Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of Arbore aromatica. Chap. 2.

A Trée of good sauour hath sometime the good smell in the rinde; and some∣time in the flowre, and sometime in the fruite, as it saueth in Sinamom, that is a rinde, and the Mare is the flowre, and the Nutmeg is the fruite. And Al∣bumasar sayeth, that the cause of good smell is dry and earthie, and subtill, med∣led with subtill watrye matter, and as y^t mastrie hath more or lesse in one part of the Trée, that parte smelleth better then another, & some Trée smelleth well in euerye part thereof, as it foreth of the Trée Balsamus. All the partes thereof hath good sauour, as it shall be shewed héereafter among trées and hearbes with good sauour. Some growe and haue in themselues matter seminall, and come

forth by ••ouenable medling of elements. And some bée multiplied by planting, and of more and rootes, or stocke, and séedes. And some haue multiplication by grafting of stockes, as Albumasar sayth. Among all graffing of Trées, the best is, when the graffe and the stocke be lyke, as Aristotle saith, and this hath double vnderstanding, eyther plantes of one ••ile kinde, as if a figge graffe be graf∣ted on a Figge trée, and Wine on Wine stocke, or else of those trées that haue hu∣mious proportionall and according ey∣ther to other, so that the humour of that one be according to nourish, and to féde that other, as when a Peare is graf∣fed on an Apple trée, and againe warde. And it is to wit, that a graffe that is gras∣sed on a stocke, tourneth and chaungeth the vertue and qualitie of the stocke into his•••• whe vertue and qualitie. And if an Oliue be graffed on a stocke of Bete, the vertue of the Oliue commeth downe in the stocke of Bete, & maketh it hard, and maketh it dure a certeine time. And at last it draweth the humour to himselfe, & tourneth and chaungeth the stocke into his owne likenesse and kinde, as Albu∣masar saith; super finem primi lib. And he saith there, y^t lightlye good trées come not of euill séede, nor of good séede, or of a good root euill trées: though the contrary be oft séene among beastes. Albumasar sayth, that that is, for a trée is a fast in the earth, and taketh nourishing of the earth in one wise, and beasts doe not so, for di∣uerse complection and contrary appetite. Therefore it is otherwise to beasts then in hearbes and in trées. Also it is so of all kinde of trées that by tilling and crafte wilde trées may be turned and chaunged into the kinde of trées of gardeines. And Aristotle setteth ensample therof, & saith, that by crafte of tilling, bitter Almonde trees bée made swéete and sauoury, and so a Pomgranard is made mene sowre. Also be sayth, that a trée with thick rinde is made soone barren, and that is for de∣fault of fattie humour, that is the matter of fruite, or else for the hardnesse of the rinde, that letteth the euaporation of that humour, that is noyful in a trée, and he sayth, that if a roote of a tree be slitted and cloue, and a stone put in the cliffe, the tree shall beare fruite againe. And Albu∣masar telleth the cause, and saith, y^t at this sleft, the said noifull humour passeth out, and then heat of the Sunne and of y^e aire about, commeth and wasteth the corrupt humour.

Also there it is said, y^e Almondes and pomgranards leaue their malice by craft of tilling. For Pomgranards amende, if they be dunged with swines dirt, & wa∣tred with fresh water. And Albumasar telleth y^e cause, and sayth, y^e heat and dry∣nesse of such dung, abateth superfluity of water in Pomgranards, but teast passing heats and drinesse, turneth the fruite into bitternesse, it is good to put thereto fresh water, to temper the mastry of heat & of drinesse.

