Of Rubo. cap. 140.
* 1.1A Bush is called Rubus, and is thick∣nesse of thornes and of Bryers, and of other shrubbes and prickes, when it groweth in a place together, as Isi. saith. And Rubetum, or Rubus is a name pro∣pried to shrub, that beareth wilde Be∣ryes, which heards eate for hunger. And the fruit thereof is first red, & spreadeth in long braunches, small, and round, & some deale thicke, growing with sharp pricks. And these branches be pliaunt & spring∣ing, and bending in it selfe. The leaues thereof be short and clouen in the side, & some deale sharp, with smal pricks with∣out, which be crooked, and lightly prick∣ing. And thus Rubus is full of pricks frō the roote vp to the toppe, and the prickes therof be some deale crooked downward towarde the earth, and is sharpe as téeth.
The fruit thereof is first gréene, hard, and full sowre. And then red and some∣what sowre. And is blacke and swéet at the last, when it is ripe at the full. The ••ilyce thereof is red, and painteth and di∣eth as bloud. And the fruite without is compassed with a full thin and wearish skinne, and departed asunder. And diui∣ded as it were small dens and valleyes, & with a manner roundnesse some deale vpright, but it is ful of moist meat with∣in, and ful of graines, & is a medicinable trée with fruit thereof.
And this trée Rubus is cold and dry, as Platearius sayth, and Constant. sayth the same. And saith that the crop there∣of is some deale sowrish, and helpeth a∣gainst hot Postumes and burning, and against rednesse of eien, if the croppes of it be powned with the white of an egge, and layde therto. Also iuyce of the stalks and of the crops therof, medled in water of barly, helpeth against the bloudy flixe. Huc vsque Platearius. Of the goodnesse of the fruit therof, looke before in littera M. de moris agrestibus.
This trée groweth in barren land, and is best to close gardens and vineardes: for the thicknesse of multitude of pricks letteth and holdeth out men and beasts, that passseth forth by of entering, and re∣ceiueth hares & other such small beasts. And defendeth foules that make theyr neasts therein, for to ye intent their kind giueth pricks therto to defend it so ther∣with, as it were swoords. And therefore grieueth & hurteth & pricketh the hands that gather fruit thereof, and suffereth not aduersaries to come there within. And Rubus also is darke and shadowie, by reason of his thicknesse, and letteth the passing in of the Sun beame by the thicknesse thereof. And is therfore friend to Adders, & to other créeping wormes. Therfore of Rubus, a bush, Rubeta hath the name, and is a venimous Frog, that dwelleth in bushes. Therefore it is not safetie to sléepe and rest nigh such bu∣shes, for such venimous wormes, as the master sayth in Historie super libr. Ex∣odum.
(* 1.2Of the bramble are thrée sorts. The great brier that is in euerye hedge bea∣reth black berries. The long ground bry∣er, wheron groweth a bigger bery black, called the dew berye, which is very good to coole a hot stomack. The smal scratch brier:these briers be all medinable both leafe and fruite. There is Rubus I∣daeis, called the Framboys, Raspis or hinder Berrie, both redde and