Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
L I B. 2. 
592 
no graduate, but a Countrey Schollcr,as the whole framing of this Hiftorie doth well declareibut 
I hope my good meaning will be well taken, con fidering I doe my heft; not doubting but fomeof 
greater learning will perleft that which I liaue begun according to my fmall skill, efpecially the 
ice being broken vnto him, and the wood rough hewed tohis hands. Notwithftanding I thinke it 
good to fay thus much more in mine owne defence , that although there bee many wants and de- : 
lefts in me, that were requifite to performe fuch a worke ; yet may my long experience by chance - 
happen vpon fome one thing or other that may do the learned good : conlidering what a notable , 
experiment I learned of on clobn Bennet a Chirurgion of Maidftone m Kent , a man as flenderly : 
learned as my felfe, which he pra&ifed vpon a Butchers boy of the fame towne, as himfelfe repor- 1 
ted vnto me ; his pra&ife was tbis:Being defired to cure the forefaid lad of an ague, which did gne- 
uoufly vex him, he promifed him a medicine, & for want of one for the prefent(forafliiftas him- ■ 
felfe confcfted vnto me)he tooke out of his garden three or foure leaucs of this plant of Rubarb, , 
which my felfe had among other fimples giuen him, which he (tamped & (trained with a draught i: 
ofaIe,and gauc it the lad in the morning to drinke : it wrought extremely downevvard and vpward 
within one houre after, and neuer ccafed vntill night. In the end the ftrength of the boy ouercame j| 
the force of thePhyficke, it gauc oner working, and the lad loft his ague ; (ince which time(ashee j 
faith) he hath cured with the fame medicine many of the like maladie, hauing euer great regard 
vnto the quantitie, which was tbecaufe of the violent working in the firft cure. By reafonof which 
accidcnt,that thing hath been reuealed vnto pofteritie, which heretofore was not fo much as drea- 
med of. Whofe blunt attempt may fet an edge vpon fome (harper wit, and greater judgement in ii 
the faculties of plants, to feeke farther into their nature than any of the Antients hauedone: and I 
none fitter than the learned Phyfitions of the Colledge of Londonjwhere are many Angularly vvel 
learned and experienced in natural! things. 
The roots diced and boiled in the water of Car dims Benedict us to theconfumption of the third 
part,adding thereto a little honie, of the which decoiftion eightor ten fpoonfuls drunke before the 
fit, cureth the ague in two or three times fo taking it at the mod': vnto robuftous or ftrong bodies 
twelue fpoonfuls may be giuen. This experiment was praftifed by a worfhipfull Gentlewoman ' 
miftreffe Anne Wylbraham^ vpon diuers ofher poore Neighbours with good fuccefle. 
t That figure that war in thcfirflplaccwasof the Lapitbumfol miruu ietrto. rfcfcribed bjr irC in the third place ofthc preceding chapter. Thefccojid wa* ofZ* ( 
pitbm annum cirfpum of fahtmar/mtantu . The third wa» of Hjdrolapatbum mirw. 
Chap. 83. Of %ubcirb. 
1 1 T hath happened in this as in many othet forreine medicines or fimples, which though they be 
•* of great and frequent vfe, as Hermoda6tyls,Muske,Turbeth,&c. yet haue we no certaine know- 
ledge of the very place which produces them,nor of their exa£t manner ofgrowing,which hath gi- 
uen occafion to diuers to thinke diuerfiy,and fome haue been fobold as to counterfeit figures out 
of their owne fancies, as CMatthiolus: fo that this laying of Pliny is found to be very true, TStuIla mc- 
dicinse pars mage incertafluamqux at’ alio qtiam noltro orbepetitur .But we will endeauourto (hew you 
more certaintie of this here treated of than was knowne vntill ofvery late yeres. 
The Defcription. 
x TT His kinde of Rubarb hath very great leaues, fomewhat fnipt or indented about the ed. 
- ges like the teeth ofa Saw, not vnlike the leaues of Enulacampana, called by the vulgar 
fort Elecampane,but greater : among which riferhvpaftraight ftalke of two cubits high, bearing ; 
atthetopa fcalie head like thofe of Knappe-vveed,or laceamaior : in the middle of which knap or : 
head thrufteth forth a faire floure confiding of many purple tbreds like thofe of the Artichoke; : 
which being paffthere follovveth a great quantitie of downe, wherein is wrapped long feedc like : 
vnto the great Centorie, which the whole plant doth very well refemble. The root is long and I 
thicke, blackifli without, and of a pale colour within : which being chewed maketh the fpittle : 
very yellow, as doth the Rubarb of Barbarie. 
f 2 ThisotherbaftardRha,vvhichisalfoofXcfc&defcription,hatharoot likethat of the : 
laftdefcribed : but the leaues are narrower almoftlike thofe of tile common Docke, but hoarie : 
on the other fide : the ftalke groives vp ftraight, and beareth fuch heads and floures as the pre- ■ 
cedent. 
t ? I haue thought good here to omit the counterfeit figure of Matthiolus^ giuen vs in tbit 1 
place by our Authour , asalfo the Hiftorie, which was not much pertinent, and in lieu of them to : 
prefent you with a perfect figure and defcription of the true Rhit Ponticum of the Antients,which : 
