Tr i b e.i. The C Iheater ofT tints. Chap. 2 j. 
be fome crrour in the text as many think t. Diofcorides defcribeth his blacke Ellebor, to have leaves like Platarsus. 
the Plane tree, but lcflc, neere unto thofe of Spondilium or cow Parfnippe, but more rough and blacker, cut into 
many divifons; the ftalke is rough, the flowers, faith he, are w hicifh, inclining to purple,Handing in a duller; 
the feede is like Cincus or ballard Saffron, which is called Sefamoides in -Anticyra, wherewith they make pur¬ 
gations : the rootes are fmall blacke firings, comming from a certaine head like an Onion, which are in ule • thus 
i'arre “Dsofcorides-.a nto this defeription our true black Hellebor doth nor agree in all things dor the leaves of ours 
do very fotrily refemble thofe of the Plane tree ("which is a whole broad leafe cut otherwifein the ed"es into 
parts or divifions)or of the Spondiliu cow Parfnip,(which is a broad whole leafeconfifting of many much broader 
divifions in it)neither are the leaves rough,(but oented or toothed at the ends) nor the ftalke rough, but fmooth, 
nor do the flowers (land in clufters but one by one each upon their own (talk,or two at the molt on a fialk; where¬ 
upon Dodonaus would mak our fixt fort here expreffed,which is fomewhat like the Sanicle or Selfe heaie,to be the 
Eeratrum nigrum, or EHeborus mger'Diofcoridis, becaufe it hath feeds in tultes, which Gefner , Venn, and Label! 
call Afirantsa nigra oi “Diofcorides, and FucbJiusSaniculafamina : butZWoKa/ohimfelfe is much puzled, to make 
itagree thereunto, finding it to differ in many things, fometimes in making the feed to be like Cnicus ■ where - 
unto it hath but little refemblance, as I fhewed you in the defeription, and fometimes blaming the text,(where it 
isfaid to be called Scfamoidcs in Anticyra, jto be corrupt,and that Diofcorides borrowed it fromThcopbraJlus^ho 
faith that in Anticyra, they did give Elleborus Sefamaceus the Sefamoides like Elleborus , that is to fay whofe fruit 
is like unto Sefamunt,w purge withall: And it is mod probable, that the feede of the blacke Hellebors, both the 
true and the baftard kindes, may fomewhat agree thereunto, and not very unfitly be compared unto the fruit or 
feed of Sefamum,&c the feed of Cww ; but whether the feed of thofe black Hellebors.have more force in purging 
than the rootes have,I am not certaine,that any hath made a true experiment,for moll of our mederne writers do 
agree,that both our white and black Hellebors are the true forts,let forth by Diofcorides, (& notwithlhnding the 
variation,as it is before fet downe) 7 beophrafius alfo. The firfl is called Helleborus riser by all that have written 
of it, fome adding thereunto Flora magno purpureo, as Gefner, or Flare rofeo as Hank inns, or legitimus or verm 
as others doe. DadaKcus oncly in his French Herball calleth it Vlanta leerie and Anguillara Elleborus nicer annum 
but why I know no realon : the fecond is called Fielleborajler (fr Helleborus nicer vulgaris by Gefner “by Cordus 
xoftras, by Euchjius adulterinus hortenfis, and (fonfiligo by Lugdunenfts and Turner : the third is remembredby 
Aldinm in his borto Farnejiano: the fourth is called by Dodonaus in his French Herball Lycottonumprimum whom 
Label feemeth in his Adverfaria to follow,faying it commeth necre to the Aconites • CJefiter in bonis took it to be 
Pulmonaria Eegesii,Cordus calleth it Sefamoides magnum,mi Tragus P edicularia faridia tertia, Dodonaus and C/«- 
Jitts Vcratrttm nigrum tertium,\ and Cafalpinus Eneapbyllon Plinii: but generally it is called either Helleborafirum 
magnum as Tabermontanus, or Helleborafler maximus, or Helleborus nicer fylveflris adulter inns, or elfe Confiligo 
Ruelia, 3S Lobe/,Lonicerus,LugdunenJismdothers : yet all the Hellebors both black and white are alfo taken by 
oneorotfer to be Conjiliges, for in regard there is no defeiption of Confiligo extent, in anyauthor, but the ver- 
tues and properties onely whereunto it is applyed, divers have wrirten thereof diverfly. Tragus, Lonicerus, 
