Chap. 269. 'Englijh Herbs. 
y>s 
do grow many blew flowers, much greater and larger 
than thofe of the Common manuredFlax,even as great 
almoft and large as Mallows, fometimes of a deeper, 
and fometimes of a Paler blew *, conlifting of five 
Leaves a piece ^ which being paft away, there fuc- 
ceeds fmall fharp pointed heads ( in the green husk 
which held the flowers) which are full of Seed ^ 
and being ripe, open and (hew the fame, which is 
flat, and of a blackifh fhining Colour, like Line 
Seed. 
VII. The Fifth , or Broad leav’d yellow flowred, 
has a Root which is thick and crooked , with many Fi- 
bres thereat , which perifhes not , but abides many 
Tears. It fprings forth with many Stalks , about a 
Cubit high , fomewhat red and ftijf, alfo round and of 
a brownifi) Colour, fet with pretty large and thick 
Leaves , not rough and hairy , but fmooth a?td hard. 
The Flowers grow plentifully on the tops of the 
Stalks, being compofed of five Leaves apiece, and 
are large, of a fair, fhining, yellow Color, with 
five threads, coming forth in their middle, having 
alfo as many fmaller and fhorter hairs. The Seed 
is contained in Pleads, flatter than in any of the 
other, and is of a blacker Color, but not fhining 
like them. 
VIII. The Sixth , or Dwarf Wild Flax, has a 
Root which is fmall and threddy , which fends forth 
many /lender Stalks , of about five, fix, feven, eight, 
or nine Inches high, furnifhed with feveral fmall, 
long Leaves, and growing on them by Couples. At the 
tops of the Branches grow the Flowers, which are 
White, or of a pale yellow, leffer than thofe of the 
manured Flax, with yellow Threads in the middle. 
The Seed is contained in little round heads, and is 
fmall. The whole plant is in all things like unto 
Flax } but in its Stalks, Leaves and Flowers, and 
all other parts thereof, it is four times leffer. 
IX. The Seventh, or more Common Wild Flax, 
has a Root like the manured Kind, and grows alfo like 
it, but has greater and higher Stalks , more branched 
at the Tops, and bearing a greater Jiock of blew Flow- 
ers on them, with Seed alfo like to the fame : But the 
Seed Veffels will hold or contain the fame, and not 
break open, when ripe, with the heat of the Sun, 
as the manured kind will do. 
X. The Places. The firft grows plentifully in 
the unmanured Inclofures of Hampjhire, onChalky 
Downs, and on Purfleet Hills, in EJJex, as alfo in 
many other places of this Kingdom : Gejner would 
would have it to be the Helleborine of the Ancients. 
All the reft grow in Gravelly Grounds : The fecond 
and feventh, in well manured Places, as alfo in Gar- 
dens and other the like Soils. The fourth and fixth, 
grow upon Rocks and Cliffs near the Sea-fide, Ge- 
rard faw them grow upon the Sea-banks by Lee in 
Ejfex, and in many places in the Ifle of Sheppy : 
They grow alfo between ^ueenborough and Sherland 
Houfe. The third and fifth, in Borders of Fields, 
in untilled places, and Hilly Grounds. 
XI. The Times. The firft fprings out of the 
Ground at the beginning of the Spring, and flowers all 
the Summer. All the reft flower thro’ all June, 
July, and Augujl ; the Seed ripening in the mean 
time. 
XII. The Vitalities, Specifications, Preparations, 
and Virtues of the fix latter deferibed Plants, are 
the fame with thofe of the manured Flax in Chap. 
267. aforegoing, and therefore we fhall fay no more 
of them here f but come di redly to confider the firft, 
or Cathariick kind, which is the moft ufeful. 
XIII. The Vitalities. It is hot and dry, fup- 
pofed in the fecond Degree : Stomatick, and La- 
th ar tick. How this Herb came to be fo known, as to 
be taken notice of, Mr. Goodyer ( in Johnfon upon 
Gerard’s Herbal) has given us an account of going 
to an Apothecaries Shop at Winchefter in Hamp/hire, 
I faw ( fays he ) this Herb lying upon the Stall, 
which I had feen long before, I defired of him to 
know the Name of it^ he told me, it was called 
Mill Mountain, and that Dodor Lake’s Man had 
given him the name of it, as alfo the Way how 
his Matter the Dodor ( who was afterwards Bifhop 
of Bath and Wells) did ufe it. 
XIV. The Virtues and Ufe. Take a Handful of 
Mill Mountain, the whole Plant, Leaves, Seeds, 
Flowers and all, bruife it, and put it into a 
Pipkin, with a' Pint of White Wine, and fet it ori 
hot Embers to Infufe all Night, then pour off the 
clean Wine, and drink it the next Morning falling: 
This will give eight or ten Stools, and purges and 
cleanfes the Stomach and Bowels admirably well 
And this was the thing, which the faid Dodor 
always ufed for his Purge. 
CHAP. CCLXIX. 
Of FLAXWEED Narrow leav’d,, 
0 R, 
T OAD-F LAX Narrow leav’d. 
I. np/fE Names. It is not known to have any 
X Greek Name, and yet Authors have called 
it ivop and ’'Owe/? : in Latin, Pfeudolinum, and 
Linaria : in Englifh, Flaxweed and Toad FlaXk 
H. The Kinds. There are three General Kinds 
of this Plant, viz. 1 . "Vivtimvov s-zvommcv, Linaria , 
anguftifolia, narrow leaved Flaxweed, or Toad Flax, 
of which in this Chapter. 2. Pfeudolinum, vcl Li- 
naria latifolia, broad leaved Flaxweed, of which, 
in the next Chapter , 3. Chamce linaria s Linaria pu- 
mild> 