Also if nailes be pight in an Almond tree, graines of gum come thereof, and that long time, and superfluity of water that letteth the breeding of vntuous hu∣mour that is the matter of fruit. And so thereby y^e tree is altered from his malice as Albumasar saith: And there it is said, y^t by tilling, wilde trees and hearbes ta∣keth kind of trees and of hearbs of gar∣deines, and beare well fruite. To make a wild tree change from his mallice into goodnesse, place and trauaile in tilling hel∣peth most, and namely time of the yeare, in the which it is set and planted, as A∣ristotle saith, and he setteth ensample of Baleno, that is Henbane seede,* 1.1 for that that groweth in Persia is venimous: & it is good to eat, if it be brought and set in Aegypt, or in Ierusalem. And y^e com∣meth, as Albumasar saith, for y^e tēperate place bringeth it out of vntemperatnes, & maketh it good to eate. Also time helpeth much such a chaunging. For Aristotle saith, trees y^t neede to be set, be most set in springing time, and y^t for temperate heate and moysture, y^e comforteth heate and moisture in trees and in hearbes. In winter be few set, and y^t for passing colde the moysture; and also in Haruest for colde and drynesse, and least in Sum∣mer at the rising of the Starre Cani∣cula, and that for passing heate and drynesse that consumeth and washeth kinde moysture in hearbes and in trees,

and namely in the roote.

In Aegipt trées be set once in a yere, when the drinesse of the land is tempred with flowing of the riuer Nilus, as A∣ristotle saith, and Albumasar, also. Also there it is sayde, that in Trées growe di∣uerse twigges and braunches. For some spring of the roote, and some of the stock, and some by the grounde, and some in the boughes on high at the toppe, and some in the middle. And the cause of this diuerse springing, is diuers humour watrye and light, thinne, and not v••rt∣ous, that is the matter of leaues, and is not like plenteous in all Trées, and heat worketh diuersly in Trées. And therfore of that humour springeth diuerse twigs and braunches. Also some beareth fruite once a yeare, and some ofter. But the last fruite ripeth not, but abideth rawe and greene, & not ripe, for heate may not ripe such fruit because that winter is nigh••. The common vse is most to beare fruit perfectly once a yeere, for once a yere feed is gathered, and once heate maye spread humour to the vtter partes of the Trée, and tourne it into fruit, and maketh the fruit perfect and ripe.

Also some Trées bée fertile long time, for much heate and fattye humour, as it fareth in the figge Trée, and some bea∣reth one yere, and rest another, as the O∣liue. The cause therof is, for in the second yeere y^e tree is nourished, and the hu∣mour restored. For in the first yéere so much humour tourneth into kinde of fruit, y^t the seconde yeare néedeth to re∣store the humour, though it beare many boughs in restoring time, yet it beareth but little fruit y^t time. Also some Trées bée more fruitfull in youth then in age, for they haue more heate and humour in youth then in age. Some againewarde beare more fruit in age then in youth. And y^e reason héereof is, as Albumasar saith, for in youth is more moisture ther∣in, then kinde heate may defie, and so it is inobedient vnto heate: but in age is lesse, and so it is obedient to the heate di∣gestiue, as it fareth in Almonds, in pires and in Peares, as Aristotle laieth an en∣sample there.

Also Aristotle saith, that both wilde Trées and Trées of gardeins he diuers, for some bée male, and some bée female. For the male Trée is more thick, hard, sadde, and drye, and hath ones boughes then the female and the fruite therof is more shorte and ripeth better, and the leaues hée diuerse, and the grasses also and the cause of all this, as Albumasar saith; is, for in the male Trées is more heate and drynesse, then i•• the female, that bindeth the partes of the male trées fast and sadly together, and maketh the Trée more thicke and sadde. As strong heate multiplyeth humours and stretch∣eth and spreadeth into manye partes, and maketh the Trée more thicke of boughs, so greate drinesse wasteth moisture; and maketh the Trée more drye.

