1^66 Chap. 3 . 
Theatrnm Bctanicum. 
Chap. III. 
Amber grifea, Ambergrife. 
Tribe i7. 
a Mbersmefe is better knowne to molt by figbt what fort is better then other, then what it is, cr w hereof 
SMoergneiejs occcer n . ' ° verv variable hereof, lome fuppofing it to be the fpawnc of 
‘hfwhsle ’ott thebel’y of the tfuc W bale(thac hath ,.o teeth 
WKSf and «-«h fohfiihesS which it cafteth forthat certaine times, andby the agitation of the ieaiseaft on 
fliore • fome o hers ake it to be the excrement of ce, tame great lea hfhes, and lome to be the fume of the lea : 
ihore . lome otners caue it u . ■ nn (t eW Q f truth in them : for although Amber in the Ethiopian 
all which opinions are utterly eironio , § an( j yellow Amber alio, from whence rofe that vulgar o- 
language lignifiecha Whale,, asorbeLfertafinthe' belly of a Whale ( as CMomrdue relatethit; 
EatuX'c^X^.therewas’neereanhundredpound weight of Amber found., but in an hundred 
taKCH asout rnt canary iiunu , ^ an£ j certaine received opinion of the molt 
SSSgS tsaassS ?SSi $!SS irn »ft 
r« rela" S th the ong nail thereofasol his owne knowledge, and that until! it hath attained the full maturity, it 
rw re.aterrurieorig.naii i.it co ard faith that he had feene divers filch great pteces, thichad net atcsi- 
ncdtheu^VtoAulu 
bevord them to the Eall, doe mod abound with Ambergrife, yet ate not the coafts of the V. eft Indiesin fiindry 
tiUces wi'houdt nor vet thefc of Europe, i„ fcverall parts, and even our owne, and the /»J*co;ftshaveyeel- 
ded it o ndm a d in (evcrall peeces and quantity, yet neither fo much nor fo great as in other Countries: for 
Girrrlw «£ Or^faith, the grearclt peece that ever he faw, wa.apeecc ot fifreentt pound "A*'^** 
becne feene as it i, let dovvne by Authours, fome peece well ncere an hundred pound wei b ht. For the choyle 
thereof feeing there is much v ariety in the colour, and lome in the fubftance, as white mere or leffe, or gray 
S-er or daJker or enclining torednefle or llickenelfe: that which is not very white, as being ulually very 
dfv bur graydh more or lelTel and either withfpots and vcines, or without, fo as it be fat, that is, upon a knives 
nomt or”like™, ng.heatcd will (hew oylic.ts accounted the beft, having the peculiar lent belonging thereto, 
El s“ft nec,e unto dry cow dung,in my opinion, the blacke ten is the word 1 he properties of Amber- 
Hifearethete t it IS hot and dry in the lecond degree, it warmeth.tefolveth, and ftrengtheneth, what wayfoe- 
virftbe taken • iteafeththe pair.es in the head, being diffolved ina warme tnortcr, and mixed with a little 
oyntmento^Orenge flowers,the temples and forehead being annoynted therewith: ,t comforteth alfo the braine, 
vvarmetb and reforveth the cold dtfluxions of humours thereon, and on the nerves at.d finewes. it doth likewde 
r 0 Xt and ftren'then the memory, thevigour alfo and fpirits of the heart, it is Angular good for women trou- 
bled with.he mother,to be applyed to the place it helpcth barr<mnefle{^l*both “ffe vUent'and 
duciblc to Epilepticke perfons, to fmell often thereunto, which cauluh their fits to be both lelle violent ami 
permanent: it d P otb moft conveniently agree with aged petfons.to watme,comfort a‘heathen their cold de¬ 
cayed fpirits,adding vigour and luftinefle to them.and is accounted conducive to venereous adions. 
Chap. IV. 
Amomum. Amomum. 
f^lVen as T find before of Lignum Aloe,, and in thelaftClaftis of the true Balfomum fo much 
'mare may be laid of Amomum, that the foregoing times for many ages had utterly lot the kn w 
led^c thereof, and is yet to this day held dcubtfuil, as ihc'Balfamnm is, with many learned men, 
bath in ocher and our owne Country, whether the right be to be found in rerum mturaot no, and 
therefore formerly many did obtrudedivers things for it, as the R»Ja Htcricuunm by F° n ' e > 
-' Pei colambtr.w by others, which is a kind of Cranes bill,called Dovesifoote, both whichi errors Mat- 
thiolm ha r h lufficiently confuted, Qnatramt* alfo tookthe Mynw Brabant tea our Gaule to be it,and then 8 
ihioltri iaith^a finall leed came tobe taken for it, and therc/ore called Amomum Germa^um: 
Or, a who lived many yeares in the Eaft Indies, declareth that he faw a branch of Amomum, which the Phyfiti 
ons ofN^mZcoJL King of D«« gave him, being brought as they find among other drogues ou of Afi 
p*rfia and Arabia for the Kin<^ ufe, which as he faith, he found agreeable zoE)lofcondes hisdtkripuon there 
of^nd n wfihall was veryliheuntoaDoves foote,and calledby thewhichfigrafieth 
thinu, that is a Doves foote: but both he and Valeraudw Daxi-cr were deceived with the famL thing, brought 
from O -mr» in being fo taken there generally,& both the Amomum & Amomit are fee forth in the figures by ■ 
{in in his Scholia on the fame place in GAir^andheteaifo.Al 1 thefe opinion!landeveryof che ™ are h “" e b r ‘F f J 
and no way anfwcring the truth of the thing.and Dpeonies his defcnpaonifot of late ‘tee hathbt n 
t, Fimce from the Eaft Indies, by one •JAUr.mell* a famous and curious Mu»,i n the fearch of raredrogues. he 
true Amomum, which although it hath beene oppofed by divers learned men, yet Marom mif «, hatch i 
little treatile thereof,fo exemplified it and comented upon every part of it, and compaiting D. 
to.ether.that it is now generally accepted of almoft every where,to be the right and S“ r ' ^ b „^oZ- 
tion whereof, I me.nefo much as was fenr.is on this wife: It is a bunch 
vvbat like unco Grapes for the outward Forme and bigneffe, ^but elfc very like un brownc feedes clofe 
ger and rounder, having within the outer whitiftithinne fhell or skinne, fundry blackil t h rn ft 
