hath gotten wil be eclipsed by the same of this:
Take therfore a Description at large of it, as
followeth.
Description.
At the first appearing out of the ground
when the Winter is past, is hath a great round
brownish head rising from the middle or sides
of the Root, which openeth it self into sundry
Leavs one after another, very much crumpled
or folded together at the first, and brownish,
but afterward it spreadeth it self and becometh
smooth very large and almost round, every one
standing on a brownish Stalk of the thickness
of a mans Thumb, when they are grown to
their fulness, and most of them two foot and
more in length, especially when they grow in
any moist or good Ground; and the Stalk of
the Leaf also from the bottom thereof to the
Leaf it self, being also two Foot, The
breadth thereof from edg to edg in the
broadest place, being also two foot, of a sad or
dark green colour, of a fine tart, or sowrish
tast, much more pleasant: than the Garden or
Wood sorrel. From among these riseth up
some but not every yeer, a strong thick Stalk,
not growing so high as the Patience or Garden
Dock, with such round Leavs as grow below,
but smaller, at every Joynt up to the top, and
among the Flowers which are white spreading
forth into many Branches, and consisting of
five or six small white Leavs apiece, hardly to
be discerned from the white threds in the mid∣dle,
and seeming to be all threds after which
come brownish three square Seed like unto o∣ther
Docks, but larger whereby it may be
plainly known to be a Dock. The Root gro∣weth
in time to be very great, with divers and
sundry great spreading Branches from it, of a
dark, brownish, or reddish colour on the out∣side,
with a pale yellow skin under it which
covereth the inner substance or Root, which
••ind and Skin being pared away, the Root ap∣peareth
of so fresh and lively a colour, with
flesh∣colour'd Veins running through it, that
the choicest of that Rubarb that is brought us
from beyond the Seas cannot excel it: Which
Root if it be dried carefully and as it ought
(which must be in our Countrey by the gentle
heat of a fire in regard the Sun is not hot e∣nough
here to do it, and every piece kept from
touching one another) will hold his colour
almost as well as when it is fresh; and hath
been approved of and commended by those
who have oftentimes used them.
Place.
It groweth in Gardens, and Flowreth a∣bout
the beginning or middle of June, and
the Seed is ripe in July.
Time.
The Roots that are to be dried and kept all
the yeer following, are not to be taken up be∣fore
the Stalk and Leavs be quite withered and
gone, and that is not until the middle or end
of October; and if they be taken a little be∣fore
the Leavs do spring, or when they are
sprung up, the Roots will not have half so
good a colour in them.
I have given the precedence unto this, be∣caus
in vertues also it hath the preheminence;
I come now to describe unto you that which
is called Patience, or Monks Rubarb; and
next unto at, the great round Leav'd Dock,
or Bastard Rubarb; for the one of these may
happily supply in the absence of the other; be∣ing
not much unlike in their Vertues, only
one more powerful and efficacious than the
other; And lastly; shall sh••w you the Ver∣tues
of all the three Sorts.