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 kindes of Tithymale or Spourge. Chap. xxix.

❀ The Kyndes.

THere are, as Dioscorides writeth, seuen sortes of Tithymal: whereof some at this time are wel knowen, & some shalbe now by our endeuour brought agayne to light, and some are yet vnknowen.

❀ The Description.

THe first kinde of Tithymal, called y^e male kind, hath round red stalkes, of the heigth of a cubite, y^t is a foote & a halfe high. The leaues are lōg and narrowe, somewhat longer and narrower then the leaues of the Olyue tree, wherof the highest leaues, before they be throughly growen, shew rough or cottonlike. The seede groweth at the highest of the stalke in pretie

round holow leaues, like as it were basons, or litle disshes, through which the stalke groweth. The seede is inclosed in threecornered huskes like the seede of Palma Christi, as well in growing as in shape or fashion, but much smaller: the roote is of a wooddie substance with many hearie stringes.

[illustration]

Tithymalus Characias. Wood Spourge.

[illustration]

Tithymalus Characiae species.

[ 2] The second kinde of Tithymal hath straight stalkes of a span long, about the which growe many leaues, set a sunder without order, thicke, whitish, & sharpe poynted, not much vnlyke the leaues of Kne holme or Ruscus, but greater and thicker, not blacke but al white of y^e colour of sea Spourge. And whan they be brused or bursten, there cōmeth forth milke as out of y^e other kinds of spourge. The flowers are yellow, growing in tuffetes like Rosewurte or Rhodia, the fruit is triangled, like the fruit of the other Spurges or Tithymales.

[ 3] The third kind, which may be wel called Tithymal of y^e sea, or sea Spourge, hath sixe or seuen fayre red stemmes or moe, comming from one roote. The leaues are smal, almost lyke the leaues of flaxe, or lyneseede, growing rounde about the stalke, being thicke toothed, the flowers are yellow and grow out of litle dishes or sawsers, like the first kind of Spourge, after commeth the trian∣gled seede as in the other Tithymales: the roote is long, & plaine, & of wooddie substance. This kinde of Tithymal, his leaues, disshes, and flowers are much thicker then any other kinde of Spourge.

[ 4] The fourth kinde called Sonne Spourge, after his Greeke name, or Tithy∣mal turning with the Sonne, hath three or foure stalkes somewhat reddish, a∣bout the length of a foote, & his leaues are not so thicke as garden Porcelane.

The flowers are yellowe growing in tuffetes. The roote is lyke the other Ti∣thymales.

[ 5] The fifth kinde called Cypres Tithymal, hath rounde reddish stalkes of the length of a foote: The leaues are very small, greene, narrow, lyke the leaues of the Firre tree, but farre smaller & tenderer. The seede is smal but in al thinges els lyke the other, and it commeth in little blewish Cuppes or Sawsers, in the middest of the syde branches. This herbe hath leaues much narrower then E∣zula minor.

Of this sort there is founde another kinde very smal, the which may be wel called Cypres Tithymal. It hath very small stalkes, both little and tender, a∣bout the heyght of a spanne, and vpon them small tuffetes, with flowers of a faynt yellow or pale colour, after cōmeth the seede lyke to the other, but a great deale smaller.

[illustration]

Tithymalus Myrsinites. Myrtell Spourge.

[illustration]

Tithymalus Paralios. Sea Spourge.

Yet there is a thirde sort of this kinde, whereof the leaues be all white, but otherwayes it is lyke to Cypres Tithymale, as the great and diligent Herbo∣rist Ian the Vreckom hath declared vnto vs, who before this hath had suche Tithymale growing in his garden: neuerthelesse, I did neuer see it, and there∣fore I do not set out a larger description.

[ 6] The sixth kinde is great, of eight or niene cubites high, growing like a little tree, the stalke is somtimes as bigge as ones legge (as Peter Belon writeth) and bringeth foorth many branches spred abroade, reddishe, and set with small leaues, like the leaues of the litle Myrtel tree, the fruit is like the fruit of the o∣ther Tithymales.

[illustration]

Tithymalus Helioscopius. Wartewort or Son Spourge. Sonturner.

[illustration]

Tithymalis Cyparissias. Cypresse Spourge.

[ 7] The seuenth kinde hath soft leaues like Molin or Higtaper, but it is yet vnknowen.

All these kindes are full of white liquor or sappe like milke, the which com∣meth foorth whan they be broken or hurt, and it is sharpe and bitter vpon the tongue.

❀ The Place.

[ 1] The first kinde of Spourge groweth not of his owne kinde in this Coun∣trie, and is seldome founde, but in the gardens of diligent Herboristes.

[ 2] The seconde, as saith Dioscorides, groweth in places that lye waste.

[ 3] The thirde groweth about the Sea, and is founde in Zelande vpon tren∣ches and drie sandie bankes and in wast places adioyning to the sea.

