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 Zentilles. Chap. xxx.

❀ The Description.

THe Lentil hath small tender and plyant branches, about a cubite high. The leaues be very smal, the which are pla∣ced two and two vppon litle stems, or small footestalkes, and do sometimes ende with clasping ten∣drelles, wherby it hitcheth fast and taketh sure hold. The flowers be smal, of a brow∣nishe colour, intermixt with white. The huskes or shelles are flat. The fruite is round and flat, of colour now blacke, now white, and sometimes browne.

❀ The Place.

The Lentil is not very wel knowen in this Countrie, but is founde sowen in the gardens of Herboristes.

❀ The Tyme.

The Lentil doth both flower and waxe ripe in Iuly and August.

❀ The Names.

This Pulse is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Lens, and Lenticula, by whiche name it is knowen in Shoppes: in Englishe Lentilles: in Frenche Lentille: in high Douche Linsen.

[illustration]

Lens.

¶ The Nature.

The Lentil is drie in the seconde degree, the residue is temperate.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The first decoction of Lentilles doth lose the belly.

[ B] If after the first boyling you cast away the broth wherein they were sod∣den, and then boyle them agayne in a freshe water: then they binde togither and drie, and are good to stop the belly, and agaynst the blooddy flixe or dan∣gerous laske. also they stoppe the inordinate course of womens termes, but it wyll make their operation more effectual in stopping, if you put vineger vnto them, or Cichorie, or Purselayn, or redde Beetes, or Myrtilles, or the pill of Pomegarnates, or dried Roses, or Medlers, or Seruices, or vnripe bin∣ding Peares, or Quinces, or Plantayne, and whole Gawles, or the berries of Sumach.

[ C] The pill or shel of Lentiles hath the like propertie, and in operation, is of more force then the whole Lentil.

[ D] The meate that they vse to make of the husked or vnshelled lentil, drieth the stomacke, but it stoppeth not, and is of harde digestion, and engendreth grosse and noughtie blood.

[ E] They vse to swallow downe thirtie graines of Lentilles shelled, or spoyled from their huskes, against the weakenesse, and ouercasting of the stomacke.

[ F] The lentil boyled with parched barley meale, & laid to, swageth the paynes or ache of the gowte.

[ G] The meale of Lentiles, mixed with hony, doth mundifie and clense corrupt vlcers and rotten sores, and filleth them againe with newe flesh.

[ H] The same boyled in vineger, doth dissolue and driue away wennes, and harde swelling strumes.

[ I] With Melilot, a Quince & oyle of Roses, they helpe the inflammation of the eyes and fundement, and with sea water it is good against the hoate inflam∣mation called Erisipilas, S. Antonies fier, and suche lyke maladies.

[ K] The lentil boyled in salt (or sea) water, serueth as a remedie against clotted & clustered milke in womens breastes, & consumeth the abundant slowing of the same.

❧ The Danger ensuing the vse of this pulse.

The Lentil is of hard digestion, it engendreth windinesse, and blastinges in the stomacke, & subuerteth the same, they cause doting madnesse & foolish toyes, and terrible dreames: it hurteth the lunges, the sinewes and the braine. And if one eate to muche thereof, it dulleth the sight, and bringeth the people that vse thereof, in danger of Cankers, and the Leprie.