Lib. 7 
Of the Hilton/ of Plants. 
921 
Mclones aquatic! edttla Virginiani. 
The Virginian Water-Melon. 
This Melon or Pompion is like and fully as bigge as the common Pompion.in fpreading, run- 
ning, Cree{»ng brancheSjleaueSjfloures^and clafping tendrels : the fruit is ofa very blackifhlrreene 
colour, and extendeth it felfe in length neere foure inches long, and three inches broad, no bigger 
nor longer than a great apple.and grow alongft the branches forth ofthe bofomes of the leaues,not 
larre from the root euen to the toppes of the branches, containing a fubftance, pulpe, and fiat feed 
like the ordinary Pompion : tberoot is wjiitifh , and difperfeth it felfe verie farre abroad in the 
earth, and perilheth about the Beginning of Winter. October the tenth, 16 1 1. John 
Goodycr . £ , 
' e The Place. 
All thefe Melons orPompions be garden plants : they ioy beft in a fruitfull foile, and are com- 
mon in England ; except the laft deferibed, which is as yet a ftranger. 
The Tune. 
They are planted at the beginning of Aprill: they floure in Auguft: the fruit is ripe in Sep- 
tember. . ■ ^ 
The Names. 
The great Melon , or Pompion is named in Greeke**‘» : in Latinelikewife?^ .• The fruits of 
them all when they be ripe are called by a common name in Greeke,»<™. .■ in Englith, Millions or 
Pompion Whereupon certaine Phyfitions, faith Ga&»,haue contended.that this fruit ought to be 
called that is to fay in Lutine, Pepo Cucumcralis , or Cucumber Pompion. Pliny in his ninth 
booke the fifth Chapter writerh, that Cucitmeres when they exceed in greatneife are named ton. 
nes : it is called in High Dutch, ^MtlUct 5 in Low Dutch, ^)fpomcn : in French, Pompons. 
H The 1 emperature and f'ertues. 
All the Melons are of 3 cold namrepvith plenty of moifture: they haue a certaine clenfing qua- A 
3 itie,by meanes whereof they prouokc vrine, and do more fpeedily palfe through the bodi° than 
do either the Gourd, Citrull, or Cucumber, as Gafozhath written 
Thepulpeof the Pompion is neuer eaten raw, bur boiled. For fo it doth more eafily defeend B 
making the belly foluble. The nourifhment which commeth hereof is little, thin, moill and cold* 
(bad , faith Galen) and thatefpecially yvhenit is not well digefted : by reafonwhereofitmaketh 
a man apt and rcadic to fall into the difeaie called the Cholericke Paffion, and of fome theFe- 
iOnie. 
The feed clenfeth more than the meat, it prouoketh vrine, and is good for thofe that are troubled C 
with the (tone ofth.e kidnies. 
The fruit boiled in milke and buttered, is not onely a good wholefomc meat for mans body,but D 
beingfoprepared,isalfoamoftphyficallmedicineforfuchashaueanhotftomacke, andthe in- 
ward parts inflamed. 
The flefh or pulpe of the fame diced and fried in a pan with butter, is alfo a good and wholfome E 
meat : but baked with apples in an oucn,it doth fil the body with flatuous or windie belch inland 
is food vtterly vnwholefome for filch as line idlely.but vnto robuftious and ruftick people nothin^ 
hurteth that filleth the belly. & 
C h a p. 34 6. Of Wilde Tompionu 
The Defer ip! ion. 
1 ^ C ^ ere * s a w |lde fort of Cncumbers,of Melons, Citruls and Gourds, Co likewile there 
,/\ke certaine wilde Pompions, that be fo of their owne nature. Thefe bring forth rou^h 
ftalks/et with (harp thorny prickles. The leaues be likevvife rough.-the floures yellow 
as be thofeof rbc garden Melon, but euery part is lefTer.The fruit is thicke.round, and fharp poin- 
ted, hailing a hard greene rinde. T he pulpe or meat whereof, and the middle pith,vvich the feed are 
like thole 01 the garden Pompion, but very bitter in tafte. 
2 The fccond is like vnto the former, but it is altogether IefTer, wherein confifteth the diffe- 
Hh h h 5 
The 
