Aconitum vllo mode ejfe venenatum bomini . C.inibns aittcm letiferum effefcio,non folwn fi drachmitrum 4 . 
fcdctiam (i vmm ponder efumant . And before he faid, qmtfi non aliamdta canibtts fine uenena, quee ho- 
mini falttbria furtt ; vt dc ajparagofertur. Of the fame opinion with Gefner is Pena and Label, who, Ad- 
aerf.p. 2 9 o,& 29 1. do largely handle this matter, & exceedingly deride and feofife at Matthielusfo r 
his vehement declaiming againft thevfe thereof. Now briefely my opinion is this, That the Da. 
remeum here mentioned is not that mentioned and written ofby Sjtrapio and the Arabians ; neither 
is it the Aconitum Pardalianches of Diofcorides, nor of fo malignant a qualitie as Matthiolus would 
haue it • for I my felfe alfo haue often eaten ofit, and that in a pretty quarititie, without the lead 
offence. ^ 
T he Nature and f'ertues . 
I haue diffidently fpoken of that for which I haue warrant to write, both touching their natures A 
and vertues ; for the matter hath continued fo ambiguous and fodoubtfull,yea, and fo ful ofcon- 
trouerfies, that I dare not commit that to the world which 1 haue read : thefe few lines therefore 
fhall fuffice for this prefent ; rhe reft which might be faid I referre to the great and learned Do- 
dors, and to your owne confederation. 
Thefe herbes are mixed with compound medicines that mitigate the paine of the eyes, and by B 
reafon of his cold qualitie, being frefh and greene, it helpeth the inflammation or fierie heatc of 
the eyes. 
It is reported and affirmed, that it killeth Panthers, Swine, Wolues, and allkindes of wildc C 
beafts, being giuen them with flefh. Thcophrafitis faith. That it killeth Cattell, Shcepe,Oxen,and 
all foure-footed beafts, within the compafle of one day, not by taking it inwardly onely, but ifthe 
herbeor root be tied vnto their priuy parts. Yet he vvriteth further. That the root being drunke is 
a remed-e againft the flinging of Scorpions ; which fheweth,that this herbe or the root thereof is 
not deadly to man, but to diners beafts onely : which thing alfo is found out by trial and manifeft 
experience ; for Conrade Gefner (a man in our time Angularly learned, and a mod diligent fearcher 
of many things) in a certaine Epiftle written to Adolphus Occo, fheweth. That he himfelfehath of- 
tentimes inwardly taken the root hereof greene, dry, whole, preferued with honey, and alfo beaten 
to ponder; and that euen the very fame day in which hee wrote thefe things, hee had drunke with 
warmewater two drams of the roots made into fine ponder, neither felt he any hurt thereby : and . 
that he oftentimes alfo had giuen the fame to his ficke Patients, both by it felfe, and alfo mixed 
with other things, and that very luckily. Moreouer, the Apothecaries infteadof Doromcum doe 
vfe (though amifle) the roots thereof without any manifeft danger. 
That this Aconite killeth dogs, it is very certaine, and found out by triall : which thing Matt hie- D 
lus could hardly beleeue,but that at length he found it out to be true by a manifeft example, as he 
confefleth in his Commentaries. . „ 
t I haue (faith Gefner) oft with very good fucceffe preferibed it to my Patients, both a!one,as c 
alfo mixed with other medicines, efpecially in the Vertigo and falling fickneffe ifomtimes alio I 
mix therewith Gentian, the pouder of Mifle-toe,and Afirantta : thus itworkes admirable eftefls 
in the Epilepfie, ifthe vfe thereofbe continued for fome time, % 
f Formerly the figure that was in the fir A place fhould haue bcencin therccond,atidthc firft and fccond were confounded in chcdcrcrjjfa'on. 
Chap, z 65 . Of Sage. 
I rT-iHegreatSageisveryfullofftalkes,fourefquare,ofawooddy fubftance, parted into 
I branches, about the which grow broad leaues, long, wrinckled, rough, whitilh, verie 
A like to the leaues ofwilde Mullein, but rougher, and not fo white, like in roughneffe 
to woollen cloath thread-bare : the floures ftand forked in the tops of the branches like thole of 
dead Nettle, or of Clarie, of a purple blew colour; in theplaceof which doth grow little blac- 
kifh feeds, in fmall htiskes. The root is hard and wooddy , fending forth a number of little 
^T^The Ieffer Sage is alfo a Ihrubby plant, fpred into branches like to the former, but ieffir: 
the ftalkes hereof are tenderer : the leaues be long, Iefter, narrower, but not leffe rough ; to which 
there do grow in the place wherein they are fixed to the ftalke, two little leaues (landing on either 
fide one right againft another, fomewhat after the manner of finnes or little cares : the floures are 
b 3 Sffz. eared 
Of the Hillorie of Plants. 
The Vcfcription. 
