Tr IB E. 1 
The! beater of Thants. Chap. 41. 115 
The Names. 
It is called in Greeke /W-xapir, Baccharis, or as Tome would 
have it araasaefr, Baccharis , as though it lhould bee named 
wetwirtf if ‘Paneharis, from the excellent fmell it hath. VImy faith 
that Tome in his time called it Nardus ruflka ■ but faith hee, 
they were in an errour that didfo call it, for Afarumi smofl 
miely and properly called of the Greekes NapJVJf* Sypi y. Nar¬ 
dus ruflica, ana therefore Gerard in following the old error re¬ 
prehended fo long agoe, giveth it the Englifh name of idotv- 
mans Spikenard, wheieunto it hath no refemblance, neither 
for forme nor vertues,and his figure alfo is rather the figure of 
Mat thiolus Baccharis , then of this: and although in former 
times divers did thinke, that Afarum and Baccharis in r Diof- 
ccridcs were all one hearbe, and thereupon came the name of 
A far a baccara ■ fome taking A far urn to be Baccharis ,-and fo 
contrarily fome taking Baccharis to be Afarum • for Cratevas 
Ill's Afarum is not T)iofcorid.es his Afarum, but his Baccharis ,as 
any may plainely fee, that fiiall read his defcription, yet now 
time and diligence have expell thole errours. The firft of 
thefe is called Baccharis Monjpclienfum , whereunto it doth 
more fitly agree,than any other hearbe that others have fet 
forth; as Vena and Label, Clufus, and others doe agree; al¬ 
though Dodon&us calleth it Conyza major altera , and faith it 
hath little or no Iikeneffe unto Diofcorides his Baccharis. ATat- 
thiolus his Conyza major , is faid by the Author of Lugdtsnenjis, 
to be this Baccharis Monfpclienfum : and Label and Bena fay 
that the plant which Matthiolas fct forth for Baccharis ,cannot 
agree unto that of Diofcorides, but is a kind of fweet Mullein, 
or a kinde of Moth Mullein : yet Bauhinus in his Pina #, cal¬ 
ling this Conyy.1 major vulgaris , {hewing thereby that many 
did call it fo, referring it as well to Matthiolus his Conyza ma¬ 
jor, as to his Baccharis • which Lugdunenjis faith, are fo con¬ 
trary one unto the other, as that they cannot be accounted both 
one plant, as in the Chapter of Bacchant he fheweth. They of 
Salmanca in Spaine , as Clufus faith, called it Helenium, and di¬ 
vers both women and Monkes, tiled both the roote and the hearbe, for fcabs and itches, which is one of the proper- 
ties whereunto the true Helenium ferveth. The other Rauwtlfus ondy finding in Syria, feemeth to referre unto 
Jfiofcorid.es his Baccharis \ which Clufius thinketh rather to bee a kinde of that Mountaine Cotton weed, which 
FuChJius calleth Filc/fella minor ,and therefore Bauhinus calleth it Cjnaphalio mor.tano affnis zsEgyptiaca, 
The Vertues. 
Diofcorides faith, that the rootes of Baccharis boyled in water and drunke,helpetli thofethat are troubled with 
convulfions and crampes, as alio thole that have ruptures and are burden, fuch as have brufes by falls or otherwife, 
and thofe that:can hardly draw their breath, or arc {hurt-winded, as alfo for old coughs, and the difficulty in ma¬ 
king water; it alfo procured! the feminine courfes, and is very profitable againd the bytings of venemous crea¬ 
tures being taken in wine : the greene roote being bound or hanged to, expelleth the birth, and is good for women 
in travell to fit over the warme fumes ofthe decodtion thereof. For the fweet fmell thereof it is put into Ward¬ 
robes to perfume : and the fmell thereof procureth flecpe : But the greene leaves by reafon of their attrition are 
good to eafe the paines ofthe head, the inflammations of the eyes, and the watering fof them in the beginning the 
hot fwellings of womens breads after childing, and thofe hot inflammations called Saint Anthonies fire, bein'* ap¬ 
plied to the places aftetded. Bliny faith further,that it helpeth to breakethe done, and to take away paines and 
prickings in the fides. Vaulus tAUgineta faith moreover that the decodtion of the roote openeth obflrudfions, and 
that the leaves are lielpeftill by their adringent quality ti day fluxes Virgil in his feventh Eclogue faith,that is was 
ufed in his time as a garlaad to fecure one from witchery and charmes, in thefe verfes. 
At f ultra placitum laudarit, Bacchare frontem 
C incite, ne vati noceat mala lingua future. 
Chap. X L 11 . 
Nardus. Spiknard. 
Lthottgh it is not my meaning to jfhew you the Indian Spiknard in this place, in that it is a plant peculiar 
to the Eaderne parts ofthe world, and was never brought to grow in thefe Chridian Countries; yet 
there is a badard kind thereof found nearer hand, very like unto it, which I mud fet forth unto you," and 
fome others alfo, that for the affinity either oflcent or property, or both, have beetle called Nardi. 
1. Nardus G angitis [puria Narbonenfis. Badard French Spiknard. 
In imitation ofthe true Indian Spiknard (which Vena faith doth grow in divers places of Syria and Am^which 
relation is his onely ; for we never could underdand by any of our Merchants that trade into thofe parts, that it 
was 
1. B accbsris Diofcoridis Raurcolfm. 
Syrian Baccfaar; 
