Lib. 2. 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants, 
Great and ftrange effe&s are fuppofed to be in the Mandrakes, to can fe women to befruitfuii T 
and beare children, if they (hall but carry the feme neere vnto their bodies. Some doe from lienee ^ 
ground it, for that Rahd defired to bane her fi fters Mandrakes (as the text is tranilatcd ') but if 
we looke well into the circumftances which there we (hall finde,we may rather deeme otherwifr 
Young Ruben brought home amiable and fw eet fmelling floures ( forfo fignifietlr the Hebrew 
word , which is vied C antic. 7. 13. in the fame fenfe : ) and the lad brought them home, rather for 
their beauty and fmell, than for their vertue. Now in the floures of Mandrake there is no Inch 
deledlable or amiable fmell as was in thefe amiable floures which Ruben brought horile, Befides 
wee read not that Rahd eoiiceiued hereupon, for Leah Jacobs wife had foiire children before God’ 
granted that bleffing of fruitfulneffe vnto Rahd. And laft of all ( which is my chiefeft rea- 
fon) lacobw as angry with Rahd when Che (aid, Giue me children elfe I die : and demanded of 
her, whether he were in the ftcad of God or no, who had withheld from her the fruit ofher bod y . 
And we know that the Prophet Dauid faith. Children and the fruit of thewombe are the inhe- 
ritance, that commeth from the Lord ,PJalm. 127. 
Serafio^uicen, and Paulus vBgweta doe write, that the feed and fruit of CMaJldragoras taken M 
in drinke, doe clenfe the matrix or mother, and Diofcorides wrote the fame long before them. 
He that would know more hereof; may reade that chapter of doftor Turner his booke, concer- 
ning this matter, where he hath written largely and learnedly of this Simple. 
Chap. 66 . 
Of Henbane. 
I HyofeyamusT^iger. 
Blacke Henbane, 
if u| oSe^-i 
2 Hyofcyamus t_ Alius . 
White henbane. 
The Dejcription. 
t T He common blacke Henbane hath great and foft ftalkes : Ieaues very broad, (oft, and 
J. woolly, fomewhat iagged,efpecially thofe that grow neere vnto the ground, and thofe 
that grow vpon the ftalke, narrower, fmaller, and fharper.The floures are bel fafhion 
of a faint yellowifh white, and bro.vne within towards the bottoms 5 when -the floures are 