Also in a male trée sad veines & straight letteth much humour to passe to one place of the Trée, that may tourne into sub∣staunce of fruite. Therefore the fruite of a male Trée is short. Also the leaues of male and female be diuerse, for the leaues of the male be short; & lesse in quantitye, & more narrowe for mastrie of drinesse, also y^e male hath harder grasses then the female, & the reason of that is, for in the female is more moisture then in y^e male. And Aristotle saith, that if leaues or the pouder of leaues, or the rinde of a male Palme be put to the leaues of the female, so y^t they cleane togethers, the fruite of the female shall be the sooner ripe. For it letteth the falling of the leaues, and of fruit, vntil the digestion be complete and the reason héereof is, as Album. sayeth, because the male Palme increaseth heate in the female, & that by meane of the aire that cōmeth from y^e male to the female, & thereby y^e heate of the female is excited to worke digestion, the which Aristotle calleth Pepensim. lib. 4. Metheororum. And Aristotle saith, that y^e male and fe∣male be knowen by burgening & spring∣ing. For the male burgeneth and spring∣eth sooner and swifter then the female, & that is by reason of most perfect heate, and they bée knowen by smell, for the male smelleth more then the female: for more small and subtill smoak is resolued of the male then of the female. Also A∣ristotle saith, that the wind beareth smel

of the male to the female, and so the fruit ripeth the sooner together, for the partes of the fruit of the female cleane together til it be ripe, when the leaues of the male be taken in the female. Albertus saith, y^t if the leaues of the male Palme bée put to the leaues of the female, they cleane so together, that vnneth they maye be de∣parted a sunder, without cutting or car∣ning.

Also Aristotle saith, that wild figtrées helpe figge trées of gardeines if they bee set right afore them. For the wilde bée more hot & dry then the other, and there∣fore they excite heate, and comfort those of gardeins. Also the humour of a wilde figge trée, resolued and laid to the root of a figge trée of gardeines, comforteth and helpeth the fig trée of the gardeine. And Arist. saith, that the Pomegranard help∣eth and comforteth Oliues, if it be plan∣ted therewith. These properties of trées we take of Aristotles words, lib. primo de Vegitabilibus, and of Albertus Glo. that translated and expounded the same. Libr. 18. de Animalibus Aristotle saith, that all trées that beare fruit euery yere, be made flowe. All trées (he sayth) that beare too much fruit, be soone dry, when y^e féeding turneth into séed, that is, when y^e humour that shuld nourish and féed tur∣neth into matter seminal. Other notable and noble properties of trées & of hearbs, we may take out of the wordes of Ari∣stotle & of Albertus, li. 2. Vegitabilium, where it is said, that a trée hath thrée ver∣tues. For it hath fastening of the earth, and ioyning and on••ng of the water, and steadfastnesse of partes together, and sad∣nesse of the fire, and stretching and sprea∣ding and bearing & riping of fruit, of ayre & of fire. For a watry thing is not fast∣ned, neither holden togethers without heate of fire, and it is shewed there in A∣ristotles ensample.

For burnt tile is not ioyned nor fastned to holde together without fire, the wast∣eth the watrye partes, and ioyneth and hardneth the earthly parts. A trée hath softnesse and poores of Aire, of Water, and fire together, and might to grow and to waxe of the water. For a thing y^t is vtterlye harde and sadde, may not waxe more and more, as Aristotle saith there. Therefore the greatest trée sinketh not in water, though it be heauie: where a little golde and small stones sinke anon. And that is for a trée with many hoales and pores hath much aire within the pores: And therefore it fléeteth aboue the water. But trées that be most sad and fast, as Ebenus, and such other like, sink∣eth in water sodeinly to the grounde, as Aristotle sayth there. It is also sayde, that the ayre is passed out of the blacke Ebenus, and therefore it sinketh in wa∣ter. The other that is pory and vnctuous séteth aboue the water, for it hath much aire. And the water beareth it vp by kinde, as it fareth of leaues & feathers & of all vnctuous things. For as Aristotle sayth, it is the propertie of the water to beare vp substaunce of ayre, and to lette heauy things sinke. Therfore things that be softe and full of holes, to take in aire, fléete on the water. And things that bée sound and sad, sink down to the ground. Also earthie vapours and watry, fastned and congealed with heate of the Sunne by matter of hearbes and of trées, which being medled with hot things and fixye, and by vertue of the starres, taketh per∣fect shape & forme of hearbs and of trées touching séed and fruit. Also heate closed in the humour, that is coagulate, draw∣eth fresh water to féeding and nourishing of the trée. And the vtter heat of the Sun helpeth thereto.

