T R IBE 
diffolveth hard tumours in any part,as thole about the throate called the Kings Evill, and other nodes or tumours 
in the fleih or on the joynts: It lerveth alio as a perfume to burne in liouies or chambers, either alone or with 
other things,it is put alio among fweete pouthers in bagges, (or chells and wardrobes. 
Draco (V bor. T he Dragon tree. 
Draco Arbor, The Dragon tree. 
Mud needes adde this tree to the red of the berry bearing Refinous trees, be'caufe it agreeth with 
them, whofe detription is on this manner. It is a goodly faire great tree to behold, riling as high 
as a Pine tree,with a great body, covered with a rugged batke, lull otehappes and clifts, bearing 
eight or nine great armes, equally fpreading from the toppe of the trunckeor body thereof, each 
| of them bare,for a cubits length, and then thrufting torth at thtir heads three or foure dataller bran¬ 
ches, yetofanarmesthickenelle, and bare alio for a certainelpaie, and bearing at thetoppesof 
each of them, divers very long and narrow leaves joyned together at the boccome, aiidcompaffingoneanother 
likeasthe hlowerdelucesdoe, each of them being acu- 
bit in length, and an inch in breadth, growing narrow¬ 
er to the end, where it is pointed with a thicke midule 
rib, running through the middle, all the length of them, 
and being reddifh about the edges, which ate fharpe like 
the lru leaves, abiding alwayes greenetfrom among the 
leaves at the heads ; come forth long foote(lalkes,of about 
a footes length, branched forth into other lefler (hikes, 
bearing at certaine fpaces, divers fruites or herryes in du¬ 
ffers (forthe flowershavc not bccne cbferved ) each ^ 
ot them like unto a fmall Cherry, ofafowrifh or rate 
tafle, and of a yellowilh colour, when they arc ripe 1 
wich a Hone within them,very like a Cherry done, and a : 
likckcrnell alfo(btn here is no (hew of any Dragon here 
in to be feenc, as rJMrmxrdw fableth,and others that from 
him have fet it forth, which fheweth how neceffary it 
is to have judicious and confciouable men to be thefirft 
relatorsofdrangeorunknownethings) out ofthis tree 
being (lit or bored, commeth forth a thicke (not dcate as . 
cJUatthioliK laith) darkeredgumme or Rodin, which 
hardneth quickely, and will melt at the fire,and flame be¬ 
ing cad therein, yet fomewhat dryly, being bruifed it 
fheweth a very orient red crimfon or bloody colour, yet I 
is very hardly mixed with any liquour, eyther water or 
oyle: the wood is very hard and fume, and hardly ad- . 
mitreth to bee cut: but the younger branches are more 
tender. Wbat if Matter Hamonds flefh tree, growing in 
Magadaftar,kl forth in his Paradox, yielding liquor like 
blood,may not prove to be this tree, if the tenderntfle of 
the wood, cutting as he faith like flefh,either hinder not 
the identity, or be not an hyperbole. 
T'oe Place and Time. 
This tree groweth in the Iflands both of Madera , and 
the CartarieSj and in BraJJ!lli\(o, as I am given tounder- 
fland, where it groweth vaft, but C ht f“ u faith that he 
found it in the Orchard, belonging to the Monadery of 
our Lady of grace in S paint, planted among fomc Ollive 
treesonafmallhiH: thcTtmeisnotexprelTed. This is fo tender, thatalrhougb ir hath fprung with us from 
tneftones that were fet, yet it would fcarfe endure to the end of Summer, but perilhed with thefirft cold 
nignts. ■ _ The Names. 
It is molt probable th.it neither Diofiorides nor any of the ancient Grccke or Latine Authours had any know- 
ledge of this tree, or could give any defenption thereof, but of the gum ot Roffln onely.yec neither knew whe¬ 
ther it came from herbe or tree, or wasammerall of the earth,but called it j n Greeke, and thereafter 
Cimnataru ,n Latine, ’Dtofcmdts faith that it was fo fcarfe to be had , that the Painters could not get diffident 
Lftwl ’ [ome called trto^d^, fo ancient is the name, and by which ondy the 
moderne Writers are led to thinkctbac tne gnmme of this tree continuing the name to this day, the ted of this 
declaration agreeing hkewife thereunto,,s the right Cimabarit of Diofcoridr, : but Pliny in his 35. Booke and 
7.Chaptcr,for the eider world hath fabled(no leffe then Monurdw from his Bilhop of Ctrthage in this as is afore- 
al P al ? d , et u d °wne for a truth that Cmnabarj,, is no other thing but the blood of a Dragon or Serpent crufnt 
to death by the weight of the dytng Elephant killed by him, and that both their bloods mingled together was 
the Sauou* draco *.r that the Painters ufed, and was alfo ufed in medicines, lulm Solinur affirmS fie 
thing: but affuredly the true caufe of the name hereof was the bloody colour that the gum gave, however they 
coloured the truth rrom others knowledge by the name of a Dragon. b 5 nowever tney 
. . TheVertues. 
There rsno part of this tree put to any ufe in Phyficke wich any that I know, but the gam onely, yet no doubt 
