Lib. i. 
Of the Hiilorie of Plants. 
Water flags, Baftafd Floure de-luce, or Water Floure de-luce ; and in the North they call them 
Seggs. 
The nature. 
1 The roots of the Floure de-luce beingas yet frefh and greene, and full of juyce, are hot al- 
moftin the fourth degree. The dried roots are hot and dry in the third degree, burning the throat 
and mouth of futh as tafte them. 
2 The baftard Floure de-luce his root is cold and dry in the third degree, and of an aftrin°-ent 
er binding facultie. 
®[ Tbe/vertues. 
The root of the common Floure de-luce cleane vvafhed,and ftamped with a few drops ofRofe ^ 
water, and laid plaifter-wifewpori the face of man or womdn, doth intwodayes at the mod take 
away the blackneffe or blevvneffe of any ftroke or brufe : fo that if the skinne of the fame woman 
or any other perfon be very tender and delicate, it dial! be needfutl that ye lay a piece of filke fin- 
dall, or a piece of fine Iaune betvveene the plaifterand the skinne ; for othervvife in fuch tender 
bodies it often caufeth heate and inflammation. 
The iuyee of the fame doth not onely mightily and vehemently draw forth cholcr, butmoft B 
efpecially watery humors, and is'a fpeciall and Angular purgation for them thathaue the Drop- 
lie, if it be drunke in whay or fome ocher liquor that may fomewhat temper and alay his heate. 
The dry roots attenuate or make thinne thicke and tough humours, which are hardly and with C 
difficultie purged away. 
They are good in a loch or licking medicine for fhortn'effc of breath, an old cough, and all in- D 
firmities of the cheft which rife hereupon. 
They remedie thofe thathaue euill fpleenes, and thofe that are tronbledwith convulfions or E 
cramps, biting of ferpents, and the running of the reines, being drunke with vinegre,as faith Dio- 
fcorides • and drunke with wine it bringeth downe the monethly courfes of women. 
The deco&ion is good in womens baths, for it mollifieth and openeth the matrix. 
Being boyled very foft,and laid to plaifter-wife it mollifieth or foftneth the kings euil,and old 
hard fwellings. 
t The roots of our ordinary flags are not (as before is deliuered) cold and dry in the third de- H 
grec,noryctinthefecond,as.D0dW»raffirmes;but hot and dry, and that attheleaft in tlieie- 
cond degree, as any that throughly taftes them will confefle. Neither are the faculties and vfe(as 
fome would perfuade vs) to be neglefted ; for as Pena and Lobcll affirme, though it haue no fmell 
nor great heat, yet by reafon of other faculties it is much to be preferred before the Galanra major, 
or forreigne Acorns of (hops, in many difeafes ; for it imparts more heate and ftrength to the fto- 
macke and neighbouring parts than the other, which rather preyes vpon and diifipates the innate 
heate and implanted ftrength of thofe parts. It bindes,ftrengthens, and condenfes : it is good in 
bloudy flixes, and ftayes the Courfes. £ 
Chap. ^.o. Of Floure de-luce of Florence. 
Thedefcription. 
1 HP He Floure de-luce. of. Florence, whofe roots in fliops and generally euery where ate 
J. called Ireos, ox Once (whereoffweet waters, fvveet ponders, and fuch like are made) 
is altogether like vnto the common Floure de-luce, failing that the flowers of the 
Ireos is of a white colour, and theroots exceeding fvveet of find], and the other of no fmell at all. 
2 The white Floure de-luce is like vnto the Florentine Floure de-luce in roots, flaggy 
kaues, and ftalkes ; but they differ in that, that this Iris hath his flower ofa bleake white colour 
declining to yellowneffe- and theroots haue not any fmell at all • but the other is very fweet as 
we haue laid. 1 ’ 
3 The great Floure de-luce of Dalmatia hath leaues much broader, thickerytnd more clofe- 
ly compact together than any of the other, and fet in order like wings or the fins of a Whale fifh, 
greene toward the top, and of a fhining purple colour toward the bottome, euen to the ground 
amongft which rifeth vp a ftalke of foure foot high, as my felfe did meafure oft times in my gar- 
den : whereupon doth grow faire large floures of a light blew, or as we terme it,awatcbet colour. 
The floures do fmell exceeding fweet, much like the Orenge floure. The feeds are contained in 
iquare cods, wherein are packed together many flat feeds like the former. The root hath no 
fmell at all. i 
