Trie k.z. The Theater of‘Plants. ChAp.^a 
time and Chalke, and caff it into the Sea, all the F ifhes within a great way thereof would with incredible de¬ 
fire gather themfelves thereto, and prefently upon the-taking thereof become as dead, whereby they might eafily. 
betaken :but Lonicenu noteth it as anerrour inTHnj, who referreth that quality to the roote of Ariflolochia 
which fhonld be attributed to Cyclamen j/shich he faith is called by the Gieekesi'/Swpc&vjd ejljbifiium venenitrn 
becaufe it killeth them. 
Chap. LXIIII. 
CMercHmlU, Mercuric. 
Nder the titles of Mercuries I mull comprehend alfo the ‘Phyllon of Tbeopbrajhu and Diofcorides , for 
that they are out of doubt conveners of the lame kindred: they are in face and forme the one fo like the 
other: and with them I thinkc it not amiffe to remember in this place alfo, the MenurialisfytveStris 
■ ^ altera of Tragiu, called by Lobel } Noli me tangere : for although Banhinm place it with the Balfamina- 
yet others reckon it with the Mercuries. 
i. LMercurialis vulgaris mas ci-fsmna. French Mercury, the male and female. 
I comprehend as you fee,both the male and the female Mercury under one defeription,becaufe as all do a°ree' 
they both rife from the feede of the one as Hempe doth, and they both are fo like, that but for the flowers and 
feede, that fhew their difference, they could not bee diltinguifhed the one from the other .-it rileth up with a 
fquare greene ftalke full of joynts, twofoote high or thereabouts, with two leaves at every joynt, andbran- 
chinglikewilefrombotb Tides of the flalkes, fet with frefh greene leaves, fomewhat broad and long like unto 
the leaves of Pdlirory of the wall, but lefler and much about the bignefleof the leaves ofBaffill, finclydented 
about the edges .-towards the tops of the Italkes and branches, at every joynt come forth, in that which is called 
the male,two (mall round greene heads, [landing together upon a fliort footeflalke, which growing ripe are the 
feede, not having any flower, that ever I could dilcerne; in the female the [hike is longer, fpike fafbion, and 
fet round about with finall greene huskes, which are the flowers made like fmall branches of grapes, which 
give no feede that ever I could finde, hnt abide in that manner a great while upon the (lalkes without iffiedding: 
the roote is compofed of many fmall Fibres, which periflieth every yeare, at the firft approac h ofwinter, and 
ra ifeth it felfeupagaine of it owne lowing, for where it is once fufferedto fow it fclfe, the ground will never 
want it afterwards,even of both forts, fori yet never faw it grow in anyplace, where either of them, was 
wanting. 
2. <ji?ercurtilii fylvejlris Cynocrdmbe ctiBa, vulgaris. The ordinary wllde Mercury or Dogs Mercury. 
This Dog Mercury is likewife diftinguifhed into male and female, and rifeth up with many ftalkes, flenderer 
and lower then Mercury,and without any branches at all upon them; the male is fet with two leaves at every 
joynt fomewhat greater then the female, but more pointed, 
and full ofveines, and fomewhat harder alfo in handling, of 
a darker greene colour,and lefler fnipt or dented about the ed¬ 
ges at the joynts, with the leaves come forth longer ftalkes then 
in the former, with two hairy round feedes upon them, twife 
as bigge asthofe of the former Mercury : the tafte hereof is 
herbie, and the fmell fomewhat ftrong and virulent: the fe¬ 
male of this kind hath much harder leaves, and Hand upon 
longer footeftalkes, and the italkes alfo are longer; from the 
joyn:s comefuch like long or rather longer fpikes, ofgreeniftx 
flowers as are in the former female Mercury, with many fmall 
threds in them, which give no feede, no more then the other 
Mercury : the rootes of them both are many, and full of fmall 
Fibres, which runne under ground, and mat themfelves very 
much,pot perifliing as che former Mercuries doe, but abiding 
tire winter,and flioote forth new branches every yeare, for the 
old dye downeto the ground. 
3 . Cynocrambe leg! tan a bD iofcoridls “Bauliino. The true 
Dogs Mercury by Baublnw. 
The true Dogges Mercury is a tender fmall and fappic herbs, 
and rifeth up like unto the ordinary Mercury, with a round 
greenecrefted ftalke,aboutafooreliigb fet withmany/oynts, 
branching forth from every joynt; whereat commeth forth 
at the fiflt two fmall leaves, and fomewhat round like 
unto Chickweede,after which two other fpring forth, from the 
lame joynt, which are much larger and broader, and from the 
fame place alfo afterwards come divers other fmaller leaves 
then the firft, and this proportion it holdeth, not at one joynt 
alone, but at every one thorough the whole plant: from the 
loweft joynt alinoft of the ftalke and branches, up to the top, 
where come forth three or foure fmall whitifh greene flowers, 
with many threds in the mid-ft of them, which tutne into fmall 
hard round feede, like unto thole of Mercury but fomewhat 
lefler, greene at the firft, but of a blackifh. afncolour when 
'hey are ripe: the row -‘s whitedong and fibrous. 
x. Mer car) alii mat ts 1 fmina. 
french Mcrcury^nale and female. 
... Phi Hunt 
