Tribe 17. 
The Theater ofTlants. 
Chap.^i. i 595 
ftayccl. the (tedding of the haire, bdng ufed with I, ,Jann m , and thTivTne of M[td^hl;lp^h m atcc r in£.'c 7 r^ 
and watering eyes, and taketn away the filme or skinne that beginneth to grow over and darken the fifht i- 
helpeth to breede flefh in dcepe wounds, and to cover naked bones, CMattlnelm commendeth itasafineuW 
fucui for the face to take away wnnckles that come by age,and to make it fmrwh o„H ™Vrhf,7n "ngular 
an oyle as it is called or rather the liquour of Myrrhe, which is made with egges boylcd hard, cut in the middle^ 
the yolkes taken forth and filled up with pouthcr of Myrrhe,then put into a glalfe and let in a Wine teller or moift 
Chap. X L I, 
Nardtu lndicafive SpicaNardi. Spicknard. 
Ani* abort r, intreating of this Spikenard teflifieth that there is but one fort knowile and ufed 
as well by the Indian and 7 <K>A as the Perfian and Arabian Phyfitions,and although feme wo dd 
intimate that this is not that was ufec I by the Ancients,in that Pliny fctteth it downe lib ™ c°"i 
that ic was not to be had but at an exceflivc price,yet that hindereth not,in regard bo’h all the Coun- 
— -- tryes of the Indies are betcer husbanded then heretofore and r .1! ™ . !? 
had opened the way by Sea, all forts of Drugges were provided herr^r ind k„ r f in ^ ^ nce ^ 'ttng*lls 
Caravans being exceffive chargeable by their fong'/omney and trav^ade* but I^hink^horh^rh'nn' 
Indies, by being more fought by Venetians and other Chriftian- was rhpKp ' • n ! Dmgges and the 
Arabians and the like were the chiefe Merchants.beginning of the reformations.for ^whc« 
Sardat lndica, Spicknard, 
much bad Merchandize was dearcly fold, howfee- 
ver cheapely bought, and I thinke much more adul¬ 
terated both by them and Iewe6, and the Indians al¬ 
io were not behind to Ibphilticatc whatfoever they 
could, which the ChrilJians I verily fuppofe did 
fomewhat alter,when they became great Merchants 
for Europe, and fince is reftified more and more, 
when onely the fincerc and pure is bought, and tlieo- 
thcr left on their hand to mend if they can, but yet it 
falleth out that the blindc eateth many a flye.I meane 
the ignorant is often deluded, who through cove- 
roufneffe oftentimes letteth paffe the better to take 
the worfer at cheaper rates : but to thepurpofein 
hand. This Spicknard groweth not in many places, 
and where it doth,it is n ot very plentifully is a roote 
yet called a Spike,becaufe it fhooteth up hairy (hikes 
of hairy like Spikes,many fet together,of a brownifh 
colour, and whereas THofcorides faith the roote is of 
no ufe, yee muff nnderftand the word in a double 
fenfe: the rootes that THofcorides meant,be the fhort 
fibres, whereby it draweth its nourifhment and en- 
creafe from the earth, and thefe indeed be unprofi¬ 
table and of no ufe; but the rootes that Galen ( pea- 
keth of, are the Spikes thcmlelves or Spicknard, for 
fo he calleth them both, lib. i. Tie Antidati,, thus 
faying; lubet Andromaclnu adifeere Pfjtrdnm Indi. 
earn, ea veroejl ipnam Jpicam vacant non quod (pica lie 
radix enim ejl, fed cjaod [pica formam refer at. And 
inlib.g. decamp, med. fee, laces, He ufeth fome- 
what neere the fame words: but in that fome objccT, 
it is not ofa lweet fent.fuch as Diafcorides recorded; 
of it, C/arcias faith while it is frefh itis fweete, but 
time may decay lome part of the fent, andbefides 
fweete fmells were otherwife taken with the Aunci- 
cients then with us, witneffe many things, as Galbanum Allium, &c\ were reckoned fweete, much differing 
from the opm'ons now received, but thus I have (hewed you the acception of the roote and Spike ofthis Nardjj 
nor mr ^ ‘ n BoCh D . l °£’ r ‘ d ' ! an , d have recorded that it doth beare a (hike and leaves, yet have 
not mentioned what flowers it hath, neither is the other baftard or French Spikenard of Label (hewed ro have 
Tradekl^elh ^ exhlbltcd the firrt Claffis ofthis W orke, but the like was found in Virginia by Matter Iabtt 
Traaefcant the younger, with fuch like long greene leaves as is deciphered in that, the roo-e alfo anfweruw fd 
neere aaio Ac French N arias, but of i paler blackifh colour, and without any lent that I could perceive and 
befides all this,he found it with the fpike of flowers and feed at the toppes of the (hikes, which were turning or 
winding, the head (landing on a fm.ll naked italke, fomewhat like fI meane in the turning) unto the K 
, or ConmUo «/>«*, the great Turkyffiarlicke with a twined head, confiding of twoot 
f rh P n°n C9 °c h? bright brownifli chaffie huskes, hairy as it were at their ends, andftanding alfon one fide 
° the aalkcs ‘ for follre or five lnches Ion g- This baftard kinde beat ing fuch an headydoth perlwade m c to thinke 
Yvvvvyi t hi s 
