The twelfth Booke of 



asbig, vihich may fecnie ftraungcinthac tndL» And yet there is another Tree not unlike to Q 

 it5howbeit fuller of leaves, and bearing a bloflbme Iiketoadamaske or incarnate loCd This 

 flower {huttethclofeinthenightj beginneth to open in the morning at the Sun-rifing, and 

 bynoone (heweth out at the full. The inhabitants have a by- word and faying among them. 

 That it flcepes all night, and wakes in xhc morning . The fame Ifland bringeth foorthDate 

 tieesj Olive trees^ Vines^ and among other fruitSjFigges alfo . No trees there, doe (bed their 

 leaves .-for the Ifland is well watered with cold and quickefprings:and befidesit hath thebene- 

 fitcof rainc. As touching ArabiajWhichlycthneere and bordercth upon thefelflandsj the (pi- 

 ces and odoriferous fruits thacbetherein^aretobe treated of with diftindion: for their mer- 

 chandile doth confift of roots^ braunches^barkej juice or liquor, gums and rofins^ woodj tv^igs, 

 flowersj leaves^ and apple. 



Chap. xii. 



of CoJlu6^Sfike-nardyand the divers kinds of T{iird^ 



\ Vt the root and leafe be of grcateft price in India. And firft and formoft the root of Coftus, 

 )biteth and burneth in the mouth j and is of a moft excellent and foveraign liiieli : for other- 

 wile the braunches or bodie of the fhrub is good for little or nothing. In the Hand Patalc 

 (which lyeth at the verie firft fofTe and mouth where the river Indus fallc th into the fea) there bfc 

 found two kinds thereof : namelyjthe black ; and the whiie^which is counted the better. Apound 

 of Goftus is held at fixteenRomane denicrs. j 



As touching the leafe of Nardus, it were good that wee dilcourfed thereof at large, {eeing 

 that it is one ot the principall ingredients aromaticall that goe to the making of moft coftly and 

 precious ointments .The plant it fclfe Nardus hath a maffie, heavie, and thickc root j but Aortj 

 blacke^and brittlejnotwithftanding that it be fattie and oleous. Soone it vinowcth and catcheth 

 ^of.Cypcrus. a kind of muftines : and like unto the^Cyprefle it hath a fliarpetaft, rough and fmallleaves^but 

 comming thicke. The head of Nardus fpreadeth into certaine fpikes or earesj whereby it hath 

 a twofold ufe, both of fpikc and alfo of leafe 5 in which regard it is fo famous. A iccond fort there 

 is of it growing along the river Ganges^ condemned altogither as good for nothing/or it hath 

 a ftrong and ftinkingfavour j whereupon it is called Ozasnitis. There is an hearb growing every 

 where called Pfeudonardus, or baftard Nard, which is obtruded unto us and fold for the true K 

 Spikenard. A thicker leafe it hath and a broader than the other i the colour is more palht and 

 weakCjinclining to white. Alfo the very root of the right Nard , for to make the better weightjis 

 mingled witli gums^with Litharge of filver, AntimoniejOr the rind of Cyperus.But the good, 

 fy ncerCjand true Nard is' known by thclightnes, redcolour,fweetfmell, and thetaftefpecially : . 

 foritdrieththe tongue and leaveih a plcafantrellifh behind it. The Spike carrieth the price of 

 an hundred Romane deniers a pound. As touching the leavesjthediverfitie thereof maketh dif- 

 ference alfo in the price: for that which hath the larger leaves, and thereupon is called Hadro- 

 fph^rum3is\^orththirtiedeniersapound. A lecond fort there is with a fiiialler leafe, and of a 

 middle fizCj named therefore Mefofpharrum : and that is bought after fixtie deniers the pound. 

 But the belt of all is that with Icaft leaves, and carrieth the name of iVIicroiphjErum : and that ^ 

 the merchant felleth for 75 deniers the pound. What kind foever it be, the greener and newer 

 it isjthe bettetis it reputed,and more odoriferous, than that which hath been long kept . Yet fay 

 it be old gatheredjif the colour hold and kecpe well, men preferre it before the blacker, though 

 it be new. Withusinltalie,andin this part of the world, the leafe of Nardus commingfrom 

 Syria,iseftecmed beft : next unto it die CeIticke,out of Fraunce , and in the third place that of 

 Candie, which fome name Agrion, p. the wild] others Phu : and this hath a leafe refcmbling 

 Lovcachor Alefanderss aftalkea cubit long,full of joynts andknots,ofawcake whitifli &hghc 

 purple colour 5 the root groweth crooked, full of ftrings and haires hangingtoit, and is much 

 like to birds clawes or fect< As for Baccharis, it is called likewife Ruftick- nard : but of it will wee 

 fpeake among other flowers. All thefe kinds of Nardus are to be reckoned hearbs/ave that on- ^ 

 ly of the Indians : of whichjthe Celticke or French Nardj is plucked and gathered togither with 

 thfe root ; and for the betterpreparingtheEeof,it ought to be well wafhed and foked in wine, and 

 fodriedinthefhadcoutof thefiinne. Then is it made up into certaine bundcls of an handfull 

 ilp€eee,bound up in papers,& differeth not much in goodiies from the Indian Spikenard ; how- 



beit 



