Lib. z. Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
557 
^ The Time. 
Flaxe is fovviie in the fpring,it flourethin Iuneand Inly. Afterit is cutdownefas Plin y in his 
i9.booke,firft chapter faith)the ftalkes are put into the water fubjeft to the heate of tbe funne,and 
fome weight laid on them to be fteeped therein ; thc loofenes of the rinde is a figne when it is well 
fleeped : then is it taken vp and dried in the funne, and after vfed as moft hufiviues can tell better 
than my felfe. 
It is called both in Greekeand Laine Linum : in high Dutch, jflacfyfj tin Italian and Spa- 
nifh. Lino : in French, Dulin : in low Dutch', ^tiajS ; in Englifh, FlaXc% and Lyne. 
Galen in his firft booke of the faculties of nourifhments faith, that diuers vfe the feed hereof A 
parched as a fuftenacne with Garum, no otherwife than made fait. 
They alfo vfe it miked with hony , fome likewife put it nmdng bread, but it is hurtfull to'thc B 
ftomacke, and hard of digeftion, and yeeldeth to the body but little nourifhment : but touching 
the quality which maketh the belly foluble, neither will I praifeordifpraifeit; yet that it hath 
fome force to prouoke vrine, is more apparant when it is parched.-but then it alfo Ilayeth the belly 
more. 
The fame author inhisbookes of faculties of fimple medicines faith,that Linefeed being ea- C 
ten is windy although it be parched, fo full is it of fuperfluous moifture.- and it is alfo after a fort 
hot in the firft degree, and in a meanc betweene moift and dry. But how windy the feed is, and 
how full of fuperfluous moifture it is ineuery part, might very wellhaue beenperceiuedafew 
yeeres fince as at Middleborough in Zeland, where for want of graine and other come, mod of the 
Citizens were faine to cate bread and cakes made hereof with hony and oilc, whowere in fhort 
time after fwolne in the belly below the fhort ribs,faces,& other parts of their bodies in fuch fort, 
that a great number were brought to their graues thereby Tor thefe fy mptomes or accidents came 
no otherwife than by the fuperfluous moifture of the feed,vvhich caufeth windinefle. 
Linefeed as Viofcorides hath written, hath the fame properties that Fenugreekehath : it wafteth D 
away and mollifieth all inflammations or hot fwellings, as Well inward as Outward, if it be boiled 
with hony, oile, and a little faire water, and made vp with clarified hony- it takethaway blemifhes 
of the face, and the funne burning, being raw andvnboiled ; and alfo foule fpots, if it be mixed 
with falt-peter and figs : it caufeth rugged and ill fauoured nailes to fall off, mixed with hony and 
water Crefles. 
It draweth forth of the cheft corrupted flegme and other filthy humors, if a compofition with E 
hony be made thereof to licke on.andeafeth the cough. 
Being taken largely with pepper and hony made into a cake, it ftirreth vp luft. F 
The oile which is prefled out of the feed, is profitable for many purpofes in phyficke and furge- G 
ry j and is vfed of painters, picture makers, and other artificers. 
It fofteneth all hard fwellingSi it ftretcheth forth the finewes that are fhrunke and drawne to- H 
gether,mitigateth paine, being applied in maner of an ointment. 
Somealfogiucittodrinke to fuch as are troubled w ith paine in the fide and collicke ; but it I 
muft be frefli and newly drawneifor if it be old and ranke, it caufeth aptnefle to vomit,and withall 
it ouermuch heateth. 
Linefeed boiled in water with a little oile, and a quantity of Annife-feedimpouderedandim- K 
plaiftered vponan angina, or any fwelling in the throat, helpeth the fame._ 
It is with good fuccefle vfed plaifterwife, boiled invineger,vpon the difeafes called Coliaca and L 
Dyftnteria, which are bloudy fluxes and paines of the belly . 
The feeds ftarnped with the roots of wilde Cucumbers, draweth forth fplinters,thornes, broken 
bones, or any other thing fixed in any part of the body. 
The decoftion is an excellent bath forwomen to fit oner for the inflammation of the fecret jq 
parts, becaufe it fofteneth the hardnefle thereof, and eafeth paine and aking. 
The feed of Line and Fenugreek made into powder,boiledwith Ma llowes, violet leanes, Smal- Q 
lage, and Chickweed,vntill the herbs be foft ; then ftarnped in a ftone morter with a little hogs 
greafe to the forme of a cataplafme or pultefle, appeafetli all maner of paine, foftneth all cold tu- 
mors or fwellings, mollifieth and bringeth to fuppuration all apoftumes ; defendeth wounded 
' members from fwellings and rankling, and when they be already rankled, it taketh the fame away 
being applied very warme euening and morning. 
t Thefi"nreilrcw.ls formerly iathitplicefor th: ordinary flaxe was of Linum fjlutftie Iltifalim J.oMx/Iar, which is aeferibedby me in the fixih place in 
The Name!. 
The Temperature and Vertues. 
A aa 
