A newe herball of Macer, translated out of Laten in to Englysshe.

¶The .xi. letter begynneth with. M.

¶Millefolio minor.

MIllefolio minor is an her∣be that is called the lesse Myl∣foyle, there is no dyfferēce of kynde nor vertue betwene myl¦foyle the lesse, and Mylfoyle the more, saue y^e more groweth in gardaynes, and the lesse in wylde places they be both of one strenght. ¶The vertue of this herbe shall be declared in Mylfoyle the more folowynge by lettre.

¶Mercurialis.

MErcurialis is an herbe y^e men cal Mer∣curye. ¶The vertue of this herbe is y^t he is good yf a man haue akynge in his wōbe gyue hym to drynke the ioyce and he shall be hole,* 1.1 it wyll clense the stomacke, and the sede wyl do the same.* 1.2 Also the ioyce tempred with whyte wyne is good to hele sore iyes, and yf a worme or other vermyn haue bytten a man,* 1.3 take the ioyce and warme it, & wasshe it. Also yf there be any wormes cropen in to a mānes eres, take the ioyce and warme it & put it in to his eares,* 1.4 & he shall be hole, this is hote & drye.

¶Menta.

MEnta to an herbe that men call Mynte ¶The vertue of this herbe is that yf it be ofte eaten,* 1.5 it wyl slee the wormes in a mannes wombe. Also yf a man haue bot∣ches or other rennynges or swellynges in his heade, take this herbe and stampe it, & lay it to the sore, and it wyll hele it. Also yf a mannes toth or the flessh of the toth ake or stynke:* 1.6 take this herbe and seth it in whyte wyne & in eysel and take that lycour & wasshe his mouth ther∣with, than take the powder of the herbe & rub well his teth therwith,* 1.7 and he shal haue a swete smellynge mouth. Also take thou this herbe & eysell & make sauce, & it wyll make the to haue a talent to thy mete. Also when there shall be gyuen any medycyne to destroye venym, it wyll be good to be gyuen with y^e ioyce of this herbe, for it hath many vertues,* 1.8 and namely for venym, there be many spices therof, & it is hote and drye.

¶Menta romana.

MEnta romana is an herbe y^e men call whyte Mynte. ¶The vertue of this herbe is that the ioyce therof wyll slee wormes in a mannes wombe.* 1.9 Also the ioyce wyll slee wormes in the nose thyrlles of a man.* 1.10 Also y^e powder therof caste in a mannes meate, shall

make hym well to defye hys meate. Also the ioyce dronke sleeth the wormes of the wombe yf it be dropped in the eres,* 1.11 it sleeth y^e wormes

¶Malua.

MAlua is an herbe y^t men call Mallowe. ¶The vertue of this herbe is good yf the leues be stamped and layde to a mannes stomacke,* 1.12 it wyll breke a hote postume in the begīnynge, or els medle this herbe with freshe swynes grece, and lay it on a hote tyle, & laye it all hote to the postume, and it shall rype it, and breke it. Also it is good to dystroy y^e hard¦nes of a mans lyuer and mylte.* 1.13 Also it wyll make a man laxatyue, and it is good for play∣sters, it is colde and moyste.

¶Morell or nyghtshadowe.

MOrell is an herbe that men call nyght∣shadowe, this herbe is colde & drye in the .ii. degre, the leues, the braunches, and the fruytes therof be ryght good & best when they be grene. ¶The vertue is they be good for stoppynge of the splen and the lyuer,* 1.14 and best for the Iaūdese to drynke the ioyce of it with a lytell Ruberbe. Also it is good for a postu∣me in the stomacke, in the bowels, or in the ly∣uer, sethe the ioyce therof with barly water & drynke it.

¶Mastyke.

MAstyke is an herbe that men call gūme and it is hote & drye in the .ii. degre, & it is a gūme of a tre growynge in a parte of y^e countre of Grece, in the latter ende of Dere the men of that countre slytte the trees, & thā make the grownde clene all aboute & laye clo∣thes rounde aboute the trees, or some other cō¦nynge to kepe the gūme from the grounde in closynge of it, to knowe which is best, to take the best is whyte and clere, the whyte coloure is next the best, and that is medled with earth and somwhat darke,* 1.15 the best mastyke hath ver∣tue of constraynyng, cōfortynge, clensyng, and losynge ef humours dyscēdyng from the heade aboue to the iyes and to the teth, & for the disease of y^e temples made of an ascēdyng wynde from the stomacke to the hede. Take powder of mastyke with whyte swete wyne, & the whyte of an egge, and medle them well to∣gyther, & ye wyll ye may put in frankensēce, and playster it to the temples. Also seth mas∣tyke in water and drynke it & it wyll comfort well the stomacke and make good degestion,* 1.16 & it comforteth and relaxeth the stomacke, and put to it fenel sede, and it putteth out wynde out of the stomacke. Also a playster made of

Mastyke and bole armonyake, & the whyte of an egge and vynegre, & laye it on the forke of the stomacke or brest,* 1.17 it wyll constrayne well the coloryke vanyte. Also seth mastyke in ray∣ne water & drynke it warme, & this medycyne is very good for the flux of the wombe y^t com∣meth of a sharpe lax that was taken before to stop hym.* 1.18 Also boyle Mastyke in rayne water or Rose water, with two or thre cloues, and drynke it warme, and that comforteth the vo∣myte and the flux of the wombe that cōmeth of sharpnes and vyolence of the medycyne. Also Mastyke must haue but lytell boylynge for hurtynge of his vertue, and it shuld be gy∣uen warme, for it constrayneth the more whā that it is gyuen warme, than whan it is ouer moche hote.

