The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. VIII.

¶ Of stinking Horehound: of Mille-graine, or Oke of Ierusalem: of Brabyla, Bryon, Bupleuros, Ca∣tanance: of Calla, Circaea, and Cersium: of Crataeogonon and Thelygonum: of Croco∣dilium and Cynosorchis: of Chrysolachanon, Cucubalon, and Conserua.

STinking Horehound, which some Greeks call Ballote, others Melamprasion, i. Black Hore∣hound, is an herbe tufted full of branches: the stems be black and cornered; the leaues wher∣with [unspec H] they be clad and garnished, are somewhat hairy, resembling those of sweet or white * 1.1 Horehound, but that they be bigger, blacker and of a stinking sauor: but the leaues stamped and applied with salt, be very effectuall against the biting of a mad dog: also, if they be wrap∣ped in a Colewort or Beet leafe, and so rosted vnder the embers, they are commended for the swelling piles in the fundament. This Horehound made into a salue with honey, clenseth filthie vlcers.

Botrys is an herb ful of branches, and those of a yellowish colour, and beset round with seed: the leaues resemble Cichorie. Found it is commonly growing about the banks of brookes and riuerets. Good it is for them that be streight winded and cannot draw their breath but sitting vpright. The Cappadocians call it Ambrosia, others Artemisia. [unspec I]

As for * 1.2 Brabyla, they be astringent in manner of Quinces. More than so, I find not any Au∣thor to write thereof.

Bryon no doubt is a Sea-herbe, like in leaues to Lettuce, but that they be riuelled and wrink∣led as if they were drawne together in a purse: no stem it hath, and the leaues come forth at the bottom from the root: it groweth ordinarily vpon rockes bearing out of the sea: and ye shall find it also sticking to the shels of certaine fishes, especially such as haue gathered any mud or earth about them. The herbe is exceeding astringent and desiccatiue, by vertue whereof it is a singular repercussiue in all impostumes and inflammations of the gout especially, & such as re∣quire to be repressed or cooled.

Touching Bupleuros, I read that the seed thereof is giuen against the sting of serpents: and that the wounds inflicted by them, are to bee washed or somented with the decoction of the [unspec K] herb, putting thereto the leaues of the Mulberrie tree, or Origan.

Catanance is a meere Thessalian herb, and growing no where els but in Thessalie; and foras∣much as it is vsed only in amatorious matters, and for to spice loue drinks withall, I meane not to busie my selfe in the description therof: howbeit, thus much it would not be amisse to note, for to detect and lay open the folly and vanities of Magitians; namely, that they went by this conjecture onely, that it should be of power to win the loue of women, because forsooth when it is withered, it draweth it selfe inward * 1.3 like a dead Kites foot. For the same reason also, I will hold my tongue and say neuer a word of the herb * 1.4 Cemos.

* 1.5 Cala is of two sorts: the one like to Aron, which loueth to grow in toiled and ploughed [unspec L] grounds: the time to gather this herb is before it begin to wither: the same operation it hath that Aron, and is vsed to the like purposes: the root thereof is commended to be giuen in drink for a purgation of the belly, and to prouoke the monethly termes of women: the stalkes boyled leafe and all together with some pulse or other into a pottage, and so taken, cure the inordinate prouocations to the stoole, and streinings therupon without doing any thing. The second kind some call Anchusa, others, * 1.6 Rhinochisia: the leaues resemble Lettuce, but that they be lon∣ger, ful of plume or down; the root red, which being applied with the floure of barly groats, hea∣leth shingles, or any other kind of S. Anthonies fire: but drunke in white wine, cureth the infirmi∣ties of the liuer.

