o Tlie fixteenth Bookeof 



moreovcr^that of all other itfalkth laft. Moreover, the maft of EfcuIus^Robiir • and the Corkei G 

 caufeth the flefti to be fpungeous and hollow. To conclude, what trees foever bcarc maft, carrrg 

 alfocertainc nuts called Galls: and lightly they are full of maft but each other yeare. But the 

 okeHcmerisbcarCththcbepgalls^ndiitteftforthcctjrriours to drefle their leathcr.The broad 

 leafed okc hath a kind of galls like unto it, but lighter in (ubftanccand not fo good by far : it ca^ 

 tiethaUbblacke galls (fo£ two forts there be) and this is better for the dier to colour wooll. ' 



Chap, VI 1. 



^ pftht Gdl-mU:Mdhox9 manj other thifigsMafl-trees dee 

 hembefidesCMnjL ^ / 



THc nuts called Gallsadoc cverbrcakc out all at once in a night, and riamely about the be- 

 ginning of, Iune,when the funne is rcadie to^^goe out of the fignc Gemini. The whiter fort 

 thcreofcomnicth to the growth in one day : and if in the firfifpring and breaking foorth 

 thereof it be hot wcather,itdrieth and withereth out of hand, and eommeth not tothe full big- 

 nefle and perfedlion, namely to have a kerncll as much as a Beane. The blackc of this kind con- 

 tinueth longer frelh and greenc,and groweth ftilljtothebignefleotherwhiksof an apple. The 

 beft Galls be thofe of Coma gena : theworftis thatof the oke called Robur, which are knownc 

 by the holes they have,ihat may be feen ihrougli. The common oke Quercus, over and befides 

 thefruit (which is the maft)beareth many other thingsjfor it carieth both forts of Gal],rhe black 

 and the white : certaine berries alfo like Mulbcrf ies, but that they be drie and hard , refembling 

 for the moft part a Bulls head, cpnteining within them a fruit much like the kernels of the Olive. 

 Moreoverjthere grow upon it certain little balls not unlike to nuts, having foft flox within good 

 to make candle-wieke or matches for lamps ; for burn they will without any oilcjlikc as the black 

 Galls. It beareth alfo other little pills or balls good for nothing, covered over with haire, & yec 

 in the (pring time they yeeld a certain juice or liquor like honey. Furthermore, there breed in 

 the hollow arme-pits (as it were) of the boughs, other finall pills (etled or flicking clofetothe 

 wood,and not hanging by any llcles, which toward the navillor bottome thereof arc wbitifh 5 

 otherwife they be fpeckled all over with blacke lpots,favc that in the mids betweene they are of a 

 fcarlet red colour: open them,and hollow they are within, but very bitter. Sometimes alfo this 

 Oke cngendreth certain hard callofities, like Pumifh ftones jyea and other round balls made of 

 the leaves folded one within another: on the backefide alfo of the leafewhereit isreddifh, yee 

 fhall find (ticking ccriai nc waterilh pearls, white and iranfparant or cleare within, fo long as tibey 

 be foft and tender, wherein there breed little flies o;.gnats : howbeit in the end they ripen and 

 wax harder^ in manner of Galls. 



Chap. vm. 



ofthe Catkin called Cachrjs : the gr hint of Scarlet : of ^ga^ 

 y^icke^and Corke* 



THe Oke called Robur, bringcth fort^ likcwife a certaine pendant chat or catkin, named in 

 Grceke Cachrys:forib they tearmethelitt!epill,whichisof aburningand caufticke na- 

 ture, and whereof there is u(e in Phyficke for potentiall cauteries. The like groweth upon 

 FirreSjLarch t^eesjPitch trees,Lindens or Tillets,Nut-trees, and Planes, namely after that the 

 leaves be falnej and abideth upon the tree in winter time. Thefc chats have a kerneil within like 

 to thofe of the Pine-nuts. It beginneth to grow in winter,and by the Ipring time all of it opencth 

 and (prcadeth to theproofe jbut when rhe leaves begin to bud and put forth^ itfalleth off. Thus 

 you fee how fruitfull thefe Okes be,and how many things befides maft, they do bring forth. And 

 yet they ccale not nor give over thus, for many times a man fhall fee certaine excrelccnces 

 gtowingforth about their roots,fuch as toadftools and mufliroms ; the laft devifes that our glut- 

 tons have invented to whet their appetite and ftomacke, and to maintaine gourmandize . The M 

 common Okebrcedeththebeftof this kind: as for thofe that grow about the Oke Robur, the 

 Cypreflc, and Pine tree,they are hurtfull to be eaten and venomous. Morcovcra Heftodm faith, 

 that the Okes Robora do beare MilfeIto,and yeeld honey. True it is indeed, that the honey-dews 

 called IVlanna, falling from heaven (whereojf we have fpokcnbefoie) light not upon any othcc 



leaves 



