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 Elder or Gourtre. Chap. xliiij.

❀ The Kyndes.

SUche as do trauell at this day in the knowledge of Simples, do finde that there be two kindes of Elder: wherof one is very common & wel knowen. The other is geason, and not very well knowen, and therefore it is called Wilde or strange Elder.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THE common Elder doth oftentimes growe to the heyght of a tree, hauing a great tronke or body, strong, and of a wooddy sub∣stance, from whence grow forth many long branches or springes very straight, and ful of ioyntes, holow within, and ful of white soft pith, and couered without, or outwardly with a gray or aish∣colour barke, vnder the whiche is also another barke or rinde, whiche is named the median or middle barke or pill: from euery knot or ioynt growe two leaues of a darke greene colour, and strong sauour, and parted or diuided into diuers other small leaues, whereof euery leafe is a litle snipt or iagged rounde about. At the highest of the branches growe white flowers,

clustering togither in tuftes, like flowers of Parsenep. And when those flowers be fallen, there come little pretie rounde beries, first greene, and after blacke, out of the whiche they wring a redde iuyce, or winelike liquor. In the said beries is con∣teyned the seede whiche is small and flat.

Of this kinde of Elder, there is yet founde another sort, the beries whereof are white turning towardes yellow, in al thinges els like to the other: & this kinde is strange, and but seldome seene.

[ 2] The seconde kinde, that is to say, the wilde Elder is lyke to the first kinde, in springes & knottie branches, full of white pithe or substance, also in the sauour of the leafe. But it differeth muche in flowers and fruite: for the flowers of this wilde kinde do not growe in flat & brode tuftes like the flowers of the first cōmon Eldren, but clustering togither like the flowers of Medowe sweete or Medewort, or rather like the flowers of Priuet. And when the flowers of changeable colour betwixt yel∣lowe and white, are fallen of: the beries grow after the same fashion, clustering to∣gither almost lyke a cluster of grapes. They be rounde and red, of a noughtie and strange sent, or sauour.

[illustration]

Sambucus.

❀ The Place.

[ 1] The common Elder is found growing abundantly in the Countrie, about hedges, and it loueth shadowe and moyst places.

[ 2] The wilde and strange kinde of Elder, doth growe likewise in darke and moyst places, but it is very seldome seene or founde.

❀ The Tyme.

[ 1] The common Elder flowreth in May or somewhat after.

[ 2] The wilde flowreth in April: and the fruite of them both is ripe in Sep∣tember.

❀ The Names.

[ 1] The common Elder is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine and in the Apoteca∣ries shoppes Sambucus: in Frenche Suyn, or Hus: in high Douch Holder: in base Almaigne Vlier.

[ 2] The wilde is nowe called Sambucus syluestris, and Sambucus ceruinus: in high Douche Waldt Holder: in base Almaigne Wilde Vlier.

❀ The Nature.

[ 1] Common Elder is hoate and drie in the third degree, especially in the barke, the leaues, and young buddes.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The leaues and tender croppes of common Elder, taken in some broth or potage, doth open the belly, purging by the same both slymie fleme, and chole∣rique humours.

[ B] The greene median barke of the branches of Elder, do not much vary from

the leaues and tender croppes, but that it is of a stronger operation, purging the sayde humours with payne and violence.

[ C] The seedes, especially the litle flatte seede, dried, is profitable for suche as haue the Dropsie, and for suche as are to fatte, and woulde fayne be leaner, if it be taken in the morning the quantitie of a Dramme with wine, so that dyet be vsed for a certayne space.

[ D] The greene leaues pound, are very good to be layd vpon hoate swellinges and tumours, and being layde to playsterwise, with Dearesuet, or Bulles tal∣low, they asswage the payne of the gowte.

[ 2] [ G] The nature and vertues of the wilde Eldren, are as yet vnknowen.

❧ The Danger.

Elder of his owne nature is very euyll for man, for it stirreth vp a great de∣sire to vomit with great tossing and troubles to the stomacke, in the bowelles, and belly. It maketh all the body weake and feeble, and wasteth the strength and health of the liuer.