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 Italian Fitche / or Goates Rue. Chap. xxxij.

❀ The Description.

THis herbe is not muche vnlyke Arachus or the wild Vetche in stalkes and leaues: it hath round hard stalkes, and thervpon displayed leaues, made of diuers .small leaues lyke to the leaues of Vesseron or Arachus, but muche greater and lōger. The flowers be eyther cleare blewe, or white, and do grow clustering togither spike∣wise, and like to the wild Vetche, after come long, small, and round coddes, wherein is the seede. The roote is meetely great, and doth not lightly die.

❀ The Place.

Galega in some Countries (as in Italy) groweth in the borders of feeldes, it groweth also in the wood called Madrill by Paris. Ye shall not lightly finde it in this Countrie, but sowen in the gar∣dens of Herbozistes.

❀ The Tyme.

Galega flowreth in Iuly and August, and foorth with the seede is ripe.

[illustration]

Galega.

❀ The Names.

This herbe is called of the Herboristes of these dayes, in Latine Galega, Ru∣ta Capraria, and of some Foenograecum syluestre. And some do also count it to be Glaux▪ or Polygala, but as I thinke it is nothing lyke any of them: it is called in English▪ Italian Fetche, and Goates Rue.

¶ The Nature.

Galega is of nature hoate and drie.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] Galega, as Baptista Sardus writeth, is a singuler herbe against al venome

and poyson, and against wormes to kill and driue them foorth, if the iuyce of it be giuen to little children to drinke.

[ B] It is of like vertue fried in Dyle of Line seede, and bounde vpon the nauel of the childe.

[ C] They giue a sponefull of the iuyce of this herbe euery morning to drinke, to young children against the falling sicknesse.

[ D] It is counted of great vertue, to be boyled in vineger, and dronken with a litle Treacle, to heale the plague, if it be taken within twelue houres.