¶Magerum.

MAgerum is an herbe that is hote & dry in the seconde degre, the flowers and leues be vsed in medycynes, & it shulde be ga∣thered in sōmer whan it flowreth, and drye it in the shadowe, and it may be kepte a yere. ¶The vertue of this herbe is good in cōfor∣tynge, losynge, consumynge, & of clensynge yf the powder of it be dronken in wyne, or els boyle the powder of it in wyne,* 1.19 and it wyll

hete well the stomake. Also it cōforteth the de∣gestyon. Also take the leues and flowers of Magerum, and pune them a lytell & make thē hote in a panne,* 1.20 and lay it to the greuaūce & it taketh awaye the dysease in the stomacke that cōmeth of wynde.* 1.21 Also for the rewme in the heade, take this herbe & bynde it warme about thy heade.* 1.22 Also it dryeth the mother and con∣sumeth the superfluyte of it.

¶Myllefolium maior.

MIllefolium maior or yarow is an her¦be that kynge Achylles dyd fynde, & therwith heled his men y^t were wounded with yron. ¶The vertue of this herbe is good for woundes,* 1.23 stampe this herbe with swynes gre∣ce, and playster it to the wounde, & it shall hele it, & the same is good for an ache in the breste or syde, it is good for hym that may not pysse take the ioyce of this herbe and vyneger and drynke it, & merueylously it helpeth a woūde that hath taken colde, stampe this herbe in but¦ter, and lay it to the wounde,* 1.24 & it wyll hele it well. Also to degest the stomacke or that lyeth therin, take the ioyce of it, and medle it with water and hōnye, and drynke it warme. Also it is good for dyseases in the body,* 1.25 take the powder and medle it with wyne or with good

ale,* 1.26 and drynke it & it helpeth moche. Also it is good for the herte brennynge. Also for the heade ache stampe this herbe, and playster it to the heade. Also for bytynge of a wood dog stampe this herbe with the graynes of whete, and it healeth it. Also for hym that maye not holde his meate, take & stampe this herbe with wyne, and drynke it warme.

¶Mother worte.

MOther worte or mogworte, this herbe is called in latyn Artemesia, and it is hote and drye in the thyrde degre, this herbe helpeth a woman to conceyue a chylde, clēseth the mother,* 1.27 and maketh a woman to haue her flowers, and it dystroyeth the emerawdes on this maner. Fyrste it must be gathered, than take the powder of motherworte,* 1.28 and of Hore hounde togyther, and strawe it on the pappes Also yf a chylde be deade in the mothers wō∣be, take motherwort, and stampe it small, and make a playster therof and laye it to her wōbe all colde, and with the grace of God she shall haue delyueraunce without perell, it is good for the stone and the grauell in the raynes of a man or of a womā,* 1.29 yf a man bere this herbe vpon hym, there shal no venymous beest gre∣ue hym. It is good for the yelowe Iaundes &

it be dronken with wyne,* 1.30 for it comforteth the stomacke, & maketh a man or woman to haue a good coloure.* 1.31 Agaynst ache of the bowelles powdre of mugwort dronkē with hōny easeth greatly, and is good for diuers syckenesses.

¶Maces.

MAces is a spyce that is called Mace, this spyce is hote and drye in the socō∣de degre, maces is the rynde or huske that gro¦weth aboute the Nutmege, as the rynde gro¦weth aboute the hasell nutte, it may be kepte. •• x. yere in his vertue, it is comfortyng, dyssol∣uynge, & consumyng, the knowledge of fyne maces is thus, it shulde be in coloure lyke to fyne golde, or elles lyke to golde that syluer is gylt with, the which hath a sharpe talage with a bytternes, and it loketh lyke to earthe, it is to be refused, for it hath no sharpe sauour, for a colde stomacke that maye not defye nor degeste wel,* 1.32 take maces & boyle them in wyne and drynke it. Also a good playster the which is best for a feble stomacke, and make powder of mastyke and of maces, & medle them with oyle of Roses and wexe, and make a playster therof and lay it on the stomacke of the sycke person. Also to clēse the brayne of superflu∣ous humoures, take a quantite of Maces,* 1.33 &

chewe them well in thy mouth, and holde them there a whyle, and that shall lose the feumosy∣te of humours that ryse vp to the brayne,* 1.34 and purge the superfluyte of it. Also for feblenes of the stomacke and the lyuer of a colde cause,* 1.35 and for the colyke, and for the dyseases of the spyrytuall membres, or flewme, boyle maces in the ioyce of fenell, & in the ende of the boy∣lynge put in a lytell wyne, thā strayne it and drynke it for it is the best remedye for the for∣sayd dyseases. Also for the ache of y^e hert, vse powdre of maces in thy meates and drynkes.* 1.36

¶Menta.