[ 4] The fourth groweth about townes in plaine fieldes, and in some gardens: it is very common in this Countrie.

[ 5] The fifth called Cypres Tithymale is not founde in this Countrie, but in the gardens of Herboristes.

But the litle of the same kinde groweth about Malines, in borders of some fieldes, yet it is not founde euery where.

[ 6] The sixth kinde groweth in stonie places.

❀ The Tyme.

All the kindes of Tithymal or Spourge, are most commonly in flower in Iune and Iuly, and their seede is ripe in August.

❀ The Names.

All kindes of this herbe are called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Lactariae: in

French Tithymales or Herbe à laict: in high Douch Wolfzmilch: in base Almaigne Wolfsmelck: in English Spourge.

[ 1] The first kind is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Tithymalus mas, or Lactaria mascula, that is to say in Frenche, Tithymale masle: in English Wood Spourge.

[ 2] The seconde kinde is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, & of some Caryites: in Latine Tithymalus foemina, that is to say, in Frenche Tithymale femelle: in En∣glish Femall Tithymall, of Theodor Gaza Myrtaria, it may be named in En∣glish Myrtell Spourge.

[ 3] The thirde kinde is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Paralios, and Tithymalus, or Mecon, of Theophraste 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Coccos. This kind may be wel called in French Tithymale marin: in English Sea Spourge: in Douche Zee Wolfsmelck.

[ 4] The fourth is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say in Latine Tithymalus solsequius, or Lactaria solsequia: in Frenche Tithymale suyuant le soleil, and Reueille matin: in Almaigne Sonnewend, Wolfsmelck: and in Brabant Croonkens cruyt: in English Sonne Spourge, or Wartwurt.

[ 5] The fifth is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say, Tithymale lyke Cypres.

[ 6] The sixth is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and of some Leptophyllos: in Latine Tithymalus arborescens, that is to say, Tithymal growing lyke a tree: or Tree Tithymall.

[ 7] The seuenth kinde is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and of some, as Hermolaus Barbarus writeth, Corymbites, & Amigdalites: in Latine Tithy∣malus latifolius, or Lactaria latifolia, that is to say, Large leaued Tithymall or Spourge.

❧ The Nature.

All the Tithymales are hoate and drie almost in the fourth degree, of a very sharpe, and biting qualitie, fretting and cōsuming, first of al the milke or sappe, then the fruit and leaues. The roote is of least strength. And amongst all the Tithymales as Galen sayth, the male is the strongest, then the female, thirdly the sixth kinde, and the Tithymale with broade leaues. The fifth in strength is that, which is lyke Cypres, the syxth is Sea Tithymall, the seuenth and of least force is the Sonne Spourge, or Tithymall folowing the Sonne.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The iuyce of Tithymal is a very strong medicine opening the belly, and som∣times causing vomit, bringing tough flegme & cholerique humours: like vertue is in the seede and roote, especially the barke therof, and are very good for such as fall into the Dropsie, whan it is ministred with discretion and wel corrected or prepared.

[ B] The same mixt with hony, causeth heare to fall from the place that hath ben annoynted therewithall in the Sonne.

[ C] The same put into the holes of corrupt & noughtie teeth, swageth the tooth ache, but ye must beware, ye put not the iuyce vpon any founde tooth, or whole place, but first ye must couer them with waxe to preserue them from the sayde iuyce. The roote of Tithymal boyled in vineger and holden in the mouth, is good for the same intent.

[ D] The same doth also cure all roughnesse of the skinne, manginesse, leprie, wild scurffe, and spreading scabbes, the white scurffe of the head, and it taketh away and causeth to fall of all kindes of wartes, it taketh away the knobbes & hard∣nesse of Fistulas, corrupt and fretting vlcers, and is good agaynst hoate swel∣linges and Carboncles.

[ C] It kylleth fishe, if it be mixt with any bayte, and giuen them to eate.

❀ The Danger.

The iuyce, the seede, and rootes of Tithymales, do worke their effect with violēce, and are hurtful to the nature of man, troubling the body, and ouertur∣ning the stomacke, burning and parching the throte, and making it rough and sore, insomuch that Galen writeth, that these herbes ought not to be ministred or taken into the body, much lesse the iuyce ought to be dealt with, but onely it must be applied outwardly, and that with great discretion.

❀ The correction or remedie.

If one lay the barke of the rootes af Tithymales, to soke or stiepe in vine∣ger by the space of a whole day, then if it be dryed and made into powder, put∣ting to it of Annys of Fenell seede, gumme Tragagante and Masticke, and so ministred altogither with some refreshing or cooling liquor, as of Endiue, Ci∣corie, or Orenges, it wil do his operation, without great trouble or payne, and will neither chafe nor inflame the throte, nor the inwarde partes.