l8 Chap. 
Theatmm Botanicum, 
Tribe, i, 
ing thereon at fever all diftances, which are like unto the ordinary wild Tyme, or mother of Tyme : the flowers 
are purple, (landing in rtindles, at the toppes ofthe branches. This fmelletn fomewhat like Fennyroyall. 
The Diace. 
This firft groweth in Candy and in Spaine alfo, as Clufus faith. The fecond is not knowne (being not fet down 
by Cor tufas (w hich fent it to ALatthiolus ) where it groweth. The third Clufus faith he found in the Kingdoms 
of Valentin in Spain?. The laft, Mat thiol its faith groweth in the Country of Forojulium. 
The Time. 
They all flower very late with us, and fome fo late, tbat.we hardly fee any flowers untill Oftober, if we fee any 
at all. 
The Names. 
It is called in Greeke r^yof^vos (and in Latine Tragoriganum) quaf hircum origanum dicas , quodpabulogratum 
fit hire is, nt Onitis aft ms, potius quam, quod hircum fateat. The firft is called by Pena and Lob el in their Adverfarut 
Tragoriganum Cretenfe apud Vcnetos, by Clufus Tragoriganum 3 Hijpanicum • by Cafpar Bauhinus in his P in ax, 
Tragoriganum Crcticnm : and it is likely tobe the greater Tyme of Candy, that Proper Alpinus fetteth downe in 
his Booke of Egyptian plants. The fecond is called by GeJner,Tragoriganum alter urn, and fo doth Label, which is 
that Adarum that Cortufus fentunto Mattldolus for Thymum Creticum,md by that name otMarumfDurantes,Lug- 
dunenfts, and Tabermontanus doe call i^and 'Bauhinus, Tragoriganum latifolium. The third is the fecond Spaniih 
Tragoriganum of Cluf us, bearing white flowers, whom ^Dodonaus and Cameranus in his Epitome of CMatthio - 
Ids upon Diofcorides, Luq dunenfts and Tabermontanus doe follow. The laft is the Tragoriganum of ALatthiolus, 
whom Durante s,Lugdunenfs, and Tabermontanus doe follow, and Bauhinus calleth Tragoriganum SerpillifoLmm. 
To Chow you like wile how aptly thefe plants are called Tragorigana , and how they difagree, it were not amifl'e 
to a ive you the text o£D iofeorides thereon. Tragoriganum (laith he) is a fmall bulla or fbrub, with leaves and 
ftalkcs like unto Serpidum, or Origanum, in fome places it is found more frefh and grecne, with broader leaves,and 
fomewhat clammy. Another fort is found with (lender branches, and linall leaves, which fome have called 
Prajfum. All thefe Authors have delivered 11 s thefe hearbs here mentioned, under the name of Tragoriganum, as 
fuppofing them to come neereft unto one or other ofthofe of *7 )iofcorides, both for their forme, Iwectneffe of 
feent, and hotneffe in tafte: and £^<?/faith that among all the plants that are entituled Tragoriganum, hce could 
finde none that came neerer to thofe of Diofcorides, than thofe two forts he alloweth of^ and are the two firfl; here 
fee downe, the one called by the Venetians Crctcnfe, and that other fmall low plant that ALatthiolus fetteth forth,, 
under the name of Alarum, which he faith he had from Cortufus. But becaufe they are more hot and fharp than 
I fuppsfe Diofcorides his to be, for he faith the drinkc made of them is both mild and pleafant, or deleftable; fit 
to betaken ofthofe that have loathing ftomacks ; and moreover, that Galen faith that Tragoriganum, befides the 
quality .of Origanum , hath fome aftriftion or bihding property in it alfo, which in my judgement abateth of the 
heatQ of them, making it the milder, but although I cannot abfolutely fubferibe unto them herein, yet I deny not 
any of them their due praifes, nor their firft founders their befitting honours. 'Bellonius at the latter end of the 62 
chapter of his firft booke of obfervations, faith that thofe of faudy and Cythera , doe call our Winter Savory by 
the name of Lragarigoni , which is Tragoriganum. 
The Vertues. 
Diofcorides faith they doe heate or warme the parts whereunto they are applycd, provoke urine, and are profi¬ 
table to movethe belly downewards,by purging choller, ifthe decotftion thereof be taken inwardly; as alfo, that 
a decoction made thereof with vinegar, helpeth thofe that are troubled with the fpleene; and taken in wine,hel- 
peth thofe that have taken the venemous lxia (which is the roote ofthe black Chameleon Thiftlc, having as 
he faith, the tafte and fmell of Bafill) procureth womens monethly courfes, and given with honey in an Elecftuary, 
hclbeth thole that have a cough, and are fhort winded • the drinke thereof is milde and deletftable, fit to be given 
to thofe that loath their meate, and have weake ftomacks,or fuch as have fowre bclchings,and for thofe vomitings 
that are procured by the toflings and aire of the Sea, and alfo for the heart-burning. Galen faith in his eighth 
booke of (implc medicines, that it hath the fame properties that the Origana have, but withall, hath a little aftri- 
iftion. Pliny in a manner hath the fame things, for he faith, it provoketh urine,diflolveth tumors or fwellings, and 
is efpecially good for thofe that have taken the poifon of Vifcum , (forfo he termeth the I.xia of Diofcorides) in 
drinkfc, and for the biting of a Viper : for fowre belchings of the ftomack, the heart-burning, and for coughcs, 
Plurifies, and iliortnefie ofbreath. 
Chap. VIII. 
Ocimtim. Bafftll. 
Here are divers forts of Bafill, the moft whereof are very great ftrangers to our Nation, and but en¬ 
tertained by a few that are curious and induftrious. 
1. Ocimum vttlgare majus & minus. The great and fmall common Baflill. 
The greater ordinary Bafill rifeth up ufually but with one upright ftalke, diverfly branching forth on 
all (ides, whereon are fet two leaves at every j’oynt, which are fomewhat broad and round, yet a little pointed, of 
a pale greene colour,but frelh, a little fnipt about the edges, and of a ftrong heady feent, fomewhat like a Pome- 
citrion,as many have compared it,and therefore called it Citratum : the flowers are fmall and white, (landing at 
the tops of the branches with two fmall leaves at the j'oynt, in fome places greene, in others browne , 
after which come black feed; the root perifheth at the firft approach of winter weather, and is to be new fowne 
Minus, every yeare, if you will have it. The lefler kinde called fmall , fine, or bufh Bafill, groweth not fo high, 
but is thicker ipread with branches, and fmaller leaves thereon, clofer fet together, and of a more excellent plea¬ 
fant fweet feent by much : the flowers are white,and the feed black like the other, when it giveth feed with us, 
which is more feldome, for it hath not beene knowne to give ripe feed in our Country often, becaufe it neither 
fpringetb nor feedeth fo early as the former. V nto thefe forts of Bafill I muft adde the third, which is as it were 
Medut. themeane betweene them, being greater than the fmall one a and lefler in leaves than the great, and not grow¬ 
ing fo high, in other things differing not. 
3 . Ocimum 
