppofedto be excellent good for an old cough: and being taken with hony 
and falt,coraife and breake fleame,cauling the fame to be raught up with more tacilitie. Alio that 
if itbeemncorporat with honey it will not fuffer the bloud to clutter and congealewithin the bo- 
die. Applied outwardly as a linimentwith Senvie, it dooth extenuat and {ubtiliat therhewme 
that hath of long time fallen into the throat and wind pipe: and fo likewife it amendeth the gree- 
vance of {tomacke and bellie. Howbeit,thefe Thymes mutt bee ufed with meafure and moderati- 
on :becaufethey fez the bodie into an heat, although they be binding & make the belly coftive, 
Now incafe there be an exulceration in the guts,theremuft be taken the weight of one denier or 
dram in Thyme,to every fextar of honey and vinegre : femblably, irmuft bee orderedincafe of 
the pleurifie; and when there lieth a paine betweene the fhoulders or in thebreaft.A drink made: 
of Thyme with honey and vinegre in manner of ajuleb or fyrrup, cureth the greefe of the mid- 
riffe and precordiall parts neare unto the heart. Andverely.a foveraigne potion this is to bee gi- 
ven unto them that bee troubled in mind and lunaticke, as alfo to melancholicke perfons. The 
fame alfo may bee given to thofe whobee fubjeé to the epilepfie or falling ficknefle: whom the 
very perfume and finell of Thyme will raife out of a fit, and fetch them againe,when the difeafe 
is upon them: Itis faid,thatfuch fhould lie ordinarily ina foft bed of Thyme. This hearbe is pros 
p Pt forthofe that cannotdrawtheir breath unleffe they fitupright, andtofuch as are {hort win- 
ded,yea,and good for women, whofe monthly courfes are either fupprefled or come but flow- 
ly.And fay that the infant were dead in the wombe,a decoction of Thyme,fodden in water unto 
the thirds &fotaken,doth fend it forth of thebodie. Men alfo dofind a great benefitby Thyme, 
if they drinke a fytrup made of it with honey and vinegre, in cafe of ventofities and inflations : 
alfo,if their bellies be {wolne or their cods;yea,and when their bladder is pained. bids naar 
j G 
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