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 Bucke thorne / or Rheyn beries. Chap. xxx.

❀ The Description.

THIS plante groweth in manner of a shrub or smal tree, whereof the stemme is oftētimes as bigge as ones thigh, the wood or timber whereof is yellow within, and the barke is of the colour of a Chesnut almost like the barke of the Cher∣rie tree. The branches be set with sharpe thornes both harde & prick∣ley, and roundish leaues, somwhat like the leaues of a gribble, grabbe tree, or wilding, but smaller. The flowers are white, after whiche there come litle rounde berries, at the first greene, but afterwarde blacke.

❀ The Place.

This plante groweth in this Countrie, in feeldes, wooddes, and hedges.

❀ The Tyme.

It flowreth in Maye, and the fruite is ripe in September.

[illustration]

Rhamnus solutiuus recentiorum.

❀ The Names.

This thorne is called in Brabant, Rhim besien doren: in French, Nerprun, or Bourg espine: in high Douche, Weghedorn, that is to say, Way Thorne: bycause it groweth alongst the high wayes and pathes: in Latine of Matthiolus, Spi∣na infectoria, and of some others, Rhamnus solutiuus, the whiche name I doo subscribe vnto, bycause I knowe none other Latine name, albeit it is nothing lyke to Rhamnus of Dioscorides, or of Theophrastus, & therefore not the right Rhamnus. The Italians do cal it Spino Merlo, some cal it Spino ceruino, Spin guerzo, and of Valerius Cordus, Cerui spina: we may well call it in Englishe, Bucke Thorne.

The fruite of the same thorne is called in Brabant, Rhijnbesien, that is to say in Latine, Baccae Rhenanae: in English, Rheyn beries, bycause there is much of them founde alongst the riuer Rhene: in high Douche, Weghedornbeer, and Cruetzbeer.

❀ The Nature.

It is hoate and drie in the seconde degree.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The beries of Bucke thorne do purge downeward mightily, driuing foorth tough fleme and cholerique humours, and that with great force, and violence, and excesse, so that they do very much trouble the body that receiueth the same, and oftentimes do cause vomit. Wherefore they be not meete to be ministred, but to young strong and lustie people of the Countrie, whiche do set more store of their money then their lyues. But for weake fine and tender people, these beries be very dangerous and hurtful, bycause of their strong operation. And also bycause hitherto there is nothing founde, wherewithall to correct the vio∣lence thereof, or to make it lesse hurtfull.

[ B] Of the same beries before they be rype, soked, or delayed in Allom water, they make a fayre yellowe colour, and when they be rype, they make a greene colour, the which is called in France, Verd de vessie: in high Douch, Safftgrun: in base Almaigne, Sapgruen: in English, Sappe greene.