Gefnerm and others, both Phylitians and Apothecaries almoft through all Gerrrumy, and the parts ad j'oynmg in for¬ 
mer times,tooke this lift fort, called Bupbthalmum ma'jus, by Anguillara,Clahus, and others ; and Helleborus ni- 
gerferulaceus by Lobefbw. Pfeudo Helleborumby Matthiolus tobe the true Helleborus niger of Diofcorides, orat 
lead: a kind thereof, and which Clufius faith was foufed ofall in Eiemami thofe parts before he came thither, 
and (hewed them their error and the right kind, which they ever after ufed : Dodonaus alfo calleth it “Buph- 
thalmum, joyning it next to Erantbemum or Flos Adonis, whereunto it is very like in leaves and feede, but not in 
rootes: others would make it Sefamoides minus of Diofcorides, whereunto it hath no correfpondency •• the fixe is 
calledby Enchfius Sanicula famines, and fo doth Gefner, who alfo calleth it Aftrantianigra, as Label doth, fol¬ 
lowing as it fhould [eemtTragus,v/ho calleth it Ofleritium montanum : Tabermontanus calleth it lmperatoria ni¬ 
gra,Dodonaus as I fayd before, taketh it to be Elleborus niger,ox Veratntm riorum of Diofcorides ,ini“BauhinHs in 
his P inax calleth it Elleborus niger, Sanicula folio major, and, I from him do fo likewife,as thinking it a name as 
proper, ifnot more then any other is given it: the feventh Baubinus onely hath deferibed in his Prodromus by the 
fame title that I have given it: the laft is the Epipatlis of Matthio/us,vjhkh Lobelmi Pena call Elleborine Alpma 
Sanicula & Hellebori nigrifacie & commentitia,as counterfeited by him, yet others doe not thinkefo: but whe¬ 
ther the EpipaFHs of Diofcorides, which he faith (ome called Elleborine fhould bee referred to the white Ellebor, 
as Ceimeranus and others would have it, or to the blacke, refleth doubtfull, becaufe “Diofcorides is fo briefein 
his defeription thereof, that it cannot certainly be determined, he onely faying it is a fmall Herbewith fmall 
leaves, good for the difeafes of the Liver,and againft poyfon. The Arabians call it (fherbachcm and Charbacb 
afued, the Italians Elleboro negro, the Spaniards Verdagambre negro, the French Esrare & Eeraire noir, the Ger¬ 
mane s Z re art Niefsource,, and Chriftaeurvofc- “D ttteb Steers Niefcruit, and we in Englifh as it is in their titles. 
TbeVertues. 
The true blacke Hellebore is ufed for mod of the griefes and difeafes, whereunto the white is available,but is 
nothing fo violent or dangerous: the leaves fhred fmall, or the juice of the leaves made up with flower, into 
fmall cakes,and baked,hath been ufed to good purpol'e to helpe the Dropfie,Iaundies,and other evilldilpofitions 
ofthe Liver and Gall; The leaves fometimes alfo are ufed to purge and open the body in fome cafes, as well as 
the rootes which are of greatefi life, and greatefi effeft, againft all melancholike difeafes, long lingring Agues 
as thequartaine and the like, the Meagrime and the old paines in the head, the blacke as well as the yellow 
Iaundies,the Leprofie, falling fickne£fc,Confumption eyther of the Lungs or whole body, or paines in the belly f 
Sciatica,Crampes, Convulfions or fhrinking of finewes, and all other griefes, paines and aches of the j’oynts or 
finewes, if the roote be taken in pouder, in infiifion or decoftion, or in broth, being firft prepared in vinegar 
as is fometimes ufed to bee done, that is fteeped in vinegar for a day and a night, and after dryed up againe, 
which manner of preparation is according to the antient oiftome then ufed: but wee have not found that the 
roots of this blacke Hellebore growing in our owne Country, to be deadly to cattle if they eate it, or any of the 
other forts, or that this hath any fuch ftrong or churlifh operation in working, as the ancients doe attribute 
to theirs of the hotter Countries,that thereby fuch preparations fhould neede to qualifie the malignitie thereof: 
for wee have never feene ours, (I thinke the moifture and temperature of our climate, abating and correfting 
