L t B. 1. 
Of the Hiftroy of Plants. 
1141 
2 Rough Spleenewoortis partly like the other Femes in ftiew, and beareth neither ftalkenor 
A feed, hailing narrow leaues a foot long,and fomewhat longer, llalhed on the edges euen to the mid- 
3 die rib, fmooth on the vpper fide, and of a fivart greene colony vnderneath rough,as is the leaues of 
li Polypodie : the root is blacke, and fet with a number of flender firings. 
t 3 This greater Spleenwoort hath leaues like Ccteracb, ofa fpanne lotig, fomewhat refem- 
i bling thole of Polypodie, but that they are more diuided, fnipt about the edges, and fharpepoin- 
b ted : the root is fibrous and llringie. This growes on the rockes and mountainous places of Italy, 
H and is the Lonchitis afperamaior ot'^Matthiolus and others, d 
4 This kinde of Spleenewoortis not onely barrenof ilalks and feeds, butalfo of thofe fpots 
it and marks wherewith the others are fpotted : the leaues are few in number, growing pyramidisor 
3 fteeplewife,greatand broad below, and fliarper toward the top by degrees : the root is thick,black, 
ill and bufhie, as it were a Crowes nefl. 
«(j The Place. 
Cetcrach growethvpon old flone walls and rockes, indarkeand fhadowie places throughout the 
Weft part of England; efpecially vpon the ftone walls by Briftow, as you go to Saint Vincents 
Rocke, and likewife about Bathe, Wells, and Salisburie , where I haue feenc great plentie 
thereof. 
The rough Spleenwoort groweth vpon barren heaths, drie fandiebankes,and fhadowie places in 
moft parts of England, but efpecially on a heath by London called Hampftead heath, where it 
groweth in great abundance. 
aj The Names . 
Spleene-woortorMilt-wafteiscalledin Greeke,*"Mi»K in Latinc likew ife,AJplenium, andalfo 
Scolopendria : o{Ga\a,'JMul* herba : in fhops, Ceterach : in high Dutch, : in low Dutch, 
*sDteptUWEetl,and ^iltCEUPt: in Eng!ifh,SpIeenwoort,Miltwafte, Scaleferne,and Stoneferne: it 
is called AJplenion, becaufe it is fpeciall good againft the infirmities of the Spleene or Milt, and. 
Scolopendriafil the likeneffc that it bath with the Beare-worme, before remembred. 
Rough Miltwafte is called of diuers of the liter waters AJplenium fyluejlre, orvnldc Spleenwoort: 
of {ome^Aftlenium magnum, or great Spleene-woort : Valerius Cor dus calleth it Strutiopteriseitxd Di- 
tfcoritks, Lonchitis ajpera, or rough Spieene-woort : in Latine according to the fame Authour, Lon- 
gi»a } and CaUbrina ; in Englith, rough Spleen-wort,or Miltwafte. 
«[ The Temperature. 
Thefe plantsareof thin parts, as Galen witncfTeth,yet arc they not hot, but ina meanc. 
The Vertues. 
tsiofeorides teacheth,that the leaues boiled in wine and drunk b y the fpace of forty dales, do take A 
away infirmities ofthe fpleen ; help the ftrangurie, and yellow iaundice,caufe the ftone in the blad- 
der to moulder nnd paffe away,all which are performed by fuch things as be of thinne and fubtill 
parts:he addeth likewife that they flay thehicket,or yeoxing,and alfo hinder conception, either in- 
wardly taken, or hanged about the partie,and therefore, faith /V;»y,Splecnewoort is not to be giuen 
to women,becaufe it bringeth barrennefle. 
There be Empericks or blinde practitioners of this age, who teach, that with this herbe notone- B 
ly thehardneffe and fwelling ofthe Spleene, but all infirmities ofthe liuer alfo may beeffeflual- 
ly, and in very fliort time remooued, infomuch that thefodden Iiuerofabeaftisreftoredto his 
former conftitution againe, that is, made likevnto a raw liuer, if it bee boy led againe with this 
herbe. 
But this is to be reckoned among the old wiues fables, and that alfo which Dioftoridcs telleth of, q 
touching the gathering of Spleenewoort in the night, and other moft vaine things,which are found 
here and there fcattered in old books : from which moft of the later Writers do not abftaine, who 
many times fill vp their pages with lies and friuolous toies,and by fo doing do not a little deceiue 
yong ftudents. 
t Formerly Tndcr the title of Lonoutn Mu nth* was put the figure now in the thitd prscc.aod the figure which Biould hauc beenc there, was in the third place 
®tiac oext chapter, rndcr the title of Filicul* pctrita m<u- j 
