RIB 
E 8. 
TbeTbeater of ‘Plants, 
C h a p.y. 887 
C H 
AT. 
V II. 
1, Cuminam s lu'^nre. 
Ordinary Cumin. 
Cuminum. Cumin. 
£Vminis not knowne to moft of our beft latter writers and Herbarifts to be of anymorefotts thenone, 
"J but wee have had the relation of other forts, but not thofc of the ancients, as eyther Syriacum, zShgyp- 
j tium or Africum which are but one and the fame as many good Authors thinke,and but onely differing 
“ by the foyle and climate where they grew as (hall be (Viewed, 
i. Cuminum vulgare. Ordinary Cumin, 
Ordinary Cumin growethup with (lender and low (Valkes 
S' 3t above halfe a yard high, growing white at the laft and 
»-ancheth out more, having (lore o( leaves which are final! 
id long like unto Fennell,the flowers are Fomewhat reddifh at 
re tops of the (Valkes, which turne into fmall whitilh yellow 
;ed (omewhat long and almoft round, cretled or (Iraked on the 
ounder fide and (melling (Vrong, the roote is fmall long and 
rflite periling yearely. 
Cuminum CMelitenfedulce. Small fweete 
Cumin of (-Malta. 
This fmall Cumin whofe feede is fmall and like Unto Anne- 
ieede,butasfweete as fweete Fennell, is ulually fowen in the 
. le of Malta to put into their bread or other meates, as alfo to 
cade with to other parts, for exchange of other commodities, 
as I am given to underlland as fmall and low a plant as the 
:umin and much like it in leaves and growing, the feede onely 
js obferved to be differing. 
3. Cuminum fatiutsm acre Melitenfe. 
iSreat (fcarpe Cumin of Malta. 
This other hath greater feedcs then the ordinary Cumin Ion- 
>er al(o and pointed at both fudi, crefted likewife on the roun- 
ier fide,and of a deader colour (melling more unfavourly and 
lading hot quicke and fliarpe,almoft like Ciibebes or Pepper: 
and it is probable (for we never fa wit greene) groweth grea- 
er then the ordinary, although like it in all other parts. 
The Place and Time. 
All thefe forts grow familiarly in the hot countries as Spaine, 
paly, the lies in the Mediterranean Sea, whereof (Malta is 
one, and in Syria, and the other Haft countries where it is 
fowen: in our Land it feldome commeth to good, unleffe in a 
[kindly yeare, and fowen in the middle of the Spring, fothatit 
imuft be late with us ("though nothing fo with them) before it 
|can be ripe. 
The 'Names, , 
It is calledin GreeksM'V'fa', and in Latinealfo Cuminum and 
Cyminttm:the ancient authors as Diofiorides, Theophraflm,<f-c. 
(made hereof many kinds, calling them by the fundry countries 
Iwhere they grew, as Sgypt'mm.Galatitsm, Syriacum,etrc. when as it is confidently held they were not differing 
nnjfecie but in loci prerogativa, for although one fort of feede was rough or hairy and white and called Cuminum 
izAstbiopicum which Hippocrates called Regium as the beft, another not rough or hairy called t Agyptium, yet they 
were not (everall forts but one was better than another according as the countrey gave it goodneffe or excellen- 
cie. As for Diofcoridts his wfilde kinds of Cumin, I have entreated of them before in the third Claffis of this 
Worke. The firft is called by moft writers Cuminum [ativumox Cjminum, yet Cafalpimu taketh it to be Cumini 
fplvejlrii primum genus c Dio[cor\dis,Guilandinw calleth it Cuminum lAtbiopicism and Cordus in ‘Diofcor. Cymi- 
num Romanum. 'The two laft arc onely touched by Batthimee in bis Pinax and called by thole of MaltaCurnina - 
gero that is wilde Cumin and the fweete kinde Cuminagero dolce, The Arabians call it Camum or Remum, the 
Italians Cumino, the Spaniards Cominohos, the French Comin, the Grmarls fCimmell , the Dutch Cotiiijn j and we 
Cumin, and the feede Cuminfeede. 
The Vertues. 
The feede of Cumin is not onely moft ufed with ns who have little or none of the hcrfce growing, but every 
Where elfe alfo,and both was and yet is in fundry places ufed both in bread and meate to give a reihfli to them as 
we doe with Pepper, and was pleating as well to the ftomack as the tafte : Galen (aith it is in the third degree of 
heare, and in the fame degree almoft of drynefle,and as Diofcoridcs faith, it heateth,bindcch and drycth, but Do. 
domus infifteth rhereagainft, (Viewing that Cuminfeede by attenuating and digefting doth difeufle humors and 
doth not repreffe them by binding or aftruflion, as in the ((veilings of the codsby winde ora warerifh humor, 
Cuminfeede ufed in a Poultis doth quickly take it away, and foit doth all other paines and f writings, being boy- 
led and Barley mealc put unto it and fo ufed: it alfodiffolveth wiride in the body and eafeth the paines and tor¬ 
ments thereof by the Collicke,being boyled in wine and drunke,and is is ufed as a corredtor of any windy meats: 
in the fame manner alfo taken it helpeth thofe that are bitten by Serpents: the feede alfo taken in broth,or drinke 
or Po/ca as Diofiorides hath it, is good for thofe that are (hort winded, orate otherwife troubled with an old 
cough, or the difeafe of the bread toboyle the feede with Figges in wine •• the fame (cede beaten and mixed with 
yineger and applyed to the nofe that bleedech doth (fay the bleeding,and boyled in water and the lower parts ba¬ 
thed 
