An abridgement of the notable woorke of Polidore Vergile conteignyng the deuisers and firste finders out as well of artes, ministeries, feactes & ciuill ordinaunces, as of rites, and ceremonies, commo[n]ly vsed in the churche: and the originall beginnyng of the same. Co[m]pendiously gathered by Thomas Langley

❧The .xvii. Chapiter. ¶The inuentours of Herbes medi∣cinable, what remedies menne learned of beastes.

* 1.1NATVRE doubte∣lesse, the mother and gouernour of al thin∣ges dyd create Her∣bes, as maye appeare by manye examples, partely by the dele∣ctacion, and partely for the wealthe and preseruacion of mennes bodies. For Xanthus an historiographer (as Plinie recordeth) telleth how a Dra∣gon reuiued his young faune, that was slaine, by the vertue of an herbe called Balin:* 1.2 and the Hechewal if a wedge bee driuen into the hole of her neste (for she maketh her neste in the hole of a tree that she woorketh with her beake) compelleth it to fall oute with an Herbe that she knowethe:

and some of the Indians lyue onely by Herbes, Appianus wryteth, that the Parthians, whiche Antonie put to flight,* 1.3 constrayned by extreme fa∣myne, chaunced too eate a certayne Herbe, whose nature was to make theim that eate it, too forgette all o∣ther thynges, and onely digge vp sto∣nes, as if they would go aboute some greate endeuoure, and after suche extreme trauail died. Of suche me∣dicines made with Herbes. Chiron sonne to Saturnus and Phillara was the fynder,* 1.4 and deuised also salues for woundes, soores, and byles, al∣bee it some thynke it was Appollo, some referre it to his sonne Aescula∣pius, whom Chiron brought vppe, some to the Samothracians. But I suppose they attributed the inuenci∣on of it to Chiron bycause he founde the Herbe Centaurie,* 1.5 wherewith he healed the woūd, that he had by Her∣cules shafres fallyng on his foote, as he was hādlyng of his weapons: not¦withstandyng Celsus saieth that the arte of Phisike is verye aunciente, but he maketh no mencion of the au∣thoure

of it,* 1.6 onely he sayeth, Ascle∣piades, whiche was an excellente Phisicion, dyd abholishe the vse of it for somuche as it annoyed the sto∣macke and engendered euil humours Mercurie founde the vse of Moly,* 1.7 A∣chilles Yarowe, Esculapius, Panace and sondery menne founde sonderye Herbes. Medicines of Hony, Sol the sonne of Oceanus inuented: and bea∣stes taught men certayne Herbes ne∣cessarie for medicines. As the Harte striken with an arrowe driueth it out with Detany: & if he be stynged with a Spider,* 1.8 he healeth him selfe with eatyng Pilles or a certayn herbe na∣med Cancer.* 1.9 Selandyne, that is a so∣ueraigne herbe for the sighte, was perceyued by the Swallowes, whi∣che heled the eyes of their yong ones with it. The Snaile or Torteise, redy to fight with the Serpente, armeth him selfe with Sauery or Maioram. The Bore in his sickenes cureth him selfe with the Iuye.* 1.10 Of the water Horse in Nilus,* 1.11 menne learned to let blodde.* 1.12 For when he is coarsye & vn∣lustye he seketh by the ryuer syde the

sharpest reede stalkes, and striketh & vayne in his legge against it w^t great violence, and so easeth his bodye by suche meane: And when he hath done he couereth the wound w^t the mudde.

The Ibis a byrde muche lyke the storke, of the same countree taught Phisiciens to minister clysters: For when she is ful, she purgeth her selfe with her croked beake at the founda∣ment. The wesyl in chasyng the ser∣pente preserueth her selfe with Rue,* 1.13 and the storke with Organye. In Grece Orpheus, Museus, Dio∣scorides, in Rome Marcus Ca∣to, Pompeius Leneus wrote of the nature of herbes. In this tyme Plinie thinketh, that this arte was fyrst receiued among the Romaynes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Herbes were create for man.
• * 1.2

  Herbe called Balin. Hechwal.
• * 1.3

  Parthians.
• * 1.4

  Chiron was authoure of medicines & salues.
• * 1.5

  Cētauro was found by Chiron.
• * 1.6

  Asclepiades abholished Phisike.
• * 1.7

  Moly. Panace.
• * 1.8

  Detany.
• * 1.9

  Cancer. Selandyne.
• * 1.10

  Sauery. Maioram.
• * 1.11

  Yuie.
• * 1.12

  Lettyng of blodde.
• * 1.13

  Rue. Organye.