Tribe y 'l be Theater of 'Plants* Chap, 58. 591. 
Tikes and qdcn\ [or as concerning the firft, they affirme, that it may more fitly be referred unto the forts of TbU- 
/pi, or of Lunaria Grxca , and therefore fome have called it Lunaria major, and Lunaria lute a, (afalpir.us Luna- 
ria Graca tertia, and Gefner Lunaria atfera ■ but Dodonaus, Clvjiui Camcranus, Lugdunenfis and Lobel doe all 
call it Alyffum and Alyjfos, & Label faith farther,there is no herbe co be found that better agreeth with Dtofcorides 
his Alyjfum in all things then this'firft doth. *>f.tius in his firft booke faith, that Alyjfum was called Siderins He. 
raclcaby fome in his time, that it grew by the way fides, and bore a purple flower, and thicke leaves (which is 
moft likely Cjalens Alyjfum) tome doe account it a kindeof Leucoium, and lo do both Columna and Bauhinw • 
the one calleth it Leucoium montanumlttnatum, for he laith that the Lcucoia and Thlafpi, be congeners , which 
I grant, but yet I thinke, that the Lycbnides be nearer congeners to the Leucoia , then the 1 hlasfies be , the other 
that is, Bauhinul calleth it Leucoium Alyjfoides clypeattim majw. The fecond is called by Cohipraa, Leucoium pel. 
tatum Romanian minus, who faith it is a congener to the Alyjfum of Dodonaus, which as I fay d is the firft here 
expreffed; and therefore Bauhinut calleth it, Leucoium Alyjfoides cly peat urn minus The third Column* calleth 
Alyjfum Diofcoridii montanum: but Bauhmw fetteth it among the Cbamadries, calling it Cbamndrtj- Jpuri'a affir.is 
rotundifolia fcutcllata, which in my judgement is very improper, and may be let downe among the reft: of his 
improper titles ; for unlcflc it bee the leaves in this plant that hath fome likenefi'e, and that is very little, there 
is no part therein elfe that can agree with any Chamadrys, eythcr vera or fpuria ; for whoever fa w a germander, 
with broad bucklerlike huskes of feede : the fourth is called ty Clujim Alyjfum Galcni, and laith hee never faw 
I any plant that came nearer to the difeription of Galcns Alyjfum then this doth, and that notwithftanding that hee 
£ had read what Columna had written thereof,in his <pvTT>pu<mv &^.calling it Plant a Hijpanica,Afarrubiofimilit ,and not 
thinking it to be Alyjfum Galenic yet he was (fill of the fame minde .• and I findethat Cainerarnu, D odorous,fold, 
Tabermontamis and Bauhinus, doe all follow Clufius herein,but none Columna ; onely Lugdunenfis feemeth to con- 
trary Clufim, in faying that it feemed to him, that he did exprefle the Molucca sfinofa inftead of Alyjfum galcni : 
the laft Columna hath fet forth in his Phytobafanos , calling ic Sidcritfs Alyjfon, Sideritii Pieraclea Diojcorid,s , Alyjfon 
Antonij Coi ex Galeno • whereby hee feemeth to judge the Stderitt* Heraclea of T>to/corider f to be all one with the 
Alyjfum Galeni ,and herein as it is likely confirmed, becaufe he found c y£.gin:ta and t^£tius (as I fayd before) to 
fay that (ome in his time called the Siderins Heraclea,Alyjfum ; yet the figure chat Columna fetteth out for it, is 
fo like (for I have not feene his plant if it differ from) the Herb a Judaic*, ttiat I thinke it the very fame, whereas 
‘Diofccndes maketh his Sideritii to have longer leaves then Horehound, almoft as bigge as Sage, but fo is not his; 
j but the fameColumna in another place maketh the Alftne Veronica folijs to be Alyjfum aifo, Bauhinus entitulcth it, 
i Alyjfum vcTticlUatumfolijs crenatis, when as he called that of Clujius Alyjfum verticillatum folijs profunde incifis . 
The Vertues, 
Thefe Alyjfa oiDiofcorides and Galen, although they differ in forme one from another, yet they doe agree as 
I they fay in this, that being taken in wine, or in broth, or in meate, or howfoever, doth cure the venotne of the 
! biting of a madde dogge^nd thoroughly performe the cure, which Galen faith in fexto Jimplicium med.camento- 
rum, it worketh from the likenefle of the whole fubftance, and was found fo to doe by plaine experience, with¬ 
out any other method, and that it would performe many other cures if any fhould try it, for thofedifeafes where 
the faculties of drying, digefting and moderately clenling, which arc in this herbe are required; and therefore 
both Dio/corides and Galen d oe fay of each of their plants, that they clenfe the skinne from wheaks and pimples, 
from fpots and other dilcolourings, as the morphew* funburning,&c. Diofcortdes faith that his Alyjfum, taken 
in drinkeftayeth the hickockc if there be no ague, and that it will doc fo alfo, if any fhall but hold it in their 
hand or fmell unto it :They are alfo effe&uall for wounds, either inward or outward, co digeft the clotted blood 
that is gathered by any fall, blow,or bruife,and to clenfe and heale old rotten and filthy Vleers, or creeping Can¬ 
cers. And becaufe Diofcorides faith it is an Amulet to expell charmfcs, that fhall be ufed upon man orbeaft, 
and that tycd with a fcarlet cloth to cattell that are difeafed, it hclpeth them ; therefore divers in the ages fince, 
have eeked this tale with the reports of farre greater things,which becaufe they are not onely idle but prophane, 
1 lift not to infert them here : for from the forme of the feedc vcfTells of the firft here expreffed, which is that of 
Diofcorides, a31 fayd divers called it Lunaria , Moonewort, and went beyond the Moone in exprefling the pro¬ 
perties ; and therefore I thinke had neede themfelves to be cured of their madncfie herewith. 
Chap. LVlIt 
T Ira aria Jive Regina prati, Medowfweete or Medefweete. 
F this herbe there are two forts, the one familiar to our countrey, the other a ftfanger to us,and 
onely entertained of a few,and thofe the lovers of rare Plants. 
1. VImaria vulgaris . Common Mede or Meddowfweete. 
The (hikes of this Medefweetfc are reddifli and eafie to breake, rifing to be three foote high, 
and fometimes to be foiire or five, having at the joynts thereof large winged leaves, ftanding 
one above another at diftances, which are made of many fome what broad leaves, fet on each 
tide of a middle ribbe, being hard rough or rugged, crumpled much like to Elme leaves, whereof ic tooke the 
name, but having alfo fome fmaller leaves with them, even as Agrimony hath, fomewhat deepely dented about 
the edges, of a fad greene colour on the upperfide,and grayifh underneath; of a pretty fharpe fegt and tafte, ve¬ 
ry like unto Burner, and will no leflfc give a fine rellifh to a cup of Clarec wine if a leafe be put therein then 
Burnet ; at the toppes of the ftalkes and branches ftand many tufts of fmall white flowers thruft thicke together, 
which fmell much fweeter then the leaves; and in their places being fallen, come croked and cornered feedc; 
the roote is fomewhat wooddy and blackifh on the outfide, and brownilli within, with divers greater firings 
and lefier fibres fet thereat, of a ftrong fent, but nothing fo pleafant as the flowers or leaves, and perifheth noc 
but abideth many yeares,fhooting forth a new every fpring 
2. Vlmariamajor five altera. The greater Medefweete. 
This Medefweete groweth higher then the former,with longer winged leaves fet one above another upon the 
Hee z crefted t 