For working of vtter heat of it selfe maketh digestion in the kinde humour in the same place, and turneth it into a trée, and so as Aristotle sayth, in mountains for the ground is so swéete, and concey∣ueth swéete humours, therefore therein trées springeth, and fruit ripeth soone. For mountaines draweth to them swéet humours. And the small and cléere ayre helpeth both in drawing and in digesti∣on, and the humour tourneth soone into substaunce of a trée, as Aristotle sayeth. And there it is sayd, that sometime colde aire driueth the heat into the earth, and then the partes thereof be gathered with moisture of water. And by the heat that is driuen into the earth by cold, the va∣pour that is so coagulat turneth into the

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substaunce of a Trée, and by strength of heat the place cleaueth & chinneth, and so thereout springeth y^e hearbs or trées. Al∣so sometime aire medled with water and w^t earth in y^e bottome of water, runneth together and is sad, and by doing of ter∣minate heate, & digesting y^e mixed thing consused, the plant is gendered. As it fareth in y^e hearbe y^t is called Heniphar,* 1.2 and in other small hearbes and grasse, y^t are wont to growe in water. And the leaues therof couereth y^e water, & though these hearbes and grasse grow and spred not full wide, yet they growe vpwarde, for small aire and fresh water y^t beareth them vpward, and for sadnesse of y^e earth and grounde y^t susteineth the rootes. And of the grounde the hearbe hath gréene∣nesse in the roote, and susteining of y^e stalke in the rearing thereof.

And Aristotle sayth; y^t in places essen∣tially cold, and accidentally hot, as those in which hot water runneth oft times, springeth a plant. For heate of y^e wa∣ter draweth y^e colde humour vpwarde aboue y^e earth to the place of meddeling. And so of y^e aire and of the earthlye va∣pour, with watrye humour, by y^e heate of y^e water and of the starres, the sub∣stannce of a plant is gendered. But y^t falleth not, but in long time, as Aristo∣tle sayth, by reason of accidentall heate, y^t is not according to the gendring of such a plant. And Aristotle sayth there, that hearbes that men eate, growe better in plaine places and in high, & in hot places, then in cōtrary places therto, for in plain places and euen is much moysture, and namely when the ayre is swéete and temperate. And so it is in right high pla∣ces, for there is cleane and pure aire, and much swéete humour, and y^t is by rea∣son of spoungings and holes y^t draweth and receiueth the swéete humour. And therefore oft in mountaines groweth more fe••••••e & better then in valleys. For in valleys is harde m••••••ing of the ayre. And so of concussion of the aire, thicke vapour rotteth fall soone, and so there is euill digestion. And thereof it commeth, y^t there is found salt humours, as Alber∣tus saith. And salt water is more heauie then fresh, as it is shewed in Aristotle. Ensample, where he saith, y^t an Egge sin∣keth anon in fresh water, and swimmeth in salt water. For salt water is earthie, & thicke, and beareth vp y^e heauinesse and weight of y^e E••gge. Therefore fresh wa∣ter is more easilye drawen to high pla∣ces then salt water. For fresh water is pure, thinne, light, and cléere: and Ari∣stotle saith, that in fast claye and tough, and fattye, plantes growe soone. For such claye is soone chaunged and made fattye, as Albumasar sayth: and farther, if a plant shall be durable, it néedeth y^t it haue humour well digested & fattie. For plants y^t haue humour not well digested, wither soone in greate cold: and so a Canstock dureth not ouer thrée yere, but if men grasse theron a plant, and y^e kinde of y^e graffe goeth into y^e stalke, and there∣of is made good digestion, & turneth into y^e kinde of y^t grasse, it dureth long time: also somtime an hearb groweth out of an hard stone, as Ari. saith, for aire closed in a stone, busieth to passe vpward, but whē it findeth no frée passage for hardnesse of y^e stone, then it mooueth to y^e partes of y^e stone, and of his owne stirring it war∣meth, & when it is once hot, it draweth vpwarde the humour that remayneth in y^e stone, and vapour with y^e humour, with a litle resolution of partes of the stone goeth out: and of y^t vapour and hu∣mour issued out of y^e stone, sometime springeth an hearbe by helpe of heat of y^e Sunne, and helpeth y^e aire y^t was before hot, and maketh digestion of y^e humour y^t issued out of y^e stone, and turneth it in∣to y^e kinde and substaunce of an hearbe or a Trée, but such an hearbe or a trée du∣reth not long, but it be closed w^t earth, or watred with fresh water, and comfor∣ted with temperate aire, and that for scarcitie of humour.

