A nievve herball, or historie of plantes wherin is contayned the vvhole discourse and perfect description of all sortes of herbes and plantes: their diuers [and] sundry kindes: their straunge figures, fashions, and shapes: their names, natures, operations, and vertues: and that not onely of those whiche are here growyng in this our countrie of Englande, but of all others also of forrayne realmes, commonly vsed in physicke. First set foorth in the Doutche or Almaigne tongue, by that learned D. Rembert Dodoens, physition to the Emperour: and nowe first translated out of French into English, by Henry Lyte Esquyer.

Of the Hyacinthes. Chap. xlviij.

❀ The Kindes.

THere be two sortes of Hyacinthes, yet ouer and aboue diuers others whiche are also counted Hyacinthes, whereof we will write in the next Chapter.

❀ The Description.

THE first Hyacinthes which are common in the lower Germanie, haue long narrowe leaues: amongst which spring vp smooth stalkes, which being loden litle flowers from the middle euen vp to the very top, are with the waight and burden of the same, made crooked, or forced to fal, bende, or stoupe. The litle flowers are long and holowe, and afterwarde somewhat spread abrode like vnto Lillie Conuall, not so strong in smell, but yet pleasant and sweete, of colour most commonly blew lyke azure, and sometimes purple, and sometimes as white as snowe, gray, or ashe coloured: when these flowers are fallen, there folow triangled huskes or coddes, wherein the small rounde seede is conteyned.

[illustration]

Hyacinthus vulgaris &c.

[illustration]

Hyacinthus Orientalis &c.

[ 2] The Oriental Hyacinthes are much like to the aforesayde, but his leaues stalkes and rootes are greater: and the flowers be also larger, & of an excellen∣ter blewe colour.

❀ The Place.

The common Hyacinthes do grow about the borders of fallowed feeldes and pastures in sandy or grauely ground, and are founde in many places, espe∣cially about Wincaunton, Storton, & Mier, in y^t West partes of Englande, &c.

❀ The Tyme.

[ 1] The common Hyacinthe flowreth about the ende of Maye, and in Iune, or somewhat rather.

[ 2] The Oriental Hyacinthes do flower before the common sort, sometimes in Marche.

❀ The Names.

These are called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Hyacinthi, & as some thinke, Vaccinia: in Englishe also Hyacinthe or Crowtoes: but these be not those Hya∣cinthes wherein the notes or mourning markes are printed: for they are in the red purple Lillies, as before is sayde.

❀ The Nature.

The roote of Hyacinthe is drie in the first degree, and colde in the seconde: but the seede is drie in the thirde degree, Yet temperate twixt heate and colde.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The roote of Hyacinthe boyled in wine and dronken, stoppeth the belly, prouoketh vrine, and helpeth much agaynst the venemous bitings of the feeld Spidder.

[ B] The seede is of the same vertue, and is mightier in stopping of the laske: it helpeth them that haue the bloody flixe, and if it be dronken in wine, it is very good agaynst the falling sicknesse.