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 Cresses. Chap. lix.

❀ The Description.

GArden Cresses haue small narrowe iagged leaues, of a sharpe burnyng taste: the stalkes be rounde of a foote long, and bring foorth many small white flowers, and after them little rounde flat huskes, within which the seede is contayned of abrowne reddish colour.

¶ The Place.

Cresses are commonly sowen in all gardens of this Countrie.

❀ The Tyme.

Cresses that are timely sowen, bring foorth their seede bytime, but that whiche is later sowen, bringeth foorth flowers and seeede more lately.

❀ The Names.

This herbe is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Nasturtium of some later writers Cressio: in Frenche, Cresson alnoys, or Nasitort: in high Douche, Kresz and Garten Kresz: in base Almaigne, Kersse: in English, Cresses, Towne Kars, or Towne Cresses.

❀ The Nature.

Cresses are hoate and dry almost in the fourth degree, especially the seede, and the herbe when it is drie: for being but yet greene they do not heate nor dry so vehemently, but that they may be eaten with bread, as Galen saith.

❧ The Vertues.

[ A] Cresses eaten in Salade with Letuce, is of vertue like to Rockat, & good amōgst cold herbes, for eaten alone it ouerturneth the stomacke, and hurteth the same, bycause of his great heate and sharpenesse.

[ B] The seede looseth the belly, and killeth, and dri∣ueth foorth wormes, it diminisheth the melte, pro∣uoketh the flowers, and putteth foorth the secon∣dine and the dead childe.

[ C] It is good against Serpentes and venemous beastes, and the parfume of the same causeth them them auoyde.

[ D] The same taken with the broth of a pullet or chicken, or any other lyke moyst meates, doth ripe and bring foorth tough fleme, wherewithall the breast is combred or charged.

[ E] The same laide to with hony, cureth the hard∣nesse of the melte, scoureth away scuruinesse, and fowle spreading scabbes, dissolueth colde swel∣linges, and keepeth the heare from falling of.

[illustration]

Nasturtium.

[ F] Being layd to with hony & vineger, it is good against the Sciatica, & payne in the hippes, and the head ache that is olde, and against all olde colde diseases.

[ G] To conclude the seede of Cresses is in vertue very lyke Senuie, as Galen writeth.