And Aristotle saith, y^t a plant springeth the sooner if it be nigh the Sunne, that is to vnderstand, towarde the East, and that is because of sufficient heate, and springeth later toward the West, & that is, for it is farre from heate. And Albu∣masar saith there, that euery hearb or trée is kept by temperate weather. For ouer much moisture stoppeth the pores and wayes, by the which féeding and nou∣rishing

shoulde come vpwarde to make the trée stretch and spread. Also to much driues maketh the poores shrinke, so that nourishing may not passe to féede & no∣rish the trée. And Aristotle saith, that e∣uery hearb and trée néedeth foure things. Certaine seede, perfect and ripe in his owne kinde, and saued without rotting, and couenable ground to the generation of the plant, and moderate water, that is to vnderstand temperate humour, and meanly temperate aire. For as Albu∣masar saieth, if the aire be too hot, than kinde heate passeth away by the poores, which be opened: and if the aire be too colde, it shall stiffle the plant. The first twaine néede to generation of the plant, and the other twaine to féeding and pre∣seruation thereof. Also medicinall spice∣rie and plants that grow in mountains, be lesse liking to eating and their fruits is more harde to digesting, and that is for the vehement coagulation by y^e heat that worketh in the moysture: & there∣fore such fruite nourisheth not much as Aristotle saith. For Albumasar sayeth, the more medicinable a plant is, y^e lesse it nourisheth.

Also in places that be farre from the Sunne, grow not many plants, nor ther is no great bréeding of beastes in such places as Aristotle saith: And the cause is as Album. saith, for they y^t be straight vnder the euen North starre, haue conti∣nually halfe the year•• daye, and halfe the yeare night. Therefore plantes and beastes breede there but seldome: for if may not be in Summer for continuall heate, neither in Winter for continuall colde. Therefore as Aristotle saith: a plant that springeth there, hath no ver∣tue, nor leaues, nor fruite, and that is, for default of heate in one time of the yeare, and for too much colde, in another time of y^e yere. And Aristotle saith, that a plant with many prickes, hath much fattie humour, and when it moueth it selfe by his owne heate, with helpe of heate of the starres, it is defied and tour∣ned into substaunce of the graffe that is graffed therein: and heate of life in the plant maketh that digestion with tem∣perate vtter heat, and the plant groweth small & stretcheth vpward, & so a plant with many prickes hath this propertie, that a graffe of other kind may be graf∣fed therein: and y^t is as Albuma. saith, for it hath much vnctuous humour dra∣wen by outward heate, and so fastened togethers, and put out by inward heate, in many places, so that the ouer part of that humor is small, and thin, and pear∣cing, when it commeth vpward in the stock, wherby it may open many waies and pores in the grasse, and enter therin and incorporate and consolidate y^e graffe to the neather stocke: and a graffe y^t is graffed in y^e nether stock, changeth & tur∣neth the stock into y^e kinde of y^e graffe, and not againward. And the cause is, as Albuma. saith, for the stocke comforteth the graffe with the humour, & heate that ascendeth thereto, & then the graffe defi∣eth the humour and tourneth it into his owne kinde, and after sendeth his owne vertue into the nether stocke, and altreth the stocke, y^t it is graffed in, and conuer∣teth the stocke into his owne vertue and kinde. Also as Ari. saith, in fiue maner of wise, a plant is gēdred & commeth forth: of séede, of rooting, of humour of water, of planting, and of graffes of one into a∣nother.