Circaeum is an herb like to winter Cherry or Alkakengi, but for the flours which are black: [unspec M] the seed small, as the graine of Millet, and the same groweth in huskes or bladders resembling little hornes: the root is halfe a foot long, forked for the most part into three or foure grains or branches: the same is white, odoriferous and hot in the mouth: it loueth to grow vpon rockes and stonie grounds lying pleasantly vpon the Sun. The infusion of this root in wine, is good to

be drunke for the paine and other diseases of the matrice: but of the said root there ought to be [unspec A] taken three ounces stamped, and the same to steepe a day and night in 3 sextars of wine, for to make the infusion aboue-named. This portion also serues to send down the after-birth, if it stay behind. The seed of this herbe drieth vp milke, if it be drunke in wine or mead.

Cirsion commeth vp with a slender stalke two cubits high, and seemeth to be made 3 corne∣red triangle-wise: the same is beset round about with prickie leaues: howbeit, the said prickes are but tender and soft. The leaues in forme resemble an oxe tongue or the herb * 1.7 Langue-de∣boeufe, but that they be smaller and somewhat white; in the top whereof there put forth purple buttons or little heads, which in the end turne to a plume like thistle down. Some writers hold, that this herb or the root onely, bound vnto the swelling veines called Varices, doth allay the [unspec B] paine thereof.

Crataeogonos spindleth in the head like vnto the eare of wheat, and out of one single root ye shall haue many shoots to spring and rise vp into blade and straw, and those also ful of ioints. It gladly groweth in coole and shadowie places: the seed resembleth the grain of the Millet, which is very sharp and biting at the tongues end If a man & his wife before they company together carnally, drink before supper for 40 daies together the weight of three oboli of this seed, either in wine, or as many cyaths of water, they shall haue a man childe betweene them, as some say. There is another * 1.8 Crataeogonos, called also Thelygonos; & the difference from the other may soon be known by the mildnesse in taste. Some authors affirm, that if women vse to drinke the floures of Crataeogonos, they shal within 40 daies conceiue with child. But as well the one as the other applied with hony, do heale old vlcers: they incarnat and fill vp the hollow concaui∣ties [unspec C] of fistulous sores: and such parts as do mislike and want nourishment, they cause to gather flesh and fill the skin again: foule and filthy vlcers they mundifie, the flat biles and risings cal∣led Pani they rarifie and discusse: gouts of the feet they mitigat; & generally all impostumati∣ons, in womens brests specially, they resolue and assuage. Theophrastus would haue a kind of tree to be called Crataegonos or Crataeogon, which here in Italy they call * 1.9 Aquifolia.

Crocodilion doth in shape resemble the thistly herbe or Artichoke called the blacke Cha∣maeleon: the root is long and thicke in all parts alike, of an hard and vnpleasant smel: it grow∣eth ordinarily in sandy or grauelly grounds. If one drinke of it (they say) it will set the nose a bleeding, and send out a deale of thicke and grosse bloud, that the spleene will diminish and weare away by that means. [unspec D]

As touching Testiculus Canis or Dogs-stones, which the Greeks cal Cynosorchis, & others simply Orchis, it hath leaues like vnto those of the oliue; soft & tender they are, and about halfe a foot long, and therfore no maruell if they lie spred vpon the ground: the root is bulbous and growing long-wise, in a double ranke, or two together: the one aboue, which is the harder, the o∣ther vnder it, and that is the softer: when they be sodden, folke vse to eat them after the manner of other bulbs: and lightly a man shall find them growing in vineyards. Of these two roots, if a man eat the bigger, it is said, that he shal beget boies; and if the woman eat the smaller, she shal conceiue a maiden childe. In Thessalie, men vse for to drinke in goats milke, the softer of these roots, to make themselues lustie for the act of generation; but the harder, when they would coole the heat of lust: whereby we may see, that they be contrarie, and one hindereth the opera∣tion [unspec E] of the other.

