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.

❀ The Names.

[ 1] The first is called in Germanie Modelgheer, and Speerenstich: in base Al∣maigne Madelgheer: of some in Latine Cruciata, that is to say, Crossed. Both in forme and facultie, it seemeth to be a kinde of Gentian, & Conrade Gesnere iudgeth it so to be, and therefore it may be called Gentiana minor, that is to say in English, the smal or Dwarf Gētian. For there is another Cruciata, so called bycause y^e leaues are set togyther, standing like to a Burgonion Crosse, wherof shalbe spoken amongst the kindes of Madder. Some would haue it to be cal∣led Chiliodynamin: but Polemonia is called Chiliodynamis of the Cappado∣tions, as Dioscorides writeth, but with this Polemonia the Dwarfe Gentian hath no lykelyhode.

[ 2] The seconde is commonly called Saponariam, bycause of the clensing or scou∣ring propertie that is in his leaues: for whan they are brused, they yeelde a certayne iuyce which wil scoure almost lyke soope. But Ruellius describeth an other Soopeworte. Some call it Herbam tunicam: yet it is none of the cloue Gillofers, and muche lesse any of the kindes of Polimonij, which are taken for Sweete Williams or Tolmeyners, as we haue written in the Chap. of Gillo∣fers. It shoulde rather seeme to be Alisma or Damasonium, sauing that the stalke for the most part is not single, but most commonly groweth foorth into certayne branches or diuisions: & the rootes should be greater or thicker than the rootes of Beare foote: But the leaues are agreable with the description of

Alisma, and so is the tuft or bundle of flowers at the top. But the stalke of Alis∣ma is single and slender, and the rootes shoulde be also slender: whiche declare the diuersitie betwixt this Saponaria, and Alisma. Some do also take it for Struthion, but it is nothing lyke: we may call it in English Soopewort: some call it Mocke Gillofer.