Also Aristotle sayth, some hearbes & trées beare fruite rather than leaues, as those trées that haue much fattie humor that is matter of fruite: and when the humour is defied with kinde heate and with heat of the Sunne, it turneth into fruite and ripeth anone: and the abun∣daunce of fattie humour letteth the wa∣trye humour, that is the matter of leaues, that it may not breake out into leaues in such a trée before y^e fruite: & some trées bring forth leaues before fruit and that is for default & scarcitie of fat∣tie humour, and for plentie of watrie humour that is matter of leaues, & heate of the Sunne draweth the humour soo∣ner to y^e place of springing of leaues, thā the fattie humour so the place of spring∣ing of fruite. Therefore riping & fattie humour, that is the matter of fruite, is taried, and the leaues first breaketh out and springeth. Also some leaues & fruite spring at once, as in those y^t haue the

foresaid humour according, and the inner heate euen working with the heate of the Sunne, in the aire, neither humour, and putteth out the watry humour into leaues, and the fattie humour into fruit. Also Aristotle saieth, that men in olde time meaned, that fruite and leaues are all in one kind, and they said that leaues be not, but by cause of fruite, and they be not diuers in maner, but by more di∣gestion or lesse of watrye and rawe hu∣mour: for watry humour and thinne is soone drawen by heate of the Sunne, and turneth into leaues: and the humour that is more fattie and digest tourneth into matter of fruite.

Also Aristotle saith, that though some trées be full of prickes, that commeth not of the intention of kinde, that ge∣dereth the substaunce of the trée: but it hapneth of thinnesse of the trée, whereby ther colde humour, that is but little sod, and issuing out by y^e thinnesse of y^e trée, is gathered into a pricke or a thorne by heate of the Sunne, and is great by the stalke or stocke, and sharpe at the e••••s: for subtill humour, that is the humour materiall of thornes and prickes, passeth from the tree some and some, and stret∣cheth in length and in sharpnesse, and so doe all such trées, that be with parts sha∣pen in manner of a top. Also generally all trées be gréene without, and white within: for the matter of the inner parts draweth to white coulour, and the vtter parts draw to greene coulour. For the matter that is drawen inwarde, and is driuen outwarde into the barks, is somwhat digested & turned into gréene, for gréene is the middle colour betweene red, that commeth of the action and wor∣king of the perfect and complete heate: & betwéene white, that commeth of im∣perfect.

Also Aristotle saith, that trées be di∣uers in figure & shape: for some stretch vpward, and some downward, and some aside, and some holde the meane: & those that haue small and thinne humour in their pith, the which humour is moued and drawen vpward by heate, be shaped or haue the forme of light of fire, that moueth in common vertue of fire.

And such that haue in their pith thicke vertue of humour and watrye, growe downeward and be small: and so those parts moue downward by their owne heauinesse; and be great and lowe by the ground. In those that haue meane hu∣mour and are temperate betwéene thicke and thin, some moue vpward, & is cause of mouing vp of the trée, and some moue downward, & is cause of greatnesse ther∣of: and so as that humour is more or lesse digested in the roote and in the pith, the trée is more or lesse in figure & shape, for the first digestion is néedefull in the roote to the growing of the trée, and the second digestion is néedefull in the pith, for perfection, riping, dilatation, and con∣seruation. This double digestion, suffi∣ceth the perfection of trées and of herbs, and the third is found onely in beastes, as Aristotle saith, and as Albumasar expoundeth.

