Tribe 5. 
The Theater of 'Plants* 
■ HA P.I. 
467 
4 . Cenumrium maju, Lttteum. The great yellow Centory. 
This v ellow Centory fendeth forth many more, both larger and longer leaves from the roote then the former, 
fome of the lowed having fewer divifions in them then others; but thole that grow upon the (talk,as wel as fome 
of the other below, are very milch divided into many parts, making every winged leafe to confifl of a dozen or 
fixteene leaves the ribbe in the middle betweene them being whitiih, each for the mod part fet again!! ano¬ 
ther with an odde one at the end, and every of them being narrow and long, without any dents on theedges, 
and of a whitiih oreene colour; thedalkes are many .ftrong and round, fcmewhatf raked downe the lengthof 
them each divided into fome other branches, which beare fomewhat gteater fcaly heads then any of the other 
and lamer fpread thrumbs or threds, of a fine lively pale yellow colour, which abide m their beauty a long time 
without decaying, butfeldotnegivcthfeede in this Country, becaufeas I thinkethe fcaly heads are fo full-of 
moidure, that it hindcreth feede to grow ripe therein; for if they bebuc a little preffed betweene the fingers,there 
will iffue forth on all fides, fmall deare drops of water, as fweete as Sugar almod, and that not onelyac noone 
daves as Bauhinu, faith, but at any time of the day, and not for once onely and no more, but oftentimes; yea 
everyday ifye will, it will yeeld dill fome, as long as the flowers are fiefh, and not quite withered, burwhen 
itdothperfeft his feede, it is fomewhat like the lad great Centory, yet lefler, blacker, and more fhining: the 
roote groweth in time, to be greater then either of the other, having many heads, that fhoote forth in the 
Spring, the old leaves dying downe to the ground every yea-e,which is wrinkled and blacke on the outfide, and 
yellowifh within, full of a (limy moidure in them, running downe deepe into the ground with fome greater 
branches, and but a few fmall fibres. 
The Place, 
All thefe forts grow upon mountaines, the fird and third upon the Alpes and Mount Baldm ; the fccond on 
the 7 >r renean hils -Clufm faith, he found the third upon forne dony hils, beyond L^berne in ‘Portugal!, neare the 
river Teem, and the lad there likewile and on Mount Baldw as ‘Pena faith. 
The Time. 
They doe all flower about the end of Z«w, and in My, yet the <jPml»g*H kinde doth lead endure our cold 
aire, feldome (hewing forth his flower, nor yet abiding unleffe well prelerved. 
The Names. 
Jt is called in Greeke KZVTttCftov n ^yi Centaurium magnum, and as Pliny faith, tooke the name from Chiron the 
Cemaure, who was healed herewith ofthe hurt he received in his foote, by one of Hercules his arrow es that 
fell from his owne hand thereon, in overlooking them, whenhee received Hercules as his gued, and there¬ 
fore of fome was called Ckironium. The fird is ailed of all writers Centaurium magnum or majm, and vulgar a 
of fome, as a differ ence from the others. It hath beene in the, former ages of the world (yet long fince Galea 
histime, for many yeares, and yet continneth in many parts) called Kbaponticurn, anduled in the dead there¬ 
of in all thofe medicines, that the ancients appoint tyaponticum to be put, which is an errour grovvne fo old by 
cudome, that many obdinately petfid therein, becaufe they have received it from their elders, but learning and 
diligence in reading and fcanning the writings ofthe ancient authors, hath not onely difcafled this opinion, but 
many others alfoj for as Ihave (liewed before inthefecond Claflis, in the Chapter of RuMe ‘D.ofcondes faith 
that the Rhaponticum is a roote like unto the roote of the great Centory ; how then can it b? the fame, when it 
is but like it, and although the roote of this Centory be yellowifh, which encreafcd their error yet will it not 
colour the fpittle like unto Saffron. Brafavelm in his time, did thinke that thole rootes cMcd Rhapen,,c»m m 
the Apothecaries Ihops, were not therootes of this great Centory ; whom Mattholw contradiffeth, (hewing 
them to be the fame Some alfo as Mattbiolm faith, did in his time take the Lyfimachu purpurea, to be C en- 
taurim magnum, Ve\cAral-iam,Mefues, Avicen, and Seraph, have much confounded the Centories, both the 
greater and the lefl'er together, giving both the face and qualities of the one unto the other, and Pimp .alfo m his 
« Booke, and 6. Chapter runneth into the fame error with them, who although he agreethwith Ihofcondes 
in the defeription ofit, yet faith it hath a certaine bitterneffe in it,which is not found in this greater but the leffer 
kinde. The fecond is cal led by Corrnm among his Canada plants, Centaur,umfoty Cynare : Pena faith m the 
defeription of the plants growing upon Mount Saldw, that the third kind, waacalled of divers there about Rbeu 
Taider fis, and Clufius faith, the Portugals where he found it, called it Rapontvs. Rauhinm faith, that the laft he 
received from out of the garden at <P*dos, by the name of Rhaponticum Lufuamcum. 
TheVertttes, 
The roote of the great Gentory faith Mat thiol us being deeped in wine, or the powder thcreofgiten in wine* 
is with great good fucceffc and profit, ufed for thofe that are fallen into a dropfie, or have the jaundtfe, or 
are troubled with the oMbruftions ofthe liver: two drammes of the rootes beaten to powder, and taken in wine 
or in water, helpeth thofe that fpit blood, or that bleede much at the mouth, if they have an ague to take it m 
water, or elfe in wine, ;it is like wife ufed for ruptures, cramps, and pleurtfies, and for thofe that have an old 
or lon° continued cough, and for thofe that are fhort winded, or can hardly draw their breath : it is good alfo 
to eafe^the griping paines in the belly, and thofe of the mother s being feraped and put up as a peffary into 
the mother, it procureth womens courfes, and cauleth the dead birth to be avoided ; the juice thereof ufed n> 
the fame manner, worketh the fame effeft: fome copies ai r Dwfcorides have this, it is called Panacea, becaufe 
it helpeth all difeafes and fetes, where there is inflammation or bruifes canfing it; it helpeth the Strangury or 
tiiffin<’by droppes, if it beiniefted, as alfo the (lone: the decoftion or juice ofthe roote, or a dramme in 
powder thereof drunke, and the wound wafhed therewith, taketh away all the paine and danger of thebmngs. 
or flingings of venemous creatures; it helpeth to (harpen the eyefight, if it be fteeped m water and dropped 
into them: Calen in 7 .Jimp, fheweth that it hath contrary qualities in tc.and therefore worketh contrary effefts, 
the (harpe tafteihewiug an hot quality, wherebyit provoketh womens courfes, &c. and the allrtngent a cold 
groffe earthly quality, glueing or fodering the lippes of wounds and flaying the (pitting of blood; and by all the 
qualities joyned together, helpeth ruptures, crampes, and the difeafes of the Lungs-, the (harpeneffe procu¬ 
ring evacuation, and the aftriftion, the ftrengthning ofthe parts : the whole p ant as well herbe, as roote, is 
very availeable in all forts of wounds, or ulcers, to dry, foder, clenfe, and heale them, and therefore is a prin¬ 
cipal! ingredient, or fb.ould be in all vulnerary drinkes and injections. Chap 1 
