A greene forest, or A naturall historie vvherein may bee seene first the most sufferaigne vertues in all the whole kinde of stones & mettals: next of plants, as of herbes, trees, [and] shrubs, lastly of brute beastes, foules, fishes, creeping wormes [and] serpents, and that alphabetically: so that a table shall not neede. Compiled by Iohn Maplet, M. of Arte, and student in Cambridge: entending hereby yt God might especially be glorified: and the people furdered. Anno 1567.

Of Iron.

IRon in Latin is called à feriēdo Ferrum, for that through his hardnesse it stryketh, molifieth, and bringeth vnder all kind of met∣tals. This kinde according to the manifolde difference of earthes and quarters of the earth. is diuersly called. It is engendred (as Aristotle sayth) of Quicksiluer verie grosse, nothing pure, vncleane and earthie: and of Brimstone also as grosse, as vnpure, as earthie. In com∣position whereof there is more of the Brim∣stone: so that through the temperature of cold which is in the Quicksiluer, of the drought and earth, which is in the other, it is so wrought & compact on that wise. Iron through bloud tou∣ching waxeth rustie, and getting within him, can scarcely, or not at al, be rid of it, corrupting within otherwise. Rust therefore is nothing else but a defaulte and an offence in the vn∣cleannesse and impurenesse of any substaunce, whether it commeth eyther by fellowship and placing next to the earth, or through any yll

qualitie of mans bloud, or of moyst and infec∣tuous vapour. As Isidore recordeth. Of Iron Mans bloud is soonest reuenged, for that by nothing so soone, Iron is brought to his corrup∣tion. It hath a naturall amitie with the Ada∣mant, which Adamant (as we before men∣tioned) draweth it to it, and this last followeth and obeyeth. Iron being polished is very like to Brasse. There is a certaine Iron which is for the most part white, which if it be buried a certaine space in a Uessell eyther of Wine or of Milke, remedieth diseases in the Splene, & is otherwise auaileable. If you go to vse and wade no further, this kinde of Mettall is prin∣cipall amongst the rest, which thing necessitie teacheth, and is the best proufe: which we also doe approue then, when as we are cōstrayned and driuen to Weapon and Armourie: for without thys coulde wée neyther be quiet at home amongst our selues, neyther could we kéepe off, from our Countrie borders and li∣mits, other our outward enimies. Further (to stay our selues in things at home and not to seeke other) there could be no mans Arte prac∣tised, no commoditie had by occupation & sci∣ence: further, not so much as the earth could be either sowē or reaped to any increase with∣out this. Therefore in this behalfe it mought

be called all graine and fruites Nurse.