and all othSr manner of drugges and fpices there to be had, wherewith they ferved all this other part of the world) 
unto Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, r Damafco, and Tripoli in Syria, and from thence (as from the Store-houfes ) in¬ 
to other Countries : but now firice the paflage into the Eaft-Indies by Sea hath beene knowne, and that it hath 
beene brought unto us that way, there hath little or none beene brought by the Caravans over land, as in the for¬ 
mer times. The forme of the roote, as all know that have feene and obferved it, is fomewhat great, round, and 
long withall for the molt part, yet there are fmaller and fhorter peeces, as well as the greater that come together : 
whofe colour on the outfide is not all alike, no more than the fubftance within, for dill fome is better coloured and 
founder than other: the bed is firme and fomewhat heavy, not fpungy and light, fomewhat browne, but frefh on 
the outfide, without many blackifli (which are fufpitious places,where oftentimes being broken it is rotten, cor¬ 
rupted and naught,I fay many, for the bed peeces have fometimes fome) (pots, which doe notrunne farre inward, 
and if they doe yet notwithdanding, the red is excellent good, and not to be refufed for a little bad, which mud bee 
cut away as not fit, or at lead not fo fit to be ufed as the better, which is very much difcoloured with flefh-coloured 
veines running thorow it, bitter in tade, and fomewhat aromaticall in fmell, efpecially if it bee frefh, and caufing 
the fpittle to be yellow, being a little chewed in the mouth. Thefe properties belonging to the true Rubarbe,being 
fomanifeftly to be feene and difeerned in the rootes of the former kinde, (excepting onely thofe things which the 
nature ofthe Climate produceth)’may fo reafonably perfwadc any ofrealonable ingenuity, that the former is the 
fame true Hubarbe with this, and a very Dock proper to the Country of China, and peradventurc to fome other 
Countries befides alfo. And if try all were made thereof in fome hotter and dryer Countries, of our for raine Plan¬ 
tations abroad (as 1 have of late to divers of them put it in praftife) I verily belcevc, it would come much nearer 
to the other qualities of the true China Rubarbe than it doth, and is wanting in ours, according to the heatc and cli¬ 
mate thereof, wherein it is planted. This I thought good to intimate here, both to fhew the correfpondence of this 
Rubarbe of our Englifhgroweth, with that of the Indies, which is more probable to be a Dockeof that Country, 
than any fuch plant as Mattbiolns fetteth it out for,both by figure and defeription: and befides further to exeke fome 
more of our Nation, if there be any ingenuity in them, to make the tryall by planting it in fnndry other the hotter 
Countries, what efte&s it will procure, and how much it will better our Englifh breeding : The true Riiaponticke 
which hath formerly come tons with Rubarbe (and not that falfe kind of the great Centory rootes) is onely the 
leffer and longer peeces of the rootes of the true Rubarbe, whofe figure is fet forth with the other. 
*5. Rhaphonticum SnulU folio latiore. The broader Elecampane leafed Rubarb. 
I have adjoyned this and the next plant, for the names fake onely (as I faid before) becaufe Lobel hath fo named 
and referred them : but to another place they might be more truely referred in my judgement, and that is unto 
the Iaceus Knapweeds, or Centaurium ma'jus great Centory, both for the likeneffe of flower and feede, although the 
feales of the head be different; yet at this time take the defeription of them in this place : It hath diverfe leaves ri- 
hng from the roote, fomewhat large and long, yet nothing fo large as the leaves of Elecampane, greenifh on the 
upper 