Chrysolachanon commeth vp like a Lettuce, and commonly groweth in plots of ground set with Pines: the vertue of this herbe is to heale wounds of the sinewes thought they were cut quite asunder, if it be presently laied too. There is another kinde of * 1.10 Chrysolachanon, bearing floures of a golden colour, and leafed like vnto the Beet: when it is boiled, folke vse to eat it in stead of meat, and it looseneth the belly as well as Beets, Coleworts, and such like: and if it be true that is reported, whosoeuer beare this hearbe tied fast about any place of their bodies which is euer in their eie, so as they may see the same continually, it wil cure them of the jaun∣dise. Touching this hearb Chrysolachanum, well I wot that I haue not written sufficiently, that [unspec F] men might know it by this description, and yet could I neuer meet with any author who hath said more, or described it better. This verily hath been the fault and ouersight euen of our mo∣derne Herbarists of late daies, To write sleightly of those herbes and simples which they them∣selues knew and were acquainted with, as if forsooth they had been knowne to euery man; set∣ting downe onely their names and no more: which is euen as much as to tell vs a tale and say,

that with the * 1.11 rennet or rundles of the earth, one might stay a laske, or giue free passage to the [unspec G] vrine in the strangury, so it be drunke in wine or water.

As for Cucubalum, they write of it, That if the leaues bee stamped with vineger, they heale the stings of serpents and scorpions. Some of them cal this herb by another name, Strumus, and others giue it the Greeke name Strychnos: and black berries (they say) it hath. The iuice there∣of taken to the quantity of one cyath, with twice as much honied wine, is soueraigne for the loins or small of the back: likewise it easeth the head-ache, if together with oile of roses it bee distilled vpon the head by way of embrochation. The herb it selfe in substance made into a li∣niment, healeth the wens called the kings euill.

Concerning the fresh water Spunge (for so I may more truly terme it, than either mosse or herbe, so thicke of shag haires it is and fistulous withal) it groweth ordinarily within the riuers [unspec H] that issue from the root of the Alpes, and is named in Latine * Conferua, for that it is good to conglutinat, in manner of a souder. Certes, I my selfe know a poore labourer, who as he was lop∣ping a tall tree, fell from the top down to the ground, and was so pitiously bruised thereby, that vnneth he had any sound bone in all his body that was vnbroken: and in very truth, lapped he was all ouer with this mosse or spunge (call it whether you will) and the same was kept euermore moist and wet with sprinckling his owne water vpon it, whensoeuer it began to drie vpon him with the heat of his body: seldome was it vndone or remooued, and neuer but when of necessity for verie change fresh was laied too for default of the other: and by this manner of cure and no other, the poore wretch recouered perfectly, in so smal a time, that it was wonderful and almost incredible. [unspec I]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Porri: but it should be Mar∣rubij, accor∣ding to the Greeke word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  Some take them for Da∣mascen plums, or rather for Bullo•…•…s, Skegs, or such like wilde Plums.
• * 1.3

  As if it would catch women and hold them fast perforce.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Greeke sig∣nifieth a bridle or bit: and it is thought to b•…•… Leontopodi∣um, Dioscor. though others take it for Dode•…•….
• * 1.5

  Or rather Calix.
• * 1.6

  Rather Oro∣cleia, out of Dioscorides.
• * 1.7

  Or Borage, called in Greeke Bu∣g•…•…osson.
• * 1.8

  Some take this for our Persicorie, or Ars-mert.
• * 1.9

  i. Holly or Huluer: nay rather, Aqui∣folia is Agria in Greeke: and the Crat•…•…∣gus of Theo∣phrastus, which he meaneth here, is a kinde of Ceruoise tree now cal∣led Torminalis.
• * 1.10

  I thinke he meaneth O∣rach.
• * 1.11

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 terrae Son•…•…n thinke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 place vn∣perfect; but I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rather, •…•…hat Pliny her∣•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 at •…•…e obscuritie •…•…ir 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 sim∣•…•… put 〈◊〉〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ny 〈◊〉〈◊〉 w•…•…ch 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 any sense 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mo•…•…e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉.