Trjb8i6. The Theater of Plants. Chai.^i. 
ends of the branches, which tumc into fmall blackc berries that have a purplifh juyee within them, and (bine 
feedcs that are flat on the one fide with a hole or dent therein. Tragus faith that there is lome found thac he areth AUerum 
a yellow flower, but is very rare to finde differing in nothing clfe, which peradventure may be that other fort mvvA 
that Lonieezus callcth minus. ftorefub- 
a.. Liguftrum myrtifolium Italicum. The Italian Mircleleafed Privet, ll ' teo * 
This gro weth in the fame manner thac the former doth, and fpreading into branches that are round and fome- 
what reddifh, the leaves are both longer and broader, esmming neere unto the greateft Mircle leaves, and of a 
darke greene colour. 
3. Liguftrum Orientate five Cyprus Diofcoridis & Plinij, The Eafterne ever greene Privet. 
This Eafl: Country Privet, if it be fuffered to grow at large without pruining , groweth to be as great as the 
Pomegarnet tree, whole body and branches are covered with a whitifli afh-coloured barke : the leaves arc lomc- 
what like unco thole of the former common Privet, but whiter, broader and more pointed, growing many let 
onbotfi fides ofaftalke below, buclingly upto the toppe at the joynts among the branches or flowers, which 
grow in a loofe tuft, fomewhat fparfedly, confifling of foure frnall grayifh alh-colouied leaves, of a very fharpd 
and quicke lent,farre beyond the Privet flowers, alter which fucceede lmall round and white heads, fomewhat 
like unto Coriander feede, with three or foure blackilh feedes within them: the leaves fall not of in Winter 
as our Privet doe,but abide on frefh all the Winter Ions,of which and the young branches being dryed and ground 
into pouther,i; made a great mcrchandife through all the parts of the 7 urkjjb Empire, and lome of his bordering 
neighbours alfo.ro give a yellow colour to their haire,hand 3 ,nailes,and bodice too, as alio for their hones.mainea 
andtailes, for the more pompeon feftivall d yes: ofehetootes faith Raurpolfius being burnc,the Arabians make 
their Spodium ,whereof Avicen fpeaketh cap,6i j. 
The Place and Time „ 
Our common Privet groweth in our owne Land.in divers woods, the next was fent from Padoa and Venice, 
the lad groweth in Egipt plentifully, in Tripoli alfo and Syria, in fundry places .* our Privet flown ch in Jure and 
/«//, the berries are ripe in Auguft and September-, the laft flowreth late evfti in the warme countries, and the 
feede ripeneth accordingly : the other hath not as yet beene difeerned fo exa&ly. 
The Names. 
This oiir ordinary Privet as I faid before, was ufually taken by Tragus^Cordus, RueHius, rJMatthiolus, Amd- 
tus Lufttantis ,and Anguilara who yet doubteth of it, to be the < Cyprus of Dio/corides, which Pliny alfo na- 
meth, but Fuchfius as I take it, firft doubted of it, and denyed it to be Cyprus , and denyeth alfo that it is certaine- 
Iy knovvne by what name: the Liguftrum of the Latincs was knowne to the Greekes, and therefore Dodoheus 
after Anguilara ,doe appoint Phiilyrea to be it: but Pliny in faying Liguftrum is the fame tree, that Cyprus is in 
the Eafl, as is before laid, bred, this errour info many: bntCyprus ofT)iofcorides\sia\dby him robearrecj 
but Privet is not fo, it is a tree growing in Egipt faith Pliny, the belt is in Canope and Afcalone laith Diofcorides 9 
whereby they both judged it to be a ftrangd tree, and noc naturall of Italy, as Liguftrum Privet is. It hath laith 
Tiofcorides Ollive like leaves but broader,lofcer, and greener ,Pliny faith l ke lujube leaves, but Privet leaves are 
neither broader nor fofter then the leaves of the Ollive tree, the leede faid Tliny, is like Coriander feede, which 
