hS c hap* ^* Tbcatrum liOtiiJiicuHi, 1 r i be z* 
of Pontus, a more folid and hrme fubftance, a more bitter tafteand aromaticall finell, and an adringent or cor¬ 
roborating quality after the purging, all which are the eft'eAs from the climate, as being hotter and dryer, and 
therefore giving unto the rootcs tirmcneffe bittemefle and aftriflion, which are all wanting in fome fort in the 
rootes of this Rubarbe growing with us: yet it hath the purging quality, onely in a double proportion and the 
forme and colour fo like the true as may be, which caufeth it to be had in refpeft and good ule, befidcs the beau¬ 
ty of the plant it lelfe, and may well be called Englifh Rubarbe,todiflingui(h it from that which cometh from 
China.The fourth is thought by the moft and bell writers to be the Rhaox Rheum of Diofcorides, Galenand the 
other ancient writers, which wasdiverfly named in our former times, as Rha Barb arum, RhaTurcicum, Rha 
Dentkum,tmA Rhu Scenicum or Sceniticum many thinking them to be fevcrall things, becaufe of the names impo- 
fed,ascomming from feverall places, when as the goodneffe or badnefle, newnelfeor oldnefl'cof the rootes 
might caule this variation.For the Arabians did call it Raved or Raiwand Sceni,or Scni as fome writc.but I finde 
it Ihould be rather Cini, which corruptly the Portugalls, firft pronounced Chini, according to their language, 
and from them all our parts of the world, doe call that Country China, which was formerly called Sinarum 
reek: Much controverlie there is among writers, concerning the name Rhabarbarstm or Barbaricum ■. Firll 
for the name Rhabarbarstm the Rha o( Barbaria, what this name of Barbaria fliouldfignifie, fome thinking it to 
be that part of Africa, where old Carthage Hood,as Fufchittt who faith lib- i ,de cempafitiane medkamentorum .that 
the fouldiers that went with the Emperour Charles to Tunis, brought true Rubarbeof that Country home with 
them : others thinke that it was brought from BarbarumaCity in India, above the River Indus, and that Rha- 
lndicstmmA Barbaricum were all one": and others thought that it came from an Kland in the red Sea called 
Barbaria, whereunto (hippes for Merchandife doe much refort: but Matthielm refuting allthefe opinions, 
would faine induce his owne, that Barbaria being often mentioned in Galen as lib. q.c.G. detuenda / imitate , 
that Ginger was brought out of Barbaria, which Diafcerid.es and Plinje fay groweth among the Troglodites, and 
from them brought to US.- and againe he faith that Gians Vnguentaria ox Nitx Ben, is brought ont of the Coun¬ 
try of Barbaria, which Diofcorides faith groweth in Ethiopia ,in which Country the Troglodites doeinhabite, 
mdplinje lib.ii.c. 21. faith it groweth\vith the Troglodites. Plinje alfo in the fame booke and 19 chapter 
fhewing the canfes of the fcarlity of Cinamon in his dayes, faith it was becaufe the Barbarians in their furic burnt 
the woods where it grew: whereby as Matthklsu faith, it may plainely appeare, thatthename Barbaria, can 
fignifie no other Country than the Trogkdites of Ethiopia: which as Strabo in his fifteenth booke of Geogra¬ 
phy faith, is as plentifull in fpices as the South parts oflndia: but by the trafficke of our Merchants in thefe times, 
there is no Rubarbe growing in thofe parts that they can heare of; and if I might ghefle as formerly others 
have done, I would fay that the name Barbarum was joyned withHIw, in that both Grecians and Romanes ac¬ 
counted all remote nations from them to be Barbarians. Now for the names, Scenicum and Sceniticum- Mefues 
faith it is all one with Indscttm, whole faying Matthiolus contradidleth,faying it Ihould berather Simcum which 
is a Country of India, for the Scenita be a people of the dclartof Arabia, and are utterly deftiture of all man¬ 
ner of Spice and drugges of worth.! he name 0 (Rha 1 urcictim and Pentiums, is thought alfo to be all one, becaule 
