ioo 6 Of the Hiftory of Plants. > Li b. 2. 
Saracenic*, and Saracens Confound, or foure ounces of honey, whereof I gaue him in the morning « 
two fpoonfulls to drinke in a finall draught of wine tempered with a little Sugar. 
b ^ In like manner I cured a Shoo-makers feruantinHolburne,who intended to deftroy himfelfe 
for caufes knowne vnto many now liuiug : but I deemed it better to couer the fault, than to put the 
lame in print, which might moue fuchagraceleffe fellow to attempt the like his attempt was 
thus ; Firft, he gaue himfelfe a molt mortall wound in the throat, in fuch fort, that when I gaue 
him drinke it came forth at the wound, which likewife did blow out the cand le : another deep and 
gneuous wound in the bred with the faid dagger, and alfo two others in Abdomme or the nether 
belly, fo that th tZtrbus or fat, commonly cal led thecaule,i(fued forthwith the guts likewife • the 
which mortall wounds, by Gods permifTion, and the vermes of this berbe,I perfectly cured within 
twenty dayes : for the which the name of Godbepraifed. 1 
C h a p. 39 1. Of z 5 \dfagydare } or Lafer-wort. 
■)• Laferpitium. 
Lafer-worc. 
•([ The Defer iptiort _ 
I T feemeth that neither Diofcerid.es nor yet 
Theophrafus haue euer feene Lajirpitium, 
Sagaponim, or any other of the gummife- 
rous roots, but haue barely and nakedly fet 
downe thgir iudgments vpon the fame, either 
by heare-fay , or by reading of other mens 
Workes. Now then feeing theold Writers 
be vnperfeft herein, it behooueth vs in this 
cafe to fearch with more diligence the truth 
hereof ; and the rather, for that very few haue 
fet forth the true defeription of that Plant 
which is called Laferpitium ,that is indeed the 
true Laferpitium, from the roots whereof flow 
that fap or liquor called L.fer. This plant,as 
Pena and i^c/themfelues fay, was found out 
not far from the Ifles which Diofcoricles calls 
StaechadeSjOuer again!! Maffilia, among fun- 
dry other rare plants. His fklke is great and 
thicke like Ferula, or Fennell gyant : The 
leaues are like vnto the common Smallage, 
and of an vnpleafant fauour. The floures grow 
at the top of the ftalkes, tuft-fafhion like Fe- 
j i , ■ , .. rula or Fennell: which being naff, there fuc- : 
eed broad and flat feeds like Angelica, ofa good fauour, and of the colour of Box^ The roots are 
many, comming from one head or chiefe root, and are couered ouerwith a thicke and fat barke '' 
- e f er0 ,° tS and fta! ^es being fcarified or cut, there floweth out of them a ftrong liquor, which be- 
mg dried is very medicinable, and is called Lafer. . 11 
If The Place. 
Therebe fundry forts of Lafer, flowing from the roots and flalkes of Lafcrpitium, the soodnefle 
or quahtie whereof vaneth according to the coun trey or clymate wherein the plant groweth For 
the belt groweth vpon the high mountaines of Cyrene and Africa,andisofapIeafant fmell.-in 
Medla ' Armenia and Lybia -the liquour of which plant growing in thefe places is 
of a molt ftrong and deteftable fauour. Lobel reporteth, that Jacobus Ramans an A pothecarie of 
Malhha was the firft that made it knowne, or brought the plants thereof to Montpellier in France, 
of *{T t ,etw ’ r who n § ht wel1 beholding the fame, concluded, that of all the kindes 
oLly plant ^ thefe WaS HOt any f ° anfvverable vnto the true Lafcrpitium as this 
The Tim: 
This Plant floureth in Montpellier about Midfommer, 
®f The 
