The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London Master in Chirurgerie very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Iohnson citizen and apothecarye of London

¶ The Names.

Touching the naming of the first of those plants the late writers are of diuers opinions: some would haue it to be a kind of Veratrum nigrum, blacke Hellebor: other some Consiligo, or Bearefoot; and againe, o∣thers, Sesamoides; and some, Elleborastrum: But there be found two kindes of blacke Ellebor among the old writers, one with a leafe like vnto Laurel, with the fruit of Se∣samum: the other with a leafe like that of the Plane tree, with the seed of Carthamus or Bastard Saffron. But it is most euident, that this 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in English, Oxe-eie, which in this Chapter we in the first place haue described, doth agree with neither of these: what form Consiligo is of, we finde not among the old writers. Pliny 26 cap. 7. saith, That in his time it was found amongst the Marsi, and was a present remedy for the infirmitie of the lungs of swine, and of all kinde of cattell, though it were but drawne thorow the eare. Columella in his 6. booke, Chap. 5. doth also say, that in the mountaines called Marsi there is very great store thereof, and that it is ve∣ry helpfull to all kind of cattel, and he telleth how and in what manner it must be put into the eare; the roots also of our Oxe-eie are said to cure certain infirmities of cattel, if they be put into the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or bored eare: but it followeth not that for the same reason it should be Consiligo; and it is an or∣dinary thing to find out plants that are of a like force and qualitie: for Pliny doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in his 25 booke, 5 chapter, That the roots also of blacke Ellebor can do the same: it cureth (saith he) the cough in cattel, if it be drawn thorow the eare, and taken out again the next day at the same houre: which is likewise most certaine by experiments of the countrey men of our age; who do cure the diseases of their cattell with the roots of common black Ellebor. The roots of white Ellebor also do the like, as 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and after him Hierocles doth write: who notwithstanding do not thrust the roots of white Ellebor into the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but vnder the skin of the brest called the dewlap: after which manner also Vegetius Renatus doth vse Consiligo, in his first booke of the curing of cattell, chapter 12. intituled, Of the cure of the infirmities vnder the skin: although in his 3. booke, 2. Chapter, de Mal∣leo, he writeth, that they also must be fastned 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the eare: which things do sufficiently declare, that sundry plants haue oftentimes like faculties: and that it doth not at all follow by the same rea son, that our Oxe eie is Consiligo, because it doth cure diseases in Cattel as wel as Consiligo doih. But if we must coniecture by the faculties, Consiligo then should bee White Ellebor: for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vseth Consiligo in the very same maner that Absyrtus and Hierocles do vse white Ellebor. This suspition is made the greater, because it is thought that Vegetius hath taken this manner of curing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Grecians; for which cause also most doe take Consiligo to be nothing else but white Ellebor: the which if it be so then shall this present Oxe-eie much differ from Consiligo; for it is nothing at all like to white Ellebor.

And that the same is not Sesamoides, either the first or the second, it is better knowne, than need∣full to be confuted.

This same also is vnproperly called Helleborastrum; for that may aptly bee called Hellebora∣strum which hath the forme and likenesse of Hellebor: and this Oxe eie is nothing at all like to Ellebore. For all which causes it seemeth that none of these names agree with this plant, but only the name Buphthalmum, with whose description which is extant in Dioscorides this plant doth most aptly agree. We take it to be the right Oxe eie; for Oxe eie bringeth sorth slender soft stalks, and hath leaues of the likenesse or similitude of Fennell leaues: the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is yellow, bigger than that of Cammomill, euen such an one is this present plant, which doth so exquisitly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that form or likenesse of Fennell leaues, both in slendernesse and manifold iaggednesse of the leaues, as no o∣ther little leafed herb can do better; so that without all doubt this plant seemeth to be the true and right Oxe eie. Oxe eie is called Cachla, or rather Caliha; but Caliha is Calendula, or Marigold, which we said that our Oxe eie in floure did neerest represent. There are some that would haue Buphthal∣mum or Oxe eie to be Chrysanthemum, yellow Cammomil, & say that Dioscorides hath in sundry pla∣ces, and by diuers names intreated of this herbe; but if those men had somewhat more diligently weighed Dioscorides his words, they would haue bin of another minde: for although descriptions of either of them do in many things agree, yet there is no property wanting that may shew the plants to differ. The leaues of Chrysanthemum are said to be diuided and cut into many fine iags: and the leaues of Buphthalmum to be like the leaues of Fennell: for all things that be finely iagged and cut into many parts haue not the likenesse of the leaues of Fennell. Moreouer, Dioscorides saith, that Chrysanthemum doth bring forth a floure much glittering, but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 telleth not that the floure of Buph∣thalmum, or Oxe eie is much glittering, neither doth the floure of that which we haue set downe glitter, so that it can or ought not to be said to glitter much. Do not these things declare a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 difference 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Buphthalmum and Chrysanthemum, and confirme that which we haue set down to be the true and right Oxe eie? We are of that minde, let others thinke as they will: and they that would haue Chrysanthemum to be Buphthalmum, let them seeke out another, if they denie this to bee Oxe eie: for that which we and others haue described for Chrysanthemum cannot be the true Buph∣thalmum or Oxe eie: for the leaues of it are not like Fennell, such as those of the true Buphthalmum ought to be.