v r ibe 6, The 'Theater of ‘ Plants . Chap, 22, ^71 
ou fee I have endeavoured as much is I can to avoyd. But to give you one note worth the obfervation to know 
lefeverall varieties of thefe and the other lorts of Millions, Citrulls, Cowcumbers,&c. is dilligently to marke 
te forme of the feedes, for the feede of the ordinary bottle Gourds are formed quite differing from all the other 
• arts, and therefore whatfoever Orange feede fhall come to your hands formed fotr.ewhat like unto them you 
lay certainly conclude them kinds ofGourds, folikewifeof the Pompions or Millions which are flat, w'hire 
nd greater then either Muske Melon or Cowcumbcr in like manner the Citmll hath a thicke hard Celled' 
lacke barcke and rounder then the Gourd,and therefore what feede is nearrft thereto in likeneffe you may in- 
: hide them under their family, the Muske Melons and Cowcumbers are very like one unto another, and therefore 
i would conclude them both under one germt , yet if you will well obferve them you fhall fooneknow their diffe- 
: :nce by the yellower and harder fhell of the Melon,& greater alfo when as thoie of the Cowcumber ate whiter, 
nailer and tenderer fhelled: I know none other of thefe kinds of fruites but may be moft truly referred by their 
a =ede efpecially,but not either by forme,colour or tafte.to one of thefe faure forefliewed forts. Some other things 
. nore, before I leave this narration I thinke good to fliew you, namely, the divers errours both of l'lmy and o- 
I hers, both ancient and moderne, who thinke that all or molt of thefe varieties of Gourdes have come from the 
I eede of one kinde, viz. that the feede that lyeth in the nccke of the Gourde will give long Gourdes, thole in 
1 he middle round like Gourdes,and thofe in the bottome or lowed: parts, flat or bottle like Gourds, and that the 
atietic of formes in them is alfo caufedby the Art of Gardiners, who by mouldes and fitch like, doe bring them 
dnto what forme they pleafe,which forme,fay they .they will continually keepe afterwards each from their own 
j tede, which is found utterly untrue, for howfoever they may by mouldesy&c. bring them in their growing to the 
iormeofthemould,yetthe(eedethercofaflurcdly will give no other forme than the firft naturall, unlelfeit be 
breed againe. Another errour or opinion pofleffeth many that by the (landing ofwater ina pot three or foure 
oot off from the place where it groweth,it willfnoote and fpring wondrous fad,and that if oyle be let neare it,it 
villlhrinkeinasfafi:: and againe, that ifwomen when they have their courfes fliall touch any part of them,'it 
vill hinder their growing : and laftly, that to make them come without feede, is tofteepe the feede in oyle'of 
f efinmam before you fet it, all which are as erronious as the former. 
The Vertues . 
All thefe forts of Gourdes how ever different in forme, yet arc of one qualitie, that is, cold and moift in the fe- 
:ond degree : they are eaten in the hot countries with much delight, kept and preferved with great care art and 
i^aines to be (pent almoft all the yeare after, and have there, as I faid before, a farre more fweete and pleafanc rel- 
_ifh than in thefe colder climates, where being more waterilh, they are the more unfavorie, at the lead more in- 
rpide: they are eaten boyled or ftewed, but much better being fried whereby they give the better nourifhmcnt 
to the body : for by their moifture being boiled or ftewed, they are the more lubrfcke, and make the body the 
more foluble, and fo they doe alio being pickled upas many ufe to doe: Wine alfo kept ina frefh Gourde all 
night, after it hath beenc denied from the loofe inward pulpe and feede and drunke in the morning will caule 
the body to be foluble.They are conveniently given to hot & cholericke bodies to coole the heat and inflammation 
of the liver and flomacke : but the diddled water of them before they are through ripe drunke with fome Sugar, 
doth wonderfully helpe toaffwage third, and the hot fits of agues. For want of aStill to make water, you may 
make feme cfFeffuall in this manner. Pur a whole Gourd when you have cut off the upper head and clenfed ic 
from the feede, into an Oven with a batch of bread, in the middle whereof there will be gathered a fine clearc 
water, which being powredout, may be kept to ufe as ncede requireth : the leaves and young branches are con- 
Neruently applied to all the hot humors,empoftumes and inflammations,and to afl wage paines ofthe headach,the 
rednefleand heat in the eyes, the paines intheeares,and the paines of the gout, if either the juice of them, or the 
water be applied in clothes and fpunges wet thereimthe fame applied to womens breads pained with the abun¬ 
dance of milke ealeth them by cooling and reft raining the hot qualitie and quarttitie thereof: the water or j’uice 
being drunke or outwardly applied to the privie parts of man and woman, reftraineth the immoderate luftof the 
body : the alhes of burnt Gourds arc ufedofmany to clenfeand healeold ulcers and fores, as well in the genito- 
rres, as other parts of the body, and to helpc fealdings or burnings by fire or water. - .they are a ^coun¬ 
ted as good for macilent leane and weake bodies to feede on, as they are burtfull to fuch as have the windechol- 
Heke, to whom they are not to be given at any hand. The feedes ofGourds are one of the foure greater forts of 
cold feedes ufed very much m Phyficke, and are very availeable in decotftions, Juleps, Emulfionsor Almond 
milkes to coole the heate ofthe liver, the reines or backe and urine, and to give much eale to them thataretrou- 
bled wnh the ftone or graved in thekidneyes, and rhe ulcers or fores of the inward parts and bladder. The Sioj- 
rel Gourd being of a firmerJubilance dreffed any good way, is both more acceptable meatc, and is no Ieffe effc- 
, Ji 3- : 1 ” mediane. The Lidmn forts are lomc more watcrifh, others more lolide, and accordingly are more or 
idle fit for mcate or medicine. 
Chap. XXII. 
Atiguriafivs CitruUm. The Citrull or Turkic Million, 
He Citrull or Turkic Million hath alfo fome varieties being a fruit different from the other, as well in 
the forme therof as of the feed,which much leadeth me to diftinguifh of them,or joyne them together, 
yet became fome doe account them kindes of Cowcumbers, I will give Vot> the figures both of fome 
forts of Cowcumbers and M uske Melons alfo. 
, . ,. r. Angur'M five CitruHM vulgatior. The ordinary Citrull or Turkic Million, 
This kinde of Million groweth like as other [Melons and Cowcumbers doe with rough trailing branches, the 
leaves whereof are hairy,longer and narrower than in any other, and more divided into levcrall parts, and hath 
lmall clalpers and yellow flowers, but the fruit is greater than a Melon, fome what neare the faflrion of a Pom- 
pion, withaftnootn greemfhbarke_vvhich will change yellow by time, having foine ribbes thereon, the meats 
V u u * 'I "V ' or 