is meant by the whole feede,with the outer huske on it,for the feede within them is blacke, as Diofcondes com- 
pareth them to the leede of the Elder berries : the leaves aifo doe abide alwates greene,but in Privet they doe not 
lo : the leaves faith Diofcoridcs doe give a reddifh yellow colour to the haire, if they bemoiflried with the j’uyce 
of Strutbium (bat not of Struthei malt which is the Quince) before itbcapplyed, but Privet giveth no luch co¬ 
lour howfoever ufed .* by all which notes it is evident that Liguftrum and Cyprus be different one from the other* 
and cannot be both one plant, or hereafter to be confounded together as formerly they have beene. The firft is 
acknowledged by the name of Liguftrum by all Writers, although fomc as I laid would make it alio to b e-Cyprus 
oi e Diofcorider , and fome to be PhiByrea as is before laid. 1 he lecond Baubinus calleth Liguftrum myrtifolium Z« 
talicum , and faith it was lent him by the name of Adyrtus liguftrifolio The laft Bauhinus calleth Liguftrum 
gyptiacum latifolium, becaufe he maketh two forts ofthis one, as he doth in many other things bef'cie. making 
tint of Rauwolfus, fet forth in Betlonius his Obfervations by Cluftus, tobeoneforc, and thac of Alpinus ano*= 
ther, entituled anguftifolium, becaufe ^Alpinus his figure (as mb ft of bis others are) is not foexa&ly orawne, as 
Cluftus faith it fhould be: he faith alfo that it is let forth in the hiftory of the Etsft indies, part.q. ftgura tab i y. 
under the name of Mangoftans : but the truth is, they were both entended but for one plant, Alpinus laith thac 
the Egyptians doe now adayescall it Elbanne ,and Avicen with the Arabi ans /llcanne and Henne, the Greekes now 
adayes Scbenna as Rauvsolfius laith The Italians call the ordinary Privet Giuftrico, OHvella Oliverta : and Cham- 
broffena, the Spaniards Alfenaand Albena, the French Troefncyhe Germanes r Rfeimveyden,Beynboltz,hn ) and Adund- 
holtz., the Dutch Keelcruyt , and we in Englifb Prime or Privet,and of fome Prime print. 
The Vertues. 
Although our ordinary Privet is little ufed in phyficke with us in thefe times, more thenito be put into lotions 
to wafli fores and fore mouthes, and to coolc inflaunrations and dry up fluxes, yet Adattbiolas laith that Privet 
ierveth to all the nfes,for which Cyprus Oi the Eafl Privet is appointed by Diefcorides and Galen : he further laith, 
that the oyle that is made of the flowers of Privet infufed therein and fet in the Sunne,is lingular good for the in¬ 
flammations of wounds, and for the headache comming from choller or an hotcaufe : a water alfo that is fweete 
is deluded from the flowers, that is good for all ebofedifeafes that neede cooling and drying, and thcrcforehel- 
peth all fluxes of the flomacke or belly, bloody flixes and womens courfes, if it be either drunkeor applyed, as 
alfo for thole thac void blood at their mouth, or at any other place,and for deftillarions and rheumes into the eyes, 
efpecially if it be:ufed with Tutia: nil thefe properties may fafely be transferred to the Eafl; Privet, faving that 
it is not of focold a conftitntiomyet as Cjalen faith it hath a binding quality from the earthly cold fubftanceir hath : 
the young leaves and branches are of a mixt temper, for it hath a digefting faculty with the warme watery lub- 
*J an /*Yd. r y in £» whereby it helpcth thofe places that are bkrnt, and coolethhot Impolhunes and fores, and 
doth dry without any fharpcncftc : the pouther of the leaves ferve to hcale the fores in the mouth or feerct parts 
or man or woman,as alfj to heloe the moift fweatings and ftinke of the feete % by applying them as a plaifler mixed 
up with fwcete wine; the Oleum Cyprinum^nai is fvveete and made thereof, doth warme and mollifie the nerves 
andfinClCS - . CHilfrf 