Also trées be diuers in boughes, & in leaues, as the humour is more or lesse: and as strength of heat is more or lesse: for if the heate be strong with much hu∣mour, then spring manye boughes and leaues, and againward: and if the hu∣mour be small and thin, and able to bée wasted and foredryed, than the boughes doe wither and the leaues fall, & the trée abideth all bare without any leaues: & the contrarye falleth in the contrarye cause.

Also Aristotle saith, that not alonely shornes and prickes in trées, be shapen in manner of topwise, but also the shape is found in fruit and in leaues: for if the wayes in a trée be first wide and large, and full thin in the beginning of the hu∣mour, and afterward be made narrowe by coldnesse and drinesse: then the fruit and leaues be great and large in the ne∣ther ende, and small and sharpe in the o∣ner ende, and that is for drawing of the more light part of the humour to the o∣uer ende by strength of heate, and put∣ting of the heauie humour towarde the nether ende. But full ofte it happeneth, that fruite and leaues be sharpe in the endes, and shapen in manner of a toppe, when by the vertue of heats and by the thin and small humour the ouer part is

made light, and the neather end is made sharpe, the humour in the middle stret∣ching and spreading and so the substance of the fruite and leaues be made small and sharpe at each of the endes by ma∣strie of firie vertue: and great •• large in the middle, after the manner of a top with two sharpe endes. Also Aristotle saith there, that some trées and hearbes bloome, and the blossome, commeth out of small humour, and specially pure, that is in the pith: and is not all hardened nor digested and disposed into the ••ast perfection of fruite: But it is dispo∣sed to bring forth fruite••••••. And for gleymie humor some trées haue no blos∣somes because of fatnesse, that humour may not be made smal and thin to spred out blossomes, as appeareth in the figge trée, that hath no blossome, for the cause aforesaid: and some haue no blossomes, for the humour is too thin, and may not be made thicke, as it néedeth to the sub∣staunce of blossomes, as it fareth in plants, and in other such, as Aristotle saith.

And so as the matter in diuers in the which heate worketh, so colours are di∣uers as well in floures, as in hearbes & trées: but it belongeth not to this mat∣ter to pursue all this: and for noyance I holde it good to cease off at this time. Neuerthelesse, Aristotle putteth too di∣uers properties in the ende of the second booke, and I holde them not to be despi∣sed, there he saith, that a trée that hath great barke, is full high and broad, and that is by reason of stretching of humor and for putting of heate, for the thicke rinde, that receiueth and taketh the hu∣mour, suffereth it not to shed: and also the thicknesse of the rinde suffereth not the heate to open the poores to passe out, and so the trée must néedes stretch and spread, as it fareth in the Pine apple & in the Palme and in other such, as Ari∣stotle saith.

Also there he saith, that trées with milke haue great fatnesse, & strong heate in the barke, and therefore the humours are resolued, and commeth to the vtter parts of the tree, and breedeth g•••••• som∣time thin fléeting, and sometime conica∣ted and fastned with colde aire without, and sometime hard as stones or shelles, and that commeth sometime of cold that fasteneth the parts together and some∣time of heate that commeth and com∣meth and wasteth the softe partes and bindeth togethers the great partes, as Albumasar saith.