fomeTurkifhMerchantsbroughtitlromPontus: and fortheword Rha , ittooke the name as fome luppoie 
from the River Rha, now fayd to be called VolgamPor.ttts, where thofe rooies did grow: but I rather thinke 
it came from the Arabians Remand or Raiwand: whether the Rha Barbarism and Rha Penticum, be one thing or 
diverfe, is next to be fpoken of: Afattbiolus contendeth againfl Ruellim and others, with many words and 
reafbnstoproovethem differing : f itdthax RhaponticttmxtsDiofcoridcsandgalen deferibe them, are without 
fent; then that Rubarbe hath in it a purging quality by nature, which Rha Penticum hath not, being fayd by Dio¬ 
fcorides and Galen to have rather an aftr'ingent quality therein : and that it is not bitter as Rubarbe, but rather 
fomewhat('harpe& quickest is not folide and heavie.but fpongie and light; it is not dryc but tough or pliant; 
it is not yellow as Rubarbe, butblacke: by which reafons he is perfwadccl that they differ, and that Rue/hus 
was inagreaterror to fay, that they differed onely in the fent, which hapned by the coldnefle of the Country, 
where Rha Penticum grew': Matthiolus alfo faith that Manardm Fcrranenfis, having beene formerly of that opi¬ 
nion, was afterward otherwife pcrfwadcd,upon fight of the true Rha Dentiium,that was brought out of Mufce- 
via, agreeing in all things with that of Diofcorides, as the fayd Manardus relatcth, in the lafb Epiftle of the firll: 
booke written to Leonicenus ; Surely this we may well fay, that P iofeoride: and Galen never faw or knew filch 
Rubarbe, as we have brought us nowadayes, and I am halfe in doubt that wee in thefe times cannot well tell 
what fort of Rha Phonticum that was of Diofcorides and Galen-, for if we fcanne the text of Diofcorides a little, 
we (hall finde him to fay, that the Rha or Ream called by the name Rha Penticum, is a roote like unto the roote of 
the great Centory,(and ifit be but like,it cannot be the fame)but fmaller,on theoutfideofablackifh red colour 
fpongie,ligbt and without fent,and that it grew in the Coantrics beyond the Bofphorus : the bed as hee faith 13 
thatwhichis found, without rottennefie or worme holes, and dothllicke in the mouth withalittle aflriftion 
in tire rafting, and giveth a yellow colour in the chewing, tending to a Saffron colourthis comparifon of the 
roote to be blacke like the roote of great Centoric, but lefle, and of a redder colour, fpongie and without fenr, 
cannot agree with any of the qualities of that Rapbonticam, we have formerly feene brought unto us, much 
lefl’c unto the Rubarbe that wee have now, and for the rootes of the great Ccntory, they are very long 
and great, almoll like unto a great Parfncppe roote, but blacke on the outfide and very rugged; which 
made thofe in ancient times, and unto our dayes Hill obftinately to take the very rootes of great Gentory, 
and ufe them as if they had beene true Rha Penticum: So that to afloyle this doubt wee may well 
fay that it is probable, that thofe rootes which were ufually brought in thofe times, when Diofcorides 
and Galen lived, were the fmall rootes, or the long branches of the greater rootes of Rubarbe, and not 
drefled or pared, that is the outer skinnes taken away, which are blackifh being dryed, and not luch great thicke 
rootes as we have now a dayes, and that they were adultet ate,as Galen mentioneth fome were in his time, that 
is, that the rootes were boyled or fteeped in water for fome time,to take out the ftrongeft juyee, and the rootes 
dryed up againe, which then it is probable, might be of a blackifh red colour and fpongie, light, and without 
fent, not having any purging quality, but onely an aftringent left in thcra : for I doe verily thinke that Rha Pon- 
ticum (fuch as I have feene, hath beene brought over to us, being in colour talle and qualitie, the fame with Ru¬ 
barbe, bill in Imaller and longer peeces) is either but a fmall kinde of Rubarbe, growing not bigger in thofe 
places 
