Tr i b e 5. T be Theater of ‘Plants* C ha p.io, 491 
tetcldfo bruifed, andapplyed to any Carbuncle or Plague fore,is found certaine by good experience,to diffolve 
or breaUe it within the (pace of three houres: the lame inward and outward application, is very available a- 
eainft the biting or flinging of any venemous beaft: the fame decoftion alfo drunke, helpeththe paines and flic- 
ches in the Tides - the clecoftion of the rootes taken for forty dayes together, or the powder ol them, to the 
quantity of a dramme at a time, taken in whey, doth as Matthhlm faith, wonderfully helpe thofe that are 
-i troubled with dangerous running or fpreading Icabbes, tetters, orringwormes, yea although they proceed of 
jj the French pox.ashimfelfc faith,he hath found true by certaine exp:nence:the juice or the decodlion drunke.doth 
,'i wonderfully helpe thofe that are broken out into fcabbes,and itches :and the juice alfo made up into an oyntment 
r, andufed is effeftuall for the fame purpofe. The fame alfo wonderfully helpeth all inward wounds, be they 
r made by thruft or ftroke, by the drying, clenfing,and healing quality therein. A Syruppe made ofthe juice and 
i: Su<->ar is very effecTuall to all the purpofes aforefaid, and fo is the diihlled water ofthe lierbeand flowersmadc 
> m due*time, efpecially to beufed when the greeneherbe is not in force to be taken ; the decc&ion ofthe herbe 
„ all d rootes outwardly applyed, doth wonderfully helpe all forts of hard or cold tumours, or fwellings in any 
q part ofthe body; and is alfo as effeftuall for any fhrunke Anew or veine in any place: the juice of Scabious m ade 
u up with the powder of Borax and Camphire, doth notably clenfe the skinne ofthe face or any other part of the 
j body, as freckles, pimples, and other fmall eruptions therein, yet it prevaileth alfo in greater deformities, as, 
j the Morphew, and Lepry ; the fame decoftion doth alfo helpe the rednefle, and fpots in the white of the eyes, 
1 nfed either of it felfe, or with the juice of Fennell; the head wafted with the fame decoftion denfeth it from 
1 dandraffe, feurfe, fcabbes, fores, itches, and the like, being ufed warme; tents alfo dipped in the juice or wa- 
I ter thereof, doth not onely hcale all greene wounds, but old foresand ulcers alfo, both by (laying their fretting 
1 or running qualities, and clenfing and healing them up afterwards; the herbe alfobruiled and applyed to any 
place, wherein any fplinter, broken bone, arrow bead or other fuch like thing lyeth in the flelh, dothmftort 
time l'oofen it, and caufeth it to be ealily drawne forth. 
Chap. X. 
tSKorfesi Diaboli. Divclsbit. 
{HerereReth yet this kinde of Scabious to be entreated of, being of all Herbarifts accounted an elpeciall 
1 different kinde thereof, yet fomereferre it to the Iacea's, but not properly; the former ages knew but 
one fort, we have in thefe times found out fome others, as they ftall prelently be ftewedyou, 
j. Jllorfus Diaboli vulgarisftorepurpurea, Common Devills bit. 
Devils bitrifeth up with around greene fmooth, and not hairy ftalke, two foote high or thereabouts, fet with 
divers long, and fomewhatnarrow,fmooth, darke greene leaves, fomewbat (nipt about the edges for the moll 
part, being elfe all whole, and not divided at all, or but very fcldome, even to the toppes of the branches, 
w hich yet are fmaller then thofe below, with one ribbe onely in the middle, and being broken yeeld not fuch 
threds as the Scabious doth; at the endof each branch llandeth a round head of many flowers, fet together in the 
fame manner, or more neatly or fuccinftly then the Scabious, and of a more blew ifh purple (but not darkered 
as Gerardfaith, for fuch I never faw any) colour, which being pafl,there followech leede like unto the Scab tom 
that fallcth away in the fame manner : the roote is fomewhat thicke; but Ihort and blackift with many llrings, 
fallned thereto, abiding alter feede time many yeares: Fabulous antiquity (the Monkes and Fryers as 1 fuppofe, 
being the firfl inventors of the Fable)faid,that the Devill envying the good that this herbe might do to mankinde, 
bit away part ofthe roote,and thereofeame the name Succifa, Devils bit which is fo groffe and fenfteffe a relation, 
that 1 merveile at the former times llupidity, to receive as true fuch a fiflion. Of this kinde fome doe make a 
greater and a Idler, which I thinkerather commeth from the place of growing, then from the nature of che plant. 
Vnto this plant in my opinionbelongeth the Scabiofarubra Auflriaca of Clufius, fet forth in my former booke; 
for the leaves thereof being all whole, and the flowers red, doe notably refemble this Devils bit, and may be a 
fpecies thereof, proper to Germany, esiuftria,&c. Batthinui maketh mention of one of this kind, that hath hai¬ 
ry leaves not differing in any thing elfe, and for his author nameth Gefnerm hortis Germanu , who as hce faith 
called it Morfus‘Diabolihirfutararior.,whid\ I cannotfindein Cjefner, but of the three forts of S cabiows, one 
of the Idler he calleth S cabra hirfutaque, having leaves without divifions, which whether he fhould meane this I 
know not: for he nameth it not Moefus Diaboli, therefore I leave it to time to declare the truth thereof. 
i. Morfus SDiaboli flare a/bo. Devilsbit with a white flower. 
This fort differeth not from the former in any other thing, then in the flower, which is of a pure white colour 
as fome other forts of the Scabioufes are, and that the greene leafe is not altogether offo darke a colour. 
5. MorfusDiaboUflorecarnco. Devils bit with blufh coloured flowers. 
This other fort likewife differeth neither in roote ftalke or leafe, from the former, onely the flowers which 
are of an incarnate or blufh colour,maketh the difference from both the other. 
4. Morfus Diabolialter flare ceruleo, Strange Devilsbit. 
This herbe which I place here for fome likeneffe, hath divers leaves rifing from the roote, every one fevera lly 
cn a long footeflalke fomewhat like unto Betony or Sage, dented about the edges, the ftalke rifeth up amongft 
them a foote or morehigh, bearing one large flower at the toppe,hanging downe the head and made all of blew- 
ifh threds. 
The Place. 
The firfl groweth as well in dry meddowes and fields as moift, in many places of this land, but the other two 
forts are more rare and hard to meete with, yet they are both found growing wild about Apple dare , neere Rye in 
'Kent. The laft groweth in the fields that are on the mountaines beyond the Seas, 
ThcTime. 
They flower fomewhat later then the Scabioufes, as not ufually untill eiugufi. 
The 
