Of the Hiftorie of Plants, 
Ll B. 2. 
91 ° 
indifferent betweene the kindes of Ranunculus, 
He //chorus, and Napellus:) this yellow kindel 
fay hath large ihining greene leaues fafliioned 
like a vine, and of the fame bignelfe, deepely 
indented or cut, not much vnlike the leaues 
of Geranium F upturn , or blacke Cranes-bill: 
the ftalkes are bareor naked, not bearing his 
leaues vpon the fame ftalkes, . one oppoli re a- 
gainft another, as in the other of his kinder 
his ftalkes grow vp to the height of three cu- 
bits, bearing very fine yellow Houres/antafti- 
cally fa(hioned,and in fuch manner fhaped, 
that I can very hardly defcribe them vnto 
you They are fomevvhat like vnto the hel- 
met Monkes hood, open and hollow at one 
end, firme and Unit vp at the other : his roots 
are many, compadl of a number of threddyor 
blacke firings, of an ouerworne yellow colour, 
fpread ing far abroad eucry way/olding them- 
felues one within another very confufedly. 
This plant groweth natural ly in the darke hil- 
lie forrefts,and fhadowie woods, which are 
not trauclled nor haunted, but by wilde and 
fauage beafts, and is thought to be the ftron- 
geft and next into Thorn in his poi foiling 
qualitie, of all the reft of the Aconites, or 
Woolfes banes- infomuch that if a few of the 
floures be chewed in the mouth, and fpit forth 
againc prefently,yet forthwith it burnetii the 
jawes and tongue, can ling them to fwell, and 
makingacertaine fvvimmingor giddineffein 
the head. Th is calleth to my remembrance an hiftory of a certaine Gentleman dwellin'* in Lin- 
colnefhire, called Mahctvc, the true report whereof my very good friend M r . NichoLts Be/jon, fome- 
times fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, hath dejiuered vnto me :,M' . Mabemc dwelling in 
Bofton,a ftudent in Phyficke,hauing occalion to ride through the Fennes of Lmcolneihire found 
a root that the hogs had turned vp, vvhipli feemed vnto him very ftrangc and vnknowne, for that it 
was in the fpring before the leaues were out, : this lie rafted, and it fo inflamed his mouth, tongue, 
and lips, that it caufed them to fwell very extreamely, fo that before he could get to the rowne of 
Boftonhecould not fpeake,and nodoubt had loft his life ifthatthe Lord God had not blefTed 
thofe good remedies which prefenrly lie procured and vied. I haue here thought good to exprefle 
this biftory for two efpeciall caufes ; the firftis, that fome induflrioiis and diligent obferuer of 
nature may be prouoked to feeke forth that venemous plant, or Tome of his kindes : for I ameer- 
tainely perfuaded that it is either the Thorn Tddcnfium, or Aconitum luteum, whereof this gentle- 
man rafted, which two plants haue not at any time been thought to grow 11a rurally in England :the 
other caufe is, for that I would warne others to beware by that gentlemans harnie. * I amof opi- 
nion that this root vv hich M . Mohave tafted was of the Ranunculus flammcus maior, deferibed in the 
firft place of the 3 70. chapter aforegoing . for that growes plentifully in fuch places, and is of a 
very hot tafteand hurtful! qualitie. $ # 
7 he Place. 
The yellow Woolfes ba„ e gtoweth in my garden, but not wilde in England, or in any other of 
thefe Northerly regions. 
U T he Time. 
It floureth in the end of Iuneftomewhat after the other Aconites 
a— I. - „ ... ... .... 5 Th 1 Names . 
This yellow V\ oolfes-bane is called of Lobcl , Aconitum luteum Ponticumpx. Ponticke Woolfes- 
bane There is mention made in Viofcoride, his copies of three Woolfes-banes, of which the hun- 
ters v fe one, and Phy fitions the other two. Marce/lus V irgilttts holdeth opinion that the vie of this 
plant is vtterly to be refufed in medicine. 
at The Temperature andvcrtucs. 
A ^Jie ljCLlIn ? ot C * 1IS Aconite, as alfo of the other Woolfes-banes, is deadiv to maii,and Jikcwife 
to all other lining creatures. 
Aconitum httcumPontuum. 
Yellow Woolfesbane. 
It 
