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 Sowbread. Chap. xi.

❀ The Kyndes.

THere be two sortes of Cyclamen, as Dioscorides writeth. The one is a lowe plant with a round roote, and is called Cyclamen Orbiculatum. The

other groweth high, and wrappeth it selfe about shrubbes and plantes, and it hath no notable roote, and it is called Cyclaminus altera.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] CYclaminon (which we may cal round Sowbread) hath broade leaues spread vpon the grounde with peaked corners lyke to Iuy leaues, and slightly dented round about the edges: and of a swart or darke greene colour aboue, yet powdered or garnished with white speckes or spots, and the middle part of the sayde leafe is somewhat white: but that syde of the leafe whiche is next the grounde, is purple colour, but sometimes deeper and some∣times lighter. The flowers hang vppon tender stalkes, nodding or beckning downewardes, and their leaues turning vpwardes or backwardes, in colour lyke to the purple violet, but not so faire: and of but a little or no sauour. There folowe small knoppes with seede, growing vpon small stalkes that are winded or turned two or three tymes a∣bout. The roote is turned rounde lyke to a Turnep, or Bulbus roote, and somewhat flat or pressed downe, with diuers hearie stringes by it, and it is blacke without, and white within, & in withering it gathereth wrinckles.

[ 2] The second Cyclaminon, or Sowbread, his leaues be also broade and nothing pea∣ked or angled, but in a manner rounde, and nothing speckled vppon, or at least wayes very harde to be perceiued: they be also of a sadde or blackish greene colour, but vnder∣neath of a red purple colour. The flowers are lyke to the first, but of a better sauour. The roote is somewhat smaller.

[ 3] The third kinde also hath leaues with∣out corners, but they be somwhat dented or snip rounde about the edges: these leaues also are speckled, and blackish in the middle. The flower is of a deeper purple, and of a most pleasant sauor. But the roote is smal∣ler than any of the rest.

[illustration]

Cyclaminus orbicularis. Sowbread.

❀ The Place.

Sowbread groweth in moyst and stony shadowy places, vnderneath trees, hedges, and busshes, and in certayne wooddes, but not euerywhere. It grow∣eth about Artoys and Vermandoys in Fraunce, & in the forest of Arden, and in Brabant. It is also common in Germanie and other Countries. But the thirde kinde is the dayntiest, and yet not strange in Italie.

❀ The Tyme.

The kindes of Sowbread do flower in Autumne about September, after∣wardes springeth vp the leaues, which are greene all the winter. The seede waxeth ripe about sommer next folowing.

❀ The Names.

[ 1] The first is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Cyclaminus, Rapum terrae, Tuber terrae, and Vmbilicus terrae: of Apuleius Orbicularis, Pala∣lia, Malum terrę, Rapum porcinum, and Panis porcinus: in shoppes Cyclamen, and Arthanita: in English Sowbread: in Frenche Pain de pourceau: in Italian

Pan porcino: in Spanish some call it Mazam de porco: in Germanie Schwein∣brot, Erdtapffel, Erdtwurtz, and Seuwbrot: in Brabant Verckens broot, and Sueghen broot.

Plinie calleth the colour of this flower in Latine Colossinum, or Colossi∣nus color.

[ 2] The second kinde is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Cyclaminus altera: of some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and we take that to be Vitalba, the which shalbe described hereafter in the xlviij. Chapter of this booke.

❀ The Nature.

Sowbread is hoate and drye in the thirde degree.

❧ The Vertues.

[ A] The roote of Sowbread dryed, and made into powder, & taken in the quan∣titie of a dragme, or a dragme and a halfe with Hydromell called also honyed water, purgeth downewardes grosse & tough flegme, & other sharpe humours.

[ B] The same taken in wine is profitable against al poyson, and agaynst the by∣tinges and stinginges of venimous beastes, to be applyed & layd to outwardly vpon the wounded or hurt place.

[ C] The same dronken with wine or Hydromel, cureth the Iaundise & stopping of the liuer, & taketh away the yellow colour of the body, if after the taking of the same in manner aforesayd, one be so wel couered that he may sweat.

[ D] The same prouoketh the menstrual termes, & expulseth the dead fruit, either dronken or conueyed into the body by a Pessarie or mother Suppositorie.

[ E] The iuyce therof straked vpō y^e nauel or belly, loseth the belly very gētly. And it hath the same vertue being applied w^t wool to y^e fundement as a suppository.

[ F] The same iuyce with vineger, setleth the fundement that is loose and fallen downe out of his naturall place, if it be annoynted therewithall.

[ G] The same mingled with hony, and dropped into the eyes cleareth the sight, & taketh away al spots, as the web, the pearle, & haw, & al impedimēts of y^e sight.

[ H] The same snift vp into the nose, clenseth the braynes, and purgeth at the nose grosse and colde flegmes.

[ I] The roote of Sowbread maketh the skinne faire and cleane, and cureth all mangie scuruinesse and the falling of the heare, and taketh away the markes and spottes that remayne after the small pockes and measelles, and all other blemishes of the face.

[ K] The same layde to the melt, or rather the iuyce thereof mingled with oynt∣mentes and Oyles for the purpose, wasteth and consumeth the hardnesse, and stopping of the Splene or melt.

[ L] It also healeth woundes, being mingled with oyle and vineger, and layde vpon them, as Dioscorides sayth.

[ M] The broth or decoction of the same roote, is good to bathe & stue such partes of the body as be out of ioynt: the gowt in the feete, and kybed heeles, and the scuruie sores of the head.

[ N] The Oyle wherin this roote hath ben boyled, closeth vp olde vlcers, & with the same also & a litle waxe, they make an oyntment very good for kibed heeles and feete that are hurt with colde.

[ O] The roote hanged vpon wemen, in trauayle with chylde, causeth them to be deliuered incontinent.

❀ The Daunger.

In what sorte soeuer this roote be taken, it is very daungerous to women with childe: wherfore let thē take heede, not only how they receiue it inward∣ly, but also let them be aduised in any wise not to applye it outwardly: nor to

carrie it about them, nor yet to plant it in their gardens, for it will hinder them if they do but onely goe ouer it.