Lib, z. Of he Hiftory of Plants. ^51 
bullets , rough and very hairy. The roots are 
tough, and many in number, tbrufting them- 
felues deep into the ground, and difperitng far 
abroad ; whereby it doth greatly increafe & in- 
fomuch that when it hath once taken faft’roo- 
ting,it can hardly with great labour be rooted 
out or deftroyed. 
The Place. 
It groweth inobfcure and darke places , a- 
bout dung-hills, and invntoiled grounds, by 
path-wayes and fuch like. 
tff The Time. 
It flourifheth from Iune to the end of Sep- 
tember. 
The Names. 
It is called of Lobel,Circxa Lutctiana : in En- 
glifh, Inchanters Night-(hade,orBinde-weed 
Nightfhade. 
% The Nature andVcrtues. 
There is novfeofthisherbe either in phv- 
fickeor Surgerie that I can reade of;, which 
hath happened by the corruption of time and 
theerrouroffome whohaue taken Mandravo- 
ras for C/rcfa ; in which errourthey haue ftill 
perfifted vnto this day, attributing vnto 
the vertues of tMandragoraa ; by which means 
there hath not any thing been faid of the true 
Circxa, by reafon,as I haue faid, that Mandra- 
goras hath been called Circaa: but doubtlefle 
it hath the vertue of Garden Night-fhade, and 
may ferue in Head thereof without error. 
Chap. ^5* Of <^M.andrd\e, 
The Description^ 
T He male Mandrake hath great broad long fmooth leattes of a darke greene colour, flat fpred 
vpon the ground : among which comevp the floures ofa pale whitifh colour,ftanding euery 
onevpona Angle fmall and weake foot-ftalke of a vvhitifli greene colour: in their places 
grow round Apples ofa yellowifb colour, fmooth, foft, and glittering, of a ftrong fmell • in which 
are contained flat and fmooth feeds in falhion ofa little kidney, like thofe of the Thorne-apple. 
Ihe root is long,thicke,whitilb,diuided many times into two or three parts refembling the legs 
lof a man, with other parts of his body adioyning thereto, as the priuy parr, as it hath beene repot- 
ted ; whereas in truth it is nootherwifethaniii the roots of carrots, parfeneps, and fuch like, forked 
lor diuided into two or more parts, which Nature taketh no account of. There hath been many ri- 
diculous tales brought vp of this plant, whether of old wines, or fbme runnagate Surgeons orphy- 
fleke-mongers I know not, (a title bad enough for them) but fure fbme one or moe that fought to 
make themfelues famous and skilfullaboue others, were the firft brochers of thaterrour I fpeake 
of. They adde further, That it is neuer or very feldome to be found growing naturally but vnder a 
gallovves, where the matter that hath fallen from the dead body hath giuen it the fhape ofa man - 
and the matter ofa woman, the fubftance *f a female plant, with many other fuch dolrifh dreams? 
They fable further and affirme. That he who would take vp a plant thereof muff tie a dog theruntd 
to pull itvp, which will giueagreat fbreekeat the digging vp ; othenvife ifaman fhould doit, he 
fhould furety die in fhort fpace after. Befides many fables of louingmatters,too full of feurrilitie 
to fet forth in print, which I forbeareto fpeake of. All which dreames and old wiues tales you 
fliall from henceforth call out of your books and memory • knowing this, that they are all and eue- 
rie partofthemfalfeandmo(lvntrue:forl my felfeand my feruantsalfo haue digged vp. planted, 
and replanted very many, and yet neuer could either per-ceiue fhape of mam or woman , but fome- 
times one flraight root, fometimes tvvo,and often fix or feuen branches comming from the maine 
Ctrcxa Lutctiana. 
Inchanters Night-fhade. 
CuUCSO^. n zA _o> 
