Natural Commodities.
The best in England groweth in the Vale lying South of Harrow-the-Hill nigh Hessen, (where providence for the present hath fixed my habitation) so that the * 1.1 Kings bread was formerly made of the fine flower thereof.
Hence it was, that Queen Elizabeth received no Composition money from the Villages thereabouts, but took her Wheat in kinde for her own Pastry and Bake-house.
There is an obscure Village hereabouts called Perivale, which my * 1.2 Author will have more truly termed Purevale (an Honour I assure you unknown to the Inhabitants thereof) because of the cleerness of the Corn growing therein, though the Purity there∣of is much subject to be humbled with the Mildew, whereof * 1.3 hereafter.
It hath not more affinity in sound with Tamarind, then sympathy in extraction (both originally Arabick) general similitude, in leaves and operation, onely Tamarind in England is an annual, (dying at the approach of Winter) whil'st Tamarisk lasteth many years. It was first brought over by Bishop Grindal out of Switzerland (where he was exile under Queen Mary) and planted in his Garden at Fulham in this County, where the soile being moist and Fenny, well complied with the nature of this Plant, which since is removed, and thriveth well in many other places. Yet it groweth not up to be Timber, as in Arabia, though often to that substance that Cups of great size are made thereof; Dioscorides, saith, it is good for the Tooth-ach, (as what is not, and yet indeed what is good for it?) but it is especially used for mollifying the hardness, and opening the stopping of the Belly.