45 6 Chap.zi. 
'Tbeatrum c Botanicum. 
kibe 
reines and backe; it is very good to be given to inch as are troubled with the jaundife, and tataThTwi^TId 
peththofr that are bitten by ihe Pmlangittm, or great poyfonons fpider, and other Serpents- being bovi’ed in 
wine or vinegar, it is good for thoie that have their arteries loofened, and are troubled with the hippe-gcut or 
Sciatica: the rootes boy led in v.aie and taken, are faid to helpe the frenfy, and the falling ficknefle and to eafe 
the paines of the mother in women; the Jeroftion thereof likewife is good to cleare the fight that is dimme and 
milty, and being held m the mouth warme.eafe. 1 the tooth-ache; the fame alfo healeth the paines of the breaif 
ftomacke, and bowels, and taken every morning: fling for certaine daics together ; flirreth up bodily luff in 
man or woman, although fome have written the coi -aty, thatithindcreth conception and caufeth barrennefTe 
Chrjfippm faith that three fcruples of the feed of Afpai gus, Smallage and Cummin, being given in three or 
foure ounces of wine, for five dayes continually, i that make a bloody water, it will helpe them 
and he faith alfo that it is not good for any that hath a drop.,e to take thereof, but rather is an enemy and will 
doe them harme, although it be powerfull to provoke urine. A--..n faith, that it caufeth the body to have a 
fweete favour, to take the buds as meate, but it doth render theu: ineftincking -■ it diflolveth the wind in the 
ftomacke, liver, and guts, and the paines of the chollicke, which rife of pituitous and thicke flcgmaticke hu 
mours: the Garden Afparagus nourifheth more then the wilde kinder, yet hath it alfo his c Hefts, both in the" 
urine, reines, and bladder, in opening the body gently, and many other the forenamed difeafeq, but this incon¬ 
venience happeneth by all medicines that ftrongly provoke urine, iftbey be too frequently ufed they doe ex 
Ulcerate the bladder: many doe ufethe feede of Afparagus, for all the purpofes before written, and hold them 
as cffeftuall as the rootes; the decoftion ofthc rootes or feede made in wine, and the backe and belly bathed 
therewith,or to fit therein as in a bath,but kneeling or lying low that they may fit the deeper therein hath beene 
found to be effeftuall againft the paines of the reines kidneys and bladder, the paines of the mother and of the 
chollicke, and generally all thofe paines and torments that happen to the lower members of the body it is no 
leffeeffeftaali alfo againft ftiffe and benummed finewes, or thofe that are ffirunke by crampes, or convulfions 
and the pames of the Inppes called Sciatica; itisfaid that whofoever (hall moiften their hands, face necke or 
any other part of the skinne, with the decoftion or juice of Afparagus, there (hall no Bee, Waibe Hornet’ nr 
other fuch like flye (ling them. Dufcmdc: faith, that divers did affirme in his time, that if the decoftion of 
it be given to a dogge to drinke it will kill him, divers fabulous things have beene obtruded for truth in the 
writings of the ancient, and the moderns writers alfo, if they either follow the traditions ofrheir elder’s wit 
out confide, ation of the probability, or examination of the verity, crelfe are led by vulgar reDorts 
tbisis one m the text oiViofcoride,, which himfelfe holdeth to be falfe, and untrue, becaufe it is fourdike in 
reafon and nature that if Rammes home be beaten or bruifed, and buried in the ground, from thence fhall rife 
Afparagus; fome have affirmed alio, that ifyou fow the feede of Afparagus in canes fiucke in the ground they 
Will grow the fweeter and more pleafant in tafte, becaufe they fay the Afparagus, and the Cane or Reede hive 
a great fimpathy one unto another, which how true or likely it is, I leave to every one to beleeve as theiS 
but the praftifc of many Gardiners that nurfe Afparagus for their profit, is to have canes cut of feverall lengths’ 
fome fiiorter fome longer, which they ft,eke over the heads or fhootes of the Afparagus, whereby they faf the 
buds are made the tenderer, and more delicate to be eaten 5 which peradventure may be likely in fome part as 
an other faHet herbes that are whitedby covering them, or keeping them from the ayre, and are thereby caufed 
to be the tenderer, onely by concofting the fnperfluous moiflure in them, but I cannot beleeve that it com me* 
bubUityrr'dTwUly^^ xFthishenot^eandprobabl^Iet others bri„ emore p r ^ 
Chap. XXI. 
Linar'ui. Tode Flaxe, or Flaxeweede. 
\ Li " ar,a or Todeflaxe, there are many forts, fome whereof (that is the mod beautifull 11 have 
■ , a J - juinuria p, 
) Todeflaxe. LijrUfurpwraoUa,*. Sweete purple Todeflaxe- Linaria Valemim Todeflaxe 
***"**< Broome Todeflaxe, which 
I fliall not neede againe todeferibe here, but ofthc reft not there expreffld 0m And O bKa“fe oS 
great variety I would ulc this method in fitting them forth, firft to place thofe thaLmw nnriohr h k 
LinarU crett* LatifolU. Vpright broad leafed Flaxeweedes. 
i, Linarialatifolia ‘Dalmatica. The great Dalmatian Flaxewcede 
T He great Flaxeweede of nlfnatia. hath divers faire lar op preenp Ipu^^c- r j* i 
ing abouttwo inches long, and one broad, ending very^ & fel? 8 T" 
but riling up with the ftalkc, which is firme hard and roundabout two or threeToom hLh fia* Ik 1 kl if th T’ 
thereon, without any ordernp to the toppe, but lefler as they etow hHier'• thXlS-T u * ‘ he . llke ' eav « *« 
having at everyone ofthe branches fiirh lib-p fnil-peof u & i, • Italke is branched at the toppe, 
kinde? with fpurres behindthembutnStom /^ P S f V ° W ?° Wers > 38 3re in wild 
ThisElaxeweed ’ The great broadleafed Flaxeweedeof Cmdy. 
Iaxeweede of Cmtdj fendeth from the ropte a round thicke ftalke,two or three foote High, fpread into 
many 