MEnta is an herbe y^t is called red mynt it is hote & dry in the seconde degre, & there be .ii. other myntes, but I meane howse mintes the whiche properly is sayde gardaine myntes, for that moste cōmenly is in medyci¦nes both grene & drye, for great holsomnes it shulde be dryed in a shadowe place, and so it wyl be kepte a yere in great vertue, to dyssolue or lose, to cōsume of his proper qualyte, & to comforte of his swete sauoure. ¶The vertue is this,* 1.37 for the stynkyng of the mouth & fylth of the gūmes & of the teth, wasshe thy mouth and gūmes with vynegre that myntes be sod¦den in, and after rub hym with the powdre of

myntes, or with dry myntes to prouoke y^e ap∣petyte when an impedyment of the stomacke cōmeth of colde humours beyng in the mouth of the stomacke, make a salue of myntes and vynegre with a lytell synamum and peper, & vse it wel agaynst vomytes y^t cōmeth of feble∣nes of the stomacke or of colde causes,* 1.38 sethe myntes in sauge water and vynegre, & depe it in and lay it on the mouth of the stomacke with the myntes y^t be soden therin. Also gyue to the pacient to eate of the same myntes for the syncopyne, and feblenesse in feuers, and without feuers, or of medycyne, or of what cause it be, stampe myntes with vynegre, and a lytell wyne yf the pacyent be without feuer, and yf he be with feuer, stampe myntes with vynegre alone, thā make a toste of sowre bre∣de, & toste it well tyll it be almoste brent, then put it in that lycour, and let it lye therin tyl it be well soked, than put it in to his nose & rub his lyppes, and gūmes, teth, & temples, ther∣with, and bynde it to the poulse vaynes of his armes, and let the pacyent eate the moystnes that is left and swalowe it in. For to clense y^e mother, take the tender croppes of myntes,* 1.39 & sethe them in water or wyne, and playster it to the share, & to the raynes. Agaynst the cōgy∣lynge

in a womans breste, take the small stal∣kes of myntes and seth them in wyne & oyle, and playster it aboute the teares. Also be it knowē that whan any medycyne shuld be gy∣uen agaynst venym, it shulde be gyuen with the ioyce of myntes, for myntes haue a maner of strength of drawynge out venym,* 1.40 or els it shulde be gyuen with wyne that myntes haue be soden in.* 1.41 For stoppynge of the splen & the lyuer, and of the wayes of the vryne of a colde humour & a hote without feuer, take the ioyce of myntes alone, or myntes sodē in wyne, or the ioyce of myntes medled with honny, and gyue it to the pacyent.* 1.42 To slee wormes in the bely, take the ioyce of myntes and drynke it, and thou shalte be hole. Also the ioyce of myn¦tes sleeth wormes in y^e eares.* 1.43 For a tetter take the ioyce of myntes, & put therto brymstone & vynegre, and medle them well togyther, and anoynt the tetter therwith and thou shalt be hole.* 1.44 For a woūde in the heade, stampe myn∣tes and lay on the wounde. &c. For payne in y^e syde,* 1.45 take myntes and seth them in olde wyne or ale, & with it stampe .xviii. graynes of pe∣per, and drynke it in the nyght, & it wyll ease the of thy payne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  wōbe.
• * 1.2

  stomac
• * 1.3

  Eyes. Bytīg
• * 1.4

  Eares
• * 1.5

  wor∣mes. botche. swellīg
• * 1.6

  Totha¦che.
• * 1.7

  mouth Talēt.
• * 1.8

  venym
• * 1.9

  wōbe.
• * 1.10

  Nose.
• * 1.11

  wor∣mes.
• * 1.12

  postu∣me.
• * 1.13

  Lyuer
• * 1.14

  Splen lyuer. Postu¦me.
• * 1.15

  Clen∣synge.
• * 1.16

  stomac
• * 1.17

  Colo∣ryke.
• * 1.18

  Flux.
• * 1.19

  stomac
• * 1.20

  stomac
• * 1.21

  rewme
• * 1.22

  mother
• * 1.23

  woun∣des.
• * 1.24

  Sto∣macke.
• * 1.25

  Body:
• * 1.26

  Harte. Heade. For bi¦tynge of wod dogg{is}. for wo¦mytīg
• * 1.27

  chylde.
• * 1.28

  Pap∣pes. a dead chylde.
• * 1.29

  stone.
• * 1.30

  stomac
• * 1.31

  colour. bowels
• * 1.32

  stomac
• * 1.33

  brayn.
• * 1.34

  brayne
• * 1.35

  stomac Lyuer
• * 1.36

  y^e hart.
• * 1.37

  mouth
• * 1.38

  Sto∣macke.
• * 1.39

  to clēse
• * 1.40

  venym
• * 1.41

  Splen Lyuer
• * 1.42

  wor∣mes.
• * 1.43

  A tet∣ter.
• * 1.44

  woun∣des.
• * 1.45

  Syde.