¶ The Names.
It is called in Latine, Ligustrum: in Italian at this day, Guistrico, by a corrupt word drawne from Ligustrum: it is the Grecians 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and in no wise 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: for Cyprus is a shrub that grow∣eth naturally in the East, and Priuet in the West. They be very like one vnto another, as the descriptions doe declare, but yet in this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 differ, as witnesseth Bellonius, because the leaues of Priuet do fall away in winter, and the leaues of Cyprus are alwaies greene: moreouer, the leaues of Cyprus do make the haire red, as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saith, and (as Bellonius reporteth) do giue a yellow colour: but the leaues of Priuet haue no vse at all in dying. And therefore Pliny, lib. 24. cap. 10. was deceiued, in that he iudged Priuet to be the selfe same tree which Cyprus is in the East: which thing notwithstanding he did not write as hee himselfe thought, but as other men suppose; for, lib. 12. cap. 14. he writeth thus: Some (saith he) affirme this, viz. Cyprus, to be that tree which is called in Italy, Ligustrum; and that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or Priuet is that plant which the Grecians call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; the description doth declare.
Phillyria, saith Dioscorides, is a tree like in bignesse to Cyprus, with leaues blacker and broader than those of the Oliue tree: it hath fruit like to that of the Mastick tree, blacke, something sweet, standing in clusters, and such a tree for all the world is Priuet, as we haue before declared.
Serapio the Arabian, cap. 44. doth call Priuet Mahaleb. There is also another Mahaleh, which is a graine or seed of which Auicen maketh mention, cap. 478. that it doth by his warme and comforta∣ble heate dissolue and asswage paine. Serapio seemeth to intreat of them both, and to containe di∣uers of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnder the title of one chapter: it is named in high-Dutch, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉: in low-Dutch, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉: in French, Tro∣esne: in English, Priuet, Primprint, and Print.