^00 The thirteenth Booke of 



Thapfia is fingular good foi the {bedding and falling of the haire valfo againft the blackc and Q 

 , blew marks remaining after ftripes : as if Nature furnillied not Phyficians lufficiently with other 

 holcfome remedies, but that needs they muft have rccourfe to fuch poifonfuil and mifchie vous 

 medicines. But this is the call of them alljto pretend fuch colourable cxcufes,for their handling 

 of poifons : and Co impudent and iTiamclefle are fome befides^that they balh not to avow the uic 

 of thcmibearing us in hand,that Phyficke cannot ftand without poifon. The Thapfia in Aflrdcke 

 is the ftrongeft of all others. Some ule to flit or cut the ftem about harveft , and in the very root 

 make an hollow trough to receive the juice that runneth downe, and when it is dried, they take 

 it away. Others againe doe bruife and Ihmpe in a mortar, both leafe, ftalkc, and toot j and when 

 the juice that is prefledthere-fromjis throughly dried in the Sunne, they reduce the fame into 

 certainc T^ochi^ques.2^(^r^ Ca/ar the Emperour in the beginning of his Empirejgave great ere- j| 

 dit unto Thapfia : for ufing (as he did)to be a night-walker, and to make many ryots and much 

 ini(ruleinthcdarke5hcmct otherwhiles with thole that would fo beat him, asthathec carried 

 away the markes blackc and blew in his face : but (as he was fubtill & defirous t o avoid the fpeech 

 of the people) an ointment he had made of Thapfia, Frankincenfe, and Waxe, wherewith hec 

 would annoint his face, and by the next morning come abroad with a cicarc skin , and no fuch 

 markes to be (cene , to the great aftoni fhment of all men that faw him. To concludc,the Ferula 

 maketh the bcft matches to keepe fire^by all mens confcflion;and thofe in -^gypt excell the reft^ 

 for that purpoie. 



Chap, xxiii, 



^ of Ciip^Aris^ or Cynoibctos^ or Opheoft^phyk : md of Sayu ^ 



Llkewifein-£gyptgrowcthCapparis,afhrubof a harder and morewoodie fub{lance:wen 

 knownefor the feed and fruit that it carrieth, commonly eaten with meats, and for the njoft 

 part the Capres and the flaike are plucked and gathered togither. The outlandilTi Caprea 

 (not growing in ^gypt) wee mull take good heed of and beware; for thofe of Arabia be pefti- 

 lentiall and venomous: they of Ai^ricke be huittull to the gumbs,and principally the Marmarike 

 are enemiesto the matrice,and breed ventofities. The ApulianCaprescaulc vomit, and make 

 lubricitic both of ftomack and bellie.Some call the fhrub Cynosbatos : otherSjOpheoflaphyle, 

 Moreover, there is a plant of fhrubs kind jcalled Sari : it groweth along Nilus,3lmofl two cubits 

 high, it beareth an inch in thickncffe, and hath leaves like to Papyr-reed, and men do chew and K 

 eat it after the fame manner. As touching the root,it is fingular good for Smithes cole to burne 

 in their forges, fo hard it is and durable. 



I 



Chap, xxiiii, 



p§» Of the Roy all thorne ofBdylon : and of Cytifmg. 



May not over-pafTe that plant, which about Babylon is fowedupon "f^^rnesonelyr foro- 

 therwife it knoweth not how to live no more than MifTeltOjbut upon trees - howbeit this plant 

 that I fpeake of^is fowed upon that Thorne alone called the Royall Thorne . A nd a flraunge £ 

 thing it is of this plant, That it fpringeth and groweth the very fame day that it is fet or fowed. 

 Now the feafonable time of fowing it, is at the very rifing of the Dog-ftarrc :and notvyithflan- 

 ding the Sunnesheat,righc quickly overfpreadeth it the tree orfhrub,on whichitis caft. The 

 Babylonians ufe to aromatize their wine therewith j and for that purpofe are they fo carefullto 

 fow it.But the forefaid 1 horn tree groweth alfo about the long walls of Athens [reaching from 

 the tower to the haven Py ra^eum.] 



Moreover, a fhrub there is,called Cytifus, highly commended and wondrous much praifed 

 by i^rtpomachm the Athenian, for feeding of fhcep ^ as alfo forfaiting of fwine, whenit isdrie : 

 and he promifeth and aifureth, That an acre of land fowed thcrewith,although it be none of the 

 bcfl foile,but of a mcane and ordinaric rent, will yeeld yeerely {c&mmmihm (inmf] 2000 Sefler- ^\ 

 cestothe mafler. As great profit commeth thereby,as ofthepuIfeIikeVetches,calledEtvum: 

 but fooner willa bealtbe fatisfied therewith, and a very little thereof will ferveio fatihe fame: 

 infomuch asif horfesor any fuch labouring cattell may meet with that provender ^ they will 

 not care for barley .'neither is there any other graffe or fodders, that yeeideth more or better 



— ^ niilke- 



