T R ibe.1, The theater of 'Plants. Chap.22. 389 
Dutch Swalmvewortel, and in Englijb Swallow-wort, and of fome filken Cicely.- It is generally by the molt 
writers, and mod judicious Herbariils now a dayes, acknowledged tobethetrue Afclepias of Diofeorides, al- 
1 . though Anpuillara doubteth ofit; and Matthiolm denieth it and contefteth againft Fttchfius that faid it was Vin- 
tetoxicum, For firft concerning the leaves,to be like Ivye,as Diofeorides faith and long as it is in fome copyes, buc 
; O rib a fins as he faith hath it not fo ; and CMarcellus doth thereunto agree,led peradventure as he faith,by the fight 
! of fome ancient copies,the leaves being like unto Bay leaves,but (harper pointedjfccondly that the flowers had no 
: ftrong or evil! fent; thirdly that the leaves and rootes,did not fmell fweet; and lalUy,the feede was not like thofe 
i of Pe/ecittstm Securidaca^hc Hatchet Fetchjall which Dodons.a- retorteth faying,all his exceptions and reafons are 
|i nothing worth, but I may fay all Diofeorides hiscomparifonsarenotfoftricktly to be ftucke unto; for in the de- 
1 fcription of the cods of Apocynupi, he faith,they are like Beane cods,when as all know they are more like the cods 
of Oleander-, and in the delcrlption of the leaves of T> ericlymenum he faith they are like thofe of Ivy,unto whom 
they are in all mens j'udgtment very little like, and fo in a number of other things: Concerning the rootes, 
Matthiolm faith,that an ancient Manufcript hath not the word otmm multas, but t&mt tenues , but which of them 
boch is taken doth not much alter the matter: but that they are not fweete, no man that hath his fence of fuel¬ 
ling perfect, can fay fo, if he feele their fent, as they grow naturally in the Monntaines,- and for the evill fmell 
of the flowers, the word^pla^ww redolent, is not in all things of one equality : and for the feede although 
it be not as fquareasth t SecuridAca, yet is flat, and in colour and bigneffe like it. Fabius folmma as it is fee 
doWnein the Chapter before,tooke the Italian Afclepias, to be rather Apocymtm ofDiofcorides-.md Lobel alfo cal- 
: leth theblacke Swallow-wort Periploca minor, belike becanfe itrifeth higher,and clambereth like a Periploca, or 
more then the white : or peradventure becaule of the blacke flowers,but I (hewed you before the chiefeft note, 
to know Afclepias from Periploca or Apocymm. There is little variation in the denominations of thefe plants by 
any writers, more then is here expre(fed,fome calling them by the one, and (ome by the other name, and there¬ 
fore not worthy further trouble. 
The UcYtues, 
The rootes have a mod foveraine quality againft all poyfons, but in particular as is faid before, againft: the 
'Apccyniim or Dogs bane; It is eft'eftually given to any that arebitten by any venemous bead, or ftunge by any 
Serpent or other Creature ; as allb againft the biting of a mad dogge, adramme and a halfe thereof taken in 
Cardw 'Bmcditlw water, for divers dayes together: (t is taken alio in wine every day againft the Plague or Pe- 
flilence: adramme thereof taken in Sorrell or Buglofle water is very cfteftuall againft all the pa (lions of the 
heart, if a few Citron feedes be taken therewith, taken in the fame manner and meafure, itcaleth all the griping 
paines in the belly : the decoftioii of.the rootes, made with white wine, taken for divers dayes together, a 
gooddraughtatatime, and (wearing prefently thereuponcureththedropfie - thefamealfo helpeth the jaun- 
dife, provok.eth urine, and eafeth the cough and all defefts ofthe cheft and lunges ■■ the powder of the rootes 
taken with Peony feede, is good againft the falling fickenefle, or with Baffin leede or the rinde of Pomecitrons 
is good againft Melancholly : and taken with the rootes of DiBamnus albus or Fraxinella, ballard Dittany, will 
kill and cxpell the wormes ofthe maw or belly (the rootes are very efteiftually uled with other things, made for 
bathes for women to fit in, or Over, to eafe all paines of the mother, and to bring downe their courfes : the de- 
coflion likewife of the rootes hereof,and of Cumfbye made with wine,is much commended to hclpe thofe that 
are burden or have a rupture, alfo for them that have beene bruifed by a fall, orotherwife: the powder of the 
rootes or leaves, is no leffe cfteftuall to clenfe all putride rotten and. filthy ulcers and fores wherefoever, then’ 
the rootes of Arifiolocbia or Birthwort, andmayfafely be ufed in all Calves," Vnyttents and lotions , made for 
fuch purpofes, in the ftead thereof, the one for the other : the leaves and flowers boyled and made into a pultis, 
and applyed to the hard tumours or fwellings of womens breafts, cureth them fpeedily, as alfo fuch evill fores 
as happen in the matrix, although they be inveterate or bard to be cured : the downe that is found in the cods of 
thefe herbes, as well as in the Dogs bane, doe make a farre fofterftu!ling for cufhions or pillowes or the like, 
then Thiflle downe, which is much ufed in fome places for the like purpofes. 
Chap. XXII. 
FlerbaParis. Herbc True love or one berry.’ 
Elides the ufuall and knowne Herba parit, I have two other herbes like thereunto, to bring to your 
confideration, which 1 thinke is fit to take up the roome here. 
The ordinary Herba Parises Herbetrue love hatha fmail creeping roote, of a little binding, but 
unpleafant loathfome tafte, running here and there, under the upper cruft of the ground, fome- 
what like a Couch grade roote, but not fo white, and not much lelfer then the roote of the white, 
wild Anemone, andalmoftofas darkc a colour, but much like thereunto [in creeping: (hooting forth ftalkes 
with leaves, fome whereof carry no berries, and others doe, every ftalke being 1'mooth without j'oynts, 
and blackifh greene, riling to the height of halfe a foote at the mod, if itbeare berries (for mod: commonly thofe 
that beare none, doe not rife fully fo high) bearing at the toppe fonre leaves, fe tdiredlly one againft another in 
manner ofacroffe, or a lace,or ribben, tyed as it is called, in a true Loves knot, which are each of them apart 
fomewhatlikeuntoaNightfhadeleafe, but fomewhat broader (yea in fome places twice as broad as in others, 
foritwiil mnch vary, )fometimes having but three leaves, fometimes five, and fometimes fixe, and fometimes 
fmaller and fometimes larger, either by a quarter or halfe, or as I faid before, twife as great: I have feene ic 
alfo degenerate, that the foure leaves being twife as large as the ordinary, have beene dented in, both at the 
edges and points, which have beene parted or forked, (and have borne greater berries then the ordinary) all 
which are of a frefh greene colour, not dented about the edges: in the middle of thofe foure leaves, there riferh 
up a fmail (lender ftalke about an inch high,bearing at the toppe thereofone flower fpread open like a ftarre, con¬ 
fining of foure fmail and narrow long pointed leavesjof a yellowilh greene colour,and foure other lying between 
L g them 
