of Plinies Naturail Hiftorie. 283 
A. fofter, bearing awhite floure likewife in manner of the Elder. The young crops and tendrils of 
this herb, may be eaten when they are fodden : and the {eed is commionly uled in ftead of pepper. 
Running Buckewheat or Bindweed, named in'Greeke Elatine, puttech foorth finall leaves, 
roundand hairie, much like unto thofe of Parietarie of the wall; and immediatly from the root 
there fpring five or fix pretie braunches halfe afoot long ,furnifhed well with leaves. This hearbe 
groweth among corne: foure it isand harfh in taft, whereupon it is taken to be very effeCtuall to 
repreffe the flux of humors which caufe watering eyes, ifthe leaves be ftamped with baily groats, 
and applied with a fine linnen cloath underneath. The fame boiled togither with Linefeed, cu- 
reth the bloudie flix,in cafe the Patient drinke the broth or decoction thereof, 
_ Ag for Empetron, which our countreymen in Latine name Calcifraga, it groweth upori 
B mountains regarding the fea, and commonly upon rocks and {tonie clitis t the nearer it is tothe 
fea, the faleer taft it hath, by which meansif it be taken in drinke, itpurgeth choller and fleame : 
the farther off that it groweth from the fea, andthe more terrene andearthly fubf{lance that it 
hath, the bitterer is it found to bee, and this doth evacuat waterifh humors : but the manner of 
taking it, isin fome potage, orelsin mead. Beeing long kept, it loofeth the force: if icbe ftefh 
and new gathered, and then either fodden or tae itis diureticall and breaketh the ftone, 
And verely they that promife thus muchin thele of Empetron} and would feeme to juftifie + thi. Empe: 
andinake good their word, docaffirme for the bettercredit therecf, Phat if ftones doe boile with #2” isthought ~ 
itinthe fame pan,theywillburftinpeeces. : IMGTTO De our Sac 
~ Epipactis,named by fomeElleborine, isa little hearbe bearing fmall leaves :foveraigne for a 
C the difeafes of the liver, and againttall poifons, if itbe taken ip drinke. ; 
Epimenidion putteth forth no great ftem, bearing ten ortwelve leaves refembling the lvie, | 
but it never fheweth floure :the root is finall,black, and ofa {trong and ftinking {mell: it groweth 
upon moift grounds: of an aftringent nature it is,and cooleth mightily :an hearbe that women 
*muft beware of. The leaves{tamped and applied to the paps of maidens,keepe them down that * Forithin. 
they fhall not grow. 4 ae concep= 
~ Enneaphyllon hath long leaves, innumbernine neither fewer nor more, and thofe be ofa" 
burning or caufticke nature: a fingularhearbe for the paines of loines, and the Sciatica, burit 
oughtto be applied enwrapped well in wooll tor feare leaftit burne the flanks, for prefenily itrai- 
fetl blifters. : | : 
D. Of Fenebe twokinds, and they beare neither flourenor feed. Some of the Greeks call the 
one Preris,others Bleclinon : irom oneroot whereof there {pring many braunches reprefenting 
wittgs,aud thofe exceed tw6 c@bits in length, yeelding * no unplealant favoursand this they * 20 grevi 
fappofe to bethe male. The fecond kind, thefaid Greekes fome cal] Thelypteris, others Nym- ee ae 
phza Pteris :this growerh fingle,and brancheth notinto many ftems; {horter it isthan the for- ¢., See 
mer,fofter alfo,and thicker of leaves, and thofe toward the root guttered and fomewhat hollow: what unplea- 
there isnieither of thein both, but their roots will feed {wine fat: and the leaves of the one as well {¢#” fmell. 
as the other, are difpofed on both fides fo, as they doe reprefent birds winys, whereupon the oe 
Greeks gave them the name * Preris, The roots of both Fernsbe lung,andthoie growing byas: . 40. 
_ in colour blacke, efpecially when they bee drie:and dried they onghttobe inthe Sun. Perne mrelia, Filixis 
E groweth everie where,but their moft delightis in a coldfoile. The cue time of digging them up, called Avia, 
1s about the ferting of the ftar Vergiliz, There isnoufe in Phyficke of cheir roots, but when they 
be juft two yeers old ;for both before and after that time, they ferve for no purpofe. aken in this 
their feafon,they doe expell all kind of vermin out of the guts; with honey,if they be broad and 
flat worms; but in fome {weer wine, forall the reft, whether they bee round or fmall, fo thatthe 
Patient continue this drinke three daies togither. Neither of them both, butare very contrarie 
and offenfive to the ftomacke : howbeit,they purge the belly and firft evacuat choller,then foon 
after, waterith humors : but the betterdoe they chafe the forefaid flat worms out of the bodie,in 
cafetlrey bee quickened with the like quantitie of Scammonie. The rootof Ferne takento the 
weight of two oboli in water,cureth allrheums ; but the Patient ought to faft one whole day be- 
F fore,and likewrfe eat a little honey fomewhat before that he take thefaid drinke. As for women, 
neither the male nor the female Ferne would be given unto them ;for if they be with child,icwill 
drive them to travaile before their time, and flip an untimely birth; and if they be cleare, it hin- 
dreth conception and caufeth them to bebarraine. The powder of Fetne roots, is fingular to be 
ftrewed ot caft upon maligne ulcers; yea and the farcins orfores in horfe necks. The leaves of 
: Bb iij Ferne 
