Theatrum Botanicum 
Tr IB E II, 
1076 Chap.16. 
many fmall and al mod round leaves dented about the edges, 
fee on both fides of a middle ribbs: at the joyncs come forth 
one or two flowers upon fhort lootcllalkes, Peafe faftaionj 
cither white, orwhitifh, orelfe purplifh red, lighter,or 
deeper, according as the Peafe that follow will be, that are 
contained in fmall thicke and fhort pods, wherein lie one or 
two Peafe more ufuajly, a little pointed at the lower end, 
and almoft round at the head,yet a little cornered or fharpe: 
the roote is fmall, and perifhcch yearely. 
1 he T 2 lace and Time. 
They are fowne in Gardens, or the Fields, as Peafe, both 
in our owne and other countries, being fowne later than 
Peafe, and are gathered at the lame time with them, or 
fome what after. 
The Names. 
It is called inGreeke 4 ? i.3hdo< Frebinthus and is ad¬ 
ded ofTomCjbecaufe^iWs areis^ in LatineOV<rr,of the Ara¬ 
bians Cbemps Hamos J or Alhamos , of the Italians Ceci, of 
the Spaniards Gravanfos , of the French (^\che y <Sr pois Cicbe y 
&pois 6echte,oi the Germans Kichcm and Kicherebs^oi the 
T)utch‘ and we in Englifh Cicers,Ciches,Rammes Ciches, 
and Ciche Peafe: Diofcorides , Tbeopbrajlui and Pliny doe 
much vary one from another in fe; ting dowr.e the forts of 
tbefe Cicers, r Diofcdrides dividtih it into fativum cr fylve- 
fire, Sc of the fativum he nameth Arentinnm to be the other 
fort; Tbeophrafiui faith it hath many differences,as in greac- 
neffe, taffe, colour and forme, as Arietinum and Columbi- 
num, &c. Pliny doth fomewhat follow Theophraftw , and 
inaketh more forts; but to avoid long difputes and contro- 
rerfics, wee doe now generally hold but two forts of the 
manured Cicers , white and red, or three, at the mod 
as Matthiolus faith white, red,and blacke.butthe red chan- 
geth blackc with time, and therefore is not differing ; Co- 
limbinum zndVenereum are all one with the white; and the 
Cicer Ocobeum of Theophraftw & Phny\ s another plant, as 
fliall be ffiewed hereafter •• Mnthiolus faith, that the Ger¬ 
mans heretofore erred much in taking Peafe to be Cicer Co - 
lumbinum, we have fhewed before chat Tragus and others 
tooke Vetches to 'ozCiccrs, 
Cicer fativum five arietinum nigrum rubrum vel album 
Garden red, blacfce, or white Cich Peafe, 
Rammci Ciches, or Cicers, 
The Venues. 
Cicers,is Galen faith, are no lefle windy meate than Beanes, buryet nourifh more, they provoke venery, 
and is thought to increafe fperme, and therefore they give it their llalionhorfcs. Cicers have in them a more 
clenfing faculty than bcanej, whereby they breake the ftones gathered in the kidneyes: todrinke thecreame of 
them being boyled in water, is the bcit way, itmoveth the bedy downewatd, provoketh urine, and womans 
conrfes, and increafeth both mitke and feede : the decoff ion of either of them faith FMofcorides , made with 
Rofemary, is good for the Djopiie, and the yellow laondife, and to cafe the paines in the iides, for which pur- 
pofe this medicine is very pcmtriull; an ounce officer/, two ounces of French barly, and a imall handfull of 
Marfh Mallow rootes, cleane waflied and cut, being boyled in che broath of a chicken, and foure ounces taken 
in the morning, and faffing two houres after •• the white Cicers are ufed more as meate than medicine, yet they 
have the fame efiift, and is thought more powerfull to encrealc milke and feede: Ihaveknowne itgiven with 
good fucceffe, to women that were barren through an over hot conllitution, an orderly courfe proceeding and 
following the taking thereof. T>iofcmdei faith that Cicers are hurtful! to thofe that have ulcers in their reines of 
kidnies, or in the bladder. ‘/-lutarchoneth this note, that no wormes breede inthefe Cicers, when as all other 
pulfesarc fub/efttothcm,and therefore in theirnuptiall ceremonies, thole were given in an allegoricall lenfc, 
of their mutual! incorruptible affeftions. 
Chap. XVI. 
Cicer JjlveJlre. Wilde Cicers. 
; He wilde Cicers ate of three or foure lundry forts, as (hall be (hewed in this Chapter, 
r- —• ]—r. Cicerfjheftrc mnjm. The greater wilde Cicer. 
Wj'il*' The greater fort hath very long winged leaves fet on the flalkes, compofed of many, everyone 
of them being fmall, and Longer than of the former garden kinde, not dented at all about the edges, 
and of a fad greene colour: at the toppes of theffalkes come forth many tufts of flowers, thicke 
fet together, of a pale ycllowifh colour, almoft white, after which follow rough skinnie cods, in tufts alio, each 
of them fmall pointed at the end, with in which are contained other (mail lirooth huskes, which have many 
Cm all flat yellow round feede,fo faith Thnlius, but Lugdunenfs maketh the firft of Da/ecbampiw to have blackifir 
fiat feede, and not like unto the manured Cicers, and yet 1 take them to be both one,and that of Muthiolw alio : 
the 