Also as Albumasar sayth, some trées chaunge as the time of the yeare chan∣geth, & for they be goldene in Summer, & pale in Winter, and yet their leaues fall not, for they haue strong heate incorpo∣rate within, and so the heate draweth into the inner parts of the trée, and of the leaues and wood, and flyeth the cold aire of the Winter, and therefore the vtter parts be pale and yeolow: but y^e leaues fall not for cleauing humours, and for strong heate: And there it is sayde, y^t trées beare first bitter fruite, when they bee new set and then bitternesse hath ma∣sterie in their fruite or bitter sowrenes: and the cause is, for the first digestion is sower, for the humour that is draw∣en in, is thicke and earthie for scarsitie & féeblenesse of the heate that worketh di∣gestion. Therefore such fruite is gende∣red without swéetnesse, for their humor abideth raw & vndigested, but afterward when the heate is cōforted, & the humor is augmented & mored more pure, then the heate worketh and maketh the hu∣mour swéet and sauoury. For so Aristo. saieth, that a thing waxeth swéete in the fire: and that is, as Albumasar sayeth, for the chaunging that it voydeth of the fire, that maketh the digestion. And there it is said, that in sowre places, colde, and drye, sometime groweth swéete fruit; for kind heat cōmeth into the sowre humour and is cold therein, and is holpen by the heat of the Sun, and defieth the sowre∣nesse, & tourneth it into swéetnesse. And fruit is swéet though y^e leaues be sowre: and so it fareth in other partes, in the which is not so greate digestion, and working of heate, as it is in the fruite. But somtime it happineth, y^t for super∣fluitie of great heat y^t commeth thereto, and also for burning, that such fruite, as was before swéete, tourneth into bitter∣nesse, by reason of superfluitie and ouer

much heate and scarcitie of the other hu∣mour, and there it is sayde, that in cer∣taine temperate places, fruite ripeth swiftly before springing time, and that is for sufficient heate and temp••rate aire without.

Also there it is sayd, that some trées beare first swéete fruite, & be afterward bitter and sower, as trées of Mirabola∣nes, and the cause is, as it is sayde there, for the fruite of such trées is full therin the houre of digestion, & when the waies are great and large, there is sufficient heate, that disposeth the humour materi∣all to fruite, and ripeth the fruite: and so in the beginning of digestion the fruit is swéet: but afterwarde the heate passeth out & wasteth the humour in the veynes and pores, and bréedeth drinesse, that ma∣keth the wayes and pores straight & na∣rowe, so that neither heate nor humour may come to the place of fruite: & colde and drinesse ouercommeth the heate; and the humour before the fruite chaungeth and is sower, for all passage of kind heat and the humor be let by straight waies, that be made straight by drinesse, and so colde hath mastrie in the fruite, for de∣fault of heate; and then is great sowre∣nesse, for mastrie of drinesse and of colde. But at the last, heate is holpen and area∣red to the place of fruite, and strengthe∣ned by heate of the Sunne, and so heate ouercommeth againe coldnesse, and gen∣dereth strong heate and drinesse, and so the fruite is bitter.

Also trées be diuers in setting and in planting: for Trées that be set right in the full of the Moone, or in the newe, or in the changing, they thriue ful euill, if they thriue, their fruite is full little, & is full of wormes, & fruite of such trées, rotteth full soone: and trées that are fel•• in such time be soone fret with wormes, and durenot long, as Isidore saith. Looke the cause before lib. 8. de Effectibus Lu∣nae.

Also betwéene the trée and his fruite, is a stalke, whereby the fruite cleaneth and hangeth on the trée, as the childe to the nauell cleueth to the mother, as Isi. saith, & the stalk is first féeble & lethie, & that is for default of hard humor. Ther∣fore in y^t time fruite falleth with little shaking, as w^t a strong blast or puffe of winde: But afterward heate hardeneth that humor by little & little, & the vertue setteth fast & falleth not so soone: but at the last when the fruite is ripe and full growen, that stalke for drieth or rotteth, and the fruite falleth soone, and the more déepe the roote is in the ground, the more humour it draweth, & if it beareth fruit, it beareth the more plentie of boughes, of leaues and of fruite. If water boughs and superfluitie be pared off, the trée bea∣reth the better and the more fruite, for then the humour passeth into fruite, that should els passe into superfluitie. And this of kinde and properties of trées in generall, shall suffice at this time.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bolemis in the old coppie.
• * 1.2

  In y^e olde coppye this hearbe is named Mēphat.