w 6 
Of the Hiftory of Plants. L 1 b . 3 . 
A 
B 
C 
D 
Paliurus. 
Chrifts Thorne. 
the thorne wherewith tl ey crow red cur Sani- 
our Chrift : his reafon ior the p'roofehereofis 
this, that in Iudara there was not any thorne fo 
common,fo pliant, or fo fit for to male a crown 
or garland of, nor any fofiillofcruellfliarpe 
prickles. Jt groweth throughout the whole 
countrey in fuch aboundance , that it is their 
common fucll to burne ; yea fo common with 
them there, as our Gorfle,Brakes,and broome is 
here with vs .Iofephus inhisfirftbooke of An- 
tiquities,and 1 1. chap, faith, that this Thorne 
hath the moft fliarpe prickles ofany othcr ; and 
therefore that Chrift might be the more tor- 
mented, the Iewes rather tooke this than any 
other. Ofwhich Ihaueafmalltree growing in 
my garden, that I haue brought forth by low- 
ing of the feed. 
The Time. 
The leaues fall away and continue not al- 
waies green,as do thofe of the Rams:it buddeth 
forth in the Spring, as Pliny teftifieth. 
T he Names. 
This Thornie fhrubbe is called in Greeke 
™\“es‘ ■■ the Latines and Italians retaine the 
fame name Valiums : for want of an Englifh 
name, it may be termed Ramme of Lybia, or 
Chrifts Thorne: Pliny reportetb, that the feed 
is called Zura. 
The Temperature. 
The leaues and toot of Chrifts Thorne doe 
euidently binde and cut. 
«] TheVertues. 
By vertue of this cutting quality the feed doth vveare away the ftone,and caufe tough and (limy 
humors to remoue out of the cheft and lungs, as Galen faith. 
The decodf ion of the leaues and root of Chrifts Thiftle,as Viofcoridesw riteth, ftoppeth the bel- 
ly, ptouoketh vrine,and is a remedy againft poifons,and the bitings of ferpents. 
The root doth wafte and confume away Phymata, and Oedemata if itbe ftamped and applied. 
The feed is good for the cough, and weareth away the ftone in the bladder. 
C h a p. 30. Of Bucb/T borne, or laxatiue %nn. 
The Defer iption. 
x T) Vck-thorne groweth in manner of a (limb or hedge tree ; his trunke or body is often as 
fjbig as a mans thigh; his wood or timber is yellow within, and hisbarke is of the colour 
■*ofa Chcftnut,almoft like the bark ofa Cherry tree.The branchesare befet with leaues 
that are fomewhat round/nd finely fnipt about the edges like the leaues of the Crab or W ilding 
tree : among which come forth Thornes which are hard and pricklytthe floures are white and final, 
which being vaded there fucceed little round berries, greene atthe firft.but afterwards black, vvher- 
of that excellent greene colour is made, which the Painters and Limners do call Sap-grcene 5 but 
tbefe berries before they be ripedooiake a faire yellow colour, being fteeped invineger. 
t 2 Befides the common kinde/A/^ mentions two other : the firft of w : hich hath bran- 
ches lome two cubits long, fubdiuided into tiiuers others, coueredwitha fmooth barkelike that 
of the former, which, the vpperrinde being taken off, is of a yellowifh greene colour, and bitterifh 
tafte : the branches haue lome few prickles vpon them, and commonly end in thenwthe leaues am 
almoll likethofeof the common kinde, but fmaller, narrower,and fomewhat refembling thofe of 
the blackeThorn.hauing fomewhat a drying tafte :the flotire confifts offoure leaues ofa y c 1 low i : 1 1 
50 1 & greene 
V> 
