Of the Hiltorie of Plants. 
Lie. ?, 
748 
This fame alfo is vnproperly called Hellebor aftrtm • for that may aptly bee called' Hellebdru- 
ttrum which hath the forme and likeneffe of Hellebor : and this Oxe eie is nothing at ail like to 
Ellebore. For all which caufes it feemeth thatnoncof thefe names agree with this plant,but onlv 
the name Bupbt hdmttm , with vvhofe defeription Which is extant in Diofcorides this plant doth molt 
aptly agree. We take it to be the right Oxeeie • for Oxe eiebringeth forth flcnder loft ftalks and 
hath leaues of the likeneffe or limihtude of Felinell leaues : the houre is yellow, bigger thantbaE 
of CammomilI,euen ftichan one is this prefent plant, which doth fo exquifitly eXpreffe that form 
orlikeneffeof Fennell leaues , both in flendernefle and manifold iaggedneffeof thcleaues asnoo- 
ther little leafed herb can do better ; fo that without all doubt this plant feemeth to be the true and 
right Oxe eie. Oxe eie is called CacbL, or rather C tilths but Calihi is Ca /W»/a,or Marigold which 
we faid that our Oxe eie in Home did neereft reprefent. There are fome that would hauc Buphthd- 
murn or Oxe eie to be Cbryfmhemim , yellow Cammomil,& lay that Diofcendcs hath in fundry pla- 
ces, and by diners names intreated of this herbe ; but if thofe men had fomewhat more diii°entlv 
weighed Dmfcondcs his words, they would haue bin of another minde : for although deferipuions of 
either of them do in many things agree, yet there is no property wanting that may (hew the plants 
to ditier. The leaues of Chryfwthemum are fatd to be diuided and cut into many fine ia^s • and the 
leaues of Buphthdmum to be like the leaues of Fennell : for all things that be finely iaggeci and cut 
“to many parts bane not the likeneffe of the leaues of Fennell. Mxxeoua, Diofeeriis faith that 
Chryfint. hemum doth bring forth a floure much glittering, butfetelleth not that the floure ofWa- 
thalnnm or Oxe eie is much glittering, neither doth the floure of that which we haue fet downe 
glitter, (o that it can or ought not to be faid to glitter much. Do not thefe things declare a manifeft 
inherence betive; ne Bupbthdmnm and Chryfmhernum, and confirnte that which we haue fet down to 
be the true and right Oxe eie ? We are of that minde,let others thinke as they will : and they that 
would haue Chryfint hemum to be Buphthdmum,\ct them feeke out another, if they denie this to bee 
Oxe eie .* for that which we and others haue deferibed for Chryfint hemum cannot be the true Buvh - 
on ' Iu 7 obe° m 401 ^ leaUC * ° f k arC n0t llkc Fennell ^ uch as thofe of the true Buphthdmum 
€ The Temperature, 
But concerning the facilities Mutthiolm faith, that all the Phy fitions and Apothecaries in Bohe- 
mia vie the roots of this Oxeeie in head of thofe of blacke Ellebor, namely for difeafes in cartel- 
but he doth not affirme that the roots hereofin medicines ate fubftitutes, or quidproquo ■ for faith 
he,I do remember that I oncefaw the roots hereof inafufficientbig qu antitie pm by certain Phy- 
K C ° dcco<ftl0ns ,r h V Ch ! VC ^ C made t0 P l,r S e b y fie § e ’ but thc y purged no more than ifthey 
ilrhonaf 6 ^ P !! C | in 3 a ' L ' whlch r. h “g maketh it molt plaine,that it cannot beany of the Ellebors, 
cure rhf rn a Fii If" we faftned .through the eares of cattell for certaine difeafes,and doth 
cure them as Elkbor doth. The roots of Gentian do mightily open the orifices ofFiltuIaes, which 
^“v,fo do the r °° ts |Of y^irtftolochiapt Birthwoort,or Brionie,or pieces of fpunges, which 
notwithftanding do much differ one from another in other operations: wherefore though the roots 
of Oxe eie can do fometbmg like vnto blade Ellebor, yet for al that they cannot perform all thofe 
things that the fame can. Vv eknou mat thornes, flings, fplinters of wood, and fuch Iike.bring pain, 
caule tnflamrnations,draw vnto them humors from the parts neere adioining, ifthey be faftned in 
any part of the bodte ; no parrot the bodte is hurt without pain ; the which is increafedifany thing 
be thrutt through, or put into thewound : peraduenturealfoif any other thing befidebe put into 
ic fltt or bored eare,rhe fame effect would follow which hapned by the toot of this plant thruft in- 
notw 1 th ftand 1 ng we here aihrme nothing, we onely make way for curious men to make more dili- 
gent fearch touching the operations hereof, j cluftus affirmes that when hee came to Vienna in 
Auftm,th.s was vulgarly bought fold, and vfed for the true blade Ellebor, the ignorance of the 
hy fitions and Apothecaries in the know] edge of fimples was fuch to make vfe of this fo fardiffe 
rent plant when as they had the true blacke Hellebor growing plentifully wilde within feuen 
miles of the citic,the which afterward vpon his admonition, they made vfe of. f: 
The Vert ues. 
Diofcorides faith that the Homes of Oxe eie made vp in a feare-cloth doe affwage and wafte a- 
A way cold hard fwellings ; and it is reported that ifthey be drunk by and by after bathing they make 
therrun fltort time well coloured that haue been troubled with the yellow iaundice. & ^ 
C H A